


Bridging The Gap; The Final Records In Unova: An Autobiography

by QGfromPT



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Action, Action/Adventure, Adventure, Dark, Drama, Family Drama, Gen, Isshu-chihou | Unova, Journey, Kanto-chihou | Kanto, Masara Town | Pallet Town, Philosophy, Pokemon Journey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-22
Updated: 2019-05-20
Packaged: 2019-11-27 15:15:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 76
Words: 523,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18195863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QGfromPT/pseuds/QGfromPT
Summary: The sequel to A New Life Through The Eyes Of Kanto: An Autobiography, picks up two years later. After helping Gary (no relation to Pokemon Professor Gary Oak) escape his overprotective mother's house, June and Gary end up on a plane to the Unova region, leaving behind a huge mess Gary is unable to return to back home in Pallet Town. While at first unsure of what to do in the new region, they find themselves making new friends, encountering all kinds of new Pokemon, and an unbelievable connection to their previous adventures in Kanto, comes full circle.





	1. For Old Time's Sake Part 1 Of 3

“Gary, what’s going on, man?” greeted Robin.  
“Gary, oh my gosh, when did you get here? Finding out secret info on raising Pokemon before the rest of us? Huh? Huh?” accused Aly.  
“Garyyyyyy!!” squealed Kiwi.  
“Hey Kiwi, Aly, Robin!” I said as I moved towards them to hug Kiwi and Aly, then proceeded to squeeze the life out of Robin’s hand in a firm shake as he attempted the same to me.  
Prof. Oak revealed the Pokemon, Charmander.  
“Yes! Charmander!” I exclaimed, smiling.  
“Pidgey, Heat Wave!” Prof. Oak instructed the peculiar Starter, Pidgey. “This little guy learned the move from someone I know over in the Unova region.”  
Pidgey flew from Prof. Oak’s shoulder to Kiwi’s and nuzzled its head on her cheek.   
“Awww! Que cute!” Kiwi petted it and took the Poke Ball from Prof. Oak.

*

A Mankey came swinging through the trees.   
Charmander watched him and then gave chase, spitting flames after him.   
I threw my Poke Ball as hard as I could at Mankey.  
The Poke Ball opened and Mankey was pulled in by the red beam.   
PING!  
“YES! I caught a Mankey!” I cried happily.  
A group of furious Mankey surrounded me. They were on me in an instant, beating me continuously. Their claws, fists, and feet were pounding away at me relentlessly.

*

“Pokemon are a hazard to the world,” a man said seriously to Nurse Joy. “Do you know how many Pokemon Trainers die a year on these dangerous journeys? And how many of them are just children?!”

*

Squirtle looked to me and smiled. She ran past my Charmeleon and right up to me, reaching up with her hands like she wanted to be picked up!  
“Awww!” I couldn’t help it and I lifted her.  
“Squirtle, hit that thing with Water Gun!” Robin demanded.  
Squirtle waited for a moment before she sent out a very feeble Water Gun attack at Charmeleon.  
Charmeleon just stood there as the water hit his stomach lightly.  
“Squirtle, finish that thing with a Water Gun!”   
Squirtle didn’t move.  
“It looks like Squirtle and that Trainer over there with the Charmeleon have a closer bond than the Squirtle has with her owner,” a voice said from out of nowhere. “My name is June. I’m the Gym Leader of Gringey City. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She smiled brightly and brushed her red hair out of her face and extended her hand to me.

*

“You are mine,” Sabrina said, floating stationary in the air, staring down at us all as Haunter got too close for comfort.   
“Go get him, Pidgeotto!” Kiwi yelled as she raised her Poke Ball to toss it.  
Sabrina’s eyes flashed white for an instant and the Poke Ball in Kiwi’s hand turned into a cloud of dust.  
Kiwi stared in shock at her hand, and then a shrill shriek emitted from her throat.

*

Charizard’s eyes suddenly widened in shock and a horrible look came over its face. It pulled its head back far, ready to fire an attack.   
One of the four men lifted his gun and aimed.  
BANG!   
Charizard’s head exploded in blood.

*

Seadra popped out of her Poke Ball and began to evolve in a burst of light. The light faded after a moment and a Kingdra was now in view.   
Drock’s words echoed in my head: “JUST KEEP HER!! PLEASE!! TAKE GOOD CARE OF HER!! I LOVE HER!! PLEASE!! I’M SO SORRY!!” She had run away in fear from the rampaging Charizard and left me to care for her Kingdra. Her very first Pokemon. And she had my Beedrill in a trade we didn’t finish.  
My eyes began to tear up as I stared at Kingdra.

*

“You’ve been force fed a world where Pokemon are fun creatures for you to master and control and have fun with through battles and ultimately gain the fame and the glory,” Ray from Team Solace, spoke.

*

The helicopter roared fiercely above, dropping Pokemon which exploded with an incredible force, forcing me onto my back.  
BBBBBLLLLLLLLLLLLTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!! was the sound that erupted from an attack aircraft that fired bullets around me.  
Officer Jenny grabbed my shoulders and threw me to the ground, out of harm’s way.

*

“My name is Isaac,” Isaac spoke over the radio, “the leader of Team Solace. I, Isaac... am your new God. Team Solace, as a group, are what you shall consider your guardian angels. Those who have died or lost someone close to them due to these wretched… monsters! To the poor youth who are either missing or very well dead!”  
“Pokemon are our friends!” Aly screamed angrily, stepping forward. “Pokemon aren’t evil! YOU’RE evil!”  
“Aly, shut your freaking mouth you stupid idiot!” I begged, barking at her.  
Aly turned to me, fire in her eyes. “You have to stand for what you believe in. You can’t just cower away! How can we win if we let people like this step all over us?” She stormed over to Isaac with balled fists.  
“ALY, STOP!” I demanded frantically.  
BOOM!  
The sound from the gun seemed to slow down time.  
Aly gasped loudly.  
“ALY! NO!” I screamed, my hands on her shoulders.  
“Gary,” she managed to choke out as her hand shot up and grabbed my arm hard. She began to shake even harder on the ground, coughing up blood. She went still, her mouth wide, her eyes open, rolled up inside of her head.

*

“Aly… Died…” I whispered.  
Robin kneeled down next to me, staring at me, his face covered in tears.  
“Solace?” Kiwi squeaked. “Killed her?”

*

“Kiwi was attacked by a Raikou not too long ago. She’s in the hospital right now,” Prof. Oak informed me. “She'll live, for sure. But she's still paralyzed. It's not looking like she'll be walking again.”

*

A collective, deafening roar rose up from the Pokemon in the field of the Indigo Stadium at the Pokemon League as they were electrified by large black boxes on their backs, enraging them and causing them to attack each other viciously and even fatally.  
“For the disobedience of the Kanto region, and their lack of support in Team Solace's cause, a just judgment and swift execution must be delivered,” Isaac declared from the open door of a helicopter hovering above the battle stadium. “The rage of I, GOD, in the flesh! Judgment shall be delivered through this here bomb's explosion!! This one eruption will trigger a set of other bombs, which will set off further bombs, IN A CONTINUOUS CHAIN OF BOMBS ALL SPECIFICALLY PLANTED THROUGHOUT THE KANTO REGION, DESTROYING OVER TWO-THIRDS OF THE ENTIRE REGION!!!”  
A Snorlax was behind me, standing up, looking up at the bomb as it headed for the ground, its mouth wide open in awe. The bomb dropped right into its mouth!  
Isaac, shrieking, falling right behind the bomb, fell into Snorlax's mouth as well!   
I stared at Snorlax in shock, my eyes wide, my mouth wide in horror.  
Snorlax looked back at me, Isaac’s body hanging out of its mouth, kicking and struggling to get his head free, screaming hysterically. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*

My entire body was trembling out of control. My heart was basically vibrating violently. My breathing was unpleasant, shaky, and forced. There was nothing but darkness in my sights despite it being some time in the later half of the morning. I had refused to open my eyes since much earlier, when I had awoken. Other than my quaking body, nervous breaths, and hurriedly beating heart, I hadn’t moved a muscle all day. Even from behind my eyelids and the closed blinds, I could see that the sun was out.  
A Dodrio had sounded off early in the morning as always, and now, birds were chirping, but other than that, there wasn’t much else to hear. Pallet Town had always been a pretty quiet place, but not like it had been after what occurred about two years ago at the Indigo Stadium not far away from here.  
The tragedy that occurred there was catastrophic and haunted me to this very day. Actually, the entirety of the Pokemon journey I had embarked on three years ago with my three closest friends was one that I relived on a daily basis. Both the good, and the bad of it.   
During the year I had traveled as a Pokemon Trainer, I had grown a lot as a person and experienced perhaps far too much. I had earned the minimum required number of eight Badges to compete in the Pokemon League, captured a decent amount of Pokemon, at least, in my opinion, and made a lot of good friends.  
During the year I had traveled as a Pokemon Trainer, I had suffered. I’d been attacked by wild Mankey almost as soon as my journey had begun on my way to Viridian City. One of my Pokemon, a Beedrill, was gone, probably forever, due to a trade mishap. I had encountered a terrorist group known as Team Solace, who were motivated to wipe out the entire species of Pokemon because they felt they were all a threat to mankind’s existence and stopped at nothing to try achieving their goal, including attempting to manipulate the public.   
Worst of all, I’d lost one of my best friends due to Team Solace. Aly. She’d been shot dead trying to stand up to them during one of their evil plans they were unfolding. It was the most heart wrenching, painful thing I’d ever had to go through. I somehow forced myself to continue on my journey, like I knew she would have wanted me to, in her name. It was a nearly impossible feat, but with time, and the support of my Pokemon and my good friend, June, I had managed to rebuild my courage and strength and continued, eventually ending up competing in the Pokemon League, where I finished amongst the top eight.  
It was during the final match of the Pokemon League that Team Solace reared their ugly head once more, interrupting the battle and unleashing their most evil plan, which involved causing pain throughout all the Pokemon in the stadium and making them unruly. They then dropped a bomb to try to set off other bombs to end up destroying most of the Kanto region, from a helicopter hovering above the stadium. The plan was foiled, and the leader, Isaac, was killed in the midst of it all.  
“Team Solace has finally come to an end.” Those were the words Prof. Oak spoke to me when I had been recovering in the hospital following the final fight against Team Solace, and they repeated in my mind often, giving me peace of mind and comfort.  
But nothing would erase the horror from my memory. The nightmares that haunted me every night had slowed down to a near stop for a little while now, and I was finally able to sleep easier for a change. But it was when I was awake that I now reflected on what happened back then. I’d been in the hospital for about a year, suffering from burns and injuries. It was a slow, painful recovery process, and even now I could feel sore points in specific parts of my body, but it was more than bearable.  
I inhaled deeply and tried to relax. My heart gave a special, sharp twinge of pain as I thought of all my Pokemon. I hadn't seen any of them since the attack at the Pokemon League. I missed them desperately. They were some of my best friends. The six who had been with me during the final day at the Pokemon League had been critically injured. The last I’d heard, three of them were back with Prof. Oak right now. The other three were still in a nearby Pokemon Center, still recovering. They’d be fine in a few more months was what Prof. Oak had told me.  
Or at least, that’s what he had written to me. A Hoppip had been delivering notes to me from Prof. Oak since he, and no one else, for that matter, was allowed to visit me anymore, a rule put in place by my mom after I'd come home from the hospital. Hoppip would land on my windowsill and gently tap on my window, holding up a note. I’d read them, smile and nod, and the little creature would leap off of the windowsill and sail away in the wind. The notes helped me not feel so alone. Sometimes they were simple greetings and well wishes. Other times, they were updates about how my Pokemon were, or about Robin, Kiwi, and even June, who I was glad to know were all doing well and were back home.  
According to Prof. Oak, Kiwi had been interviewed by a news crew about two years ago regarding an attack she had suffered from a Raikou, leaving her entire body paralyzed at the time. Now, she was in a wheelchair, paralyzed from the waist down. It was unknown how long it would last, or if she’d ever recover. Her mom had been vehemently against her daughter being interviewed, but gave in once Kiwi insisted on it.  
According to the professor, Robin’s house, and what used to be Aly’s house, both, had also been pestered by news reporters.   
The reporters had shown up at Robin’s house the same day Robin got back home from the hospital. Robin’s parents refused to even answer the door, eventually calling the police when the reporters didn’t leave their front yard after a week.   
The news crew that went to what was Aly’s house was chased away by just about everyone in Pallet Town in a rage that they would dare to bother the woman who had lost her daughter not long ago. This had happened while I was still in the hospital, although I had also been told that a few news reporters had originally started appearing around the house only a couple of days after Aly’s death, which was during the time I had still been on my journey, and they were warned by Prof. Oak himself to not come around anymore.  
Prof. Oak also told me that a set of news reporters had tried to get a word from me, as well, but I hadn’t seen or heard from anyone, so it was clear that my mom had kept them away. Another note that Prof. Oak had sent to me filled me with a mix of anger and nausea. Following the Pokemon League attack, the news was filled with reports for a while involving how people felt about Team Solace’s goals and motives. While a high majority of people were glad that Team Solace was no longer active, a surprising number of people actually agreed with Team Solace’s goals and felt that they were acting from a good place in their hearts. The last poll taken showed that eighteen percent of people questioned were either completely on the side of Team Solace, or felt that they might have had some kind of good, moral reasoning in what they were doing. Most of the people siding with Team Solace were the kind of people Team Solace targeted to agree with them and give their message strength. The kind of people who would hear their message and be hit the hardest, emotionally. Parents. Especially parents whose kids were currently traveling as Pokemon Trainers. Parents who hadn’t heard from their kids in ages. Parents whose kids had died on their journey.  
While I could understand that there was reason to be concerned about young children traveling alone to capture and battle with often times very dangerous creatures, the means Team Solace went through to prove that Pokemon were dangerous was unforgivable and outrageous. For anyone to side with them was unfathomable to me. I had seen the news while hospitalized and was already well aware of what Prof. Oak had told me in that note, but reading it again enraged me as if it was the first time I was hearing of it.  
The lightweight Hoppip would sometimes get blown off of the windowsill before I could read the notes, or would never reach my window at all due to strong winds. I had no idea why Prof. Oak didn’t send a better Pokemon to deliver his messages.  
There was no way for me to send Prof. Oak a message back or keep the messages he delivered to me. My window was nailed shut, and metal bars were on the outside of it. My mom had effectively made me a prisoner.  
Me and my mom always had a rough relationship. We had always constantly fought, and usually, there was little I could do to avoid it. Anything could set her off, and almost always did. What made it worse was that she held a grudge for the longest time, even over the smallest things.  
My mom was against Pokemon and didn’t want me to become a Pokemon Trainer in the first place. She tried to show some level of support for me at first, but as things got dangerous, as they always do for a Pokemon Trainer, she became more and more upset and demanded I come back home and stop my journey, which I of course refused to do. Our relationship suffered even more from this, but I always tried to keep in contact with her, and she even showed up at the Pokemon League to see me a couple of times.  
Another reason for her disdain for Pokemon was due to the fact that her husband, my dad, had died. He left the family a couple of years before I left on my journey. He wanted to better his training and relationship with his Pokemon and come back one day as an accomplished and well recognized Pokemon Trainer in order make more money for the family, despite our life being just fine as it was, as far as I saw it. He ended up dead for reasons never explained to me.  
My sister, Melissa, another puzzle piece in the reason why my mom hates Pokemon, left on her journey a year before I did, and hadn’t been doing well at all on her quest. She had last called the house about a month before I left to go on my journey. Nobody’s heard from her since. I had kept it in my heart for so long that she was still alive out there, somewhere. I didn’t run into her when I had been traveling like I was sure I would, and by the time I had been competing in the Pokemon League, I had no idea what to believe anymore. But I knew I’d find her. One way or another.  
Team Solace had given my mom the perfect reason to never let me out of the house again, and following their final attack, my mom now had me in her grasp again, and I was prohibited from leaving or having company.  
A few months ago, the doorbell rang, and I had opened the door to my room silently, crept down the stairs, and saw my mom speaking to Robin! My very best friend!  
“Is he okay?” Robin had asked my mom, both of his arms wrapped in white bandages, held up by silver crutches. He looked terrible. He appeared completely exhausted and beaten, several bruises around his face, obviously still recovering from the attack from Team Solace, but there he was, standing at the front door to my house.  
“He’s fine,” my mom spoke sharply. “Please leave.”  
Robin turned and saw me, letting out a surprised gasp. “Wait!” Robin pleaded, but my mom slammed the door in his face.  
She turned around and saw me. Raw fury flashed in her eyes, and I ran as fast as I could, back up the stairs to my room, but my mom gave chase. Before I could reach the door to my room, I heard the jingle of her belt, the crack as she stretched it between her hands, and I felt the sting of the metal buckle against the back of my neck, forcing me down hard. The beating was harsh, and I barely managed to get inside of my room, crying and begging helplessly. I slammed the door, holding my weight against it, breathing hard as she kicked at the door and screamed for me to open it. I refused to open the door and cried for her to leave me alone. After maybe ten minutes, she finally stopped her attack, and I heard her stomp back downstairs. I laid on the floor of my room, my body aching in pain all over, my arms wrapped around my knees, crying heavily with my eyes pressed painfully against my knees.  
My mom didn’t leave the house. Ever. She had our groceries delivered from the store, just to make sure I didn't sneak out while she was gone. She just stayed in the living room all day and all night, watching television, unless she was cooking or had to go to the bathroom. At night, she slept on the futon in front of the TV, never sleeping in her room. Sometimes the TV was still on, and other times it was turned off.  
The house had a lot of creaky spots in the floorboards, and my mom’s obsession for me kept her sensitive to all noises. In other words, all attempts of me sneaking out and running away in the middle of the night, no matter how late it was, how slowly I moved, or how quietly I crept, ended in complete failure. At one point, an effort to escape resulted in me getting hit over the head with a frying pan as I ran in tears back to my room. I hadn’t tried to run away again since that beating.  
Not too many days after that incident, I looked out the window one morning after hearing someone ring the doorbell, shortly followed by a loud slam of the door. My eyes watered when I saw that it was June, walking away, her head lowered sadly.   
She looked up at my window and her eyes lit up when she saw me. She immediately smiled and waved to me, and I smiled and waved back, but there was little else we could do.   
I could see the pain in her eyes, and it brought tears to my own eyes.  
June had wiped at her eyes and glared at the front door. She looked back up to me and gave me a determined stare. With a nod, she quickly ran away.  
It was that same night that I heard something in my room, and after slowly, cautiously, making my way to the light switch, a flash of light from the corner of my room grabbed my attention and I screamed at the sight of the enormous Electric spider Pokemon, Galvantula!  
Its body was glowing, and it ran towards me immediately!  
I shrieked like a hungry, newborn baby and ran away from it.   
The spider crawled out the open door of my room.  
My heart pounding in fear, looking after the large Bug, I swallowed hard, shivering in place. I then noticed from out the corner of my eye, a piece of paper that was drifting to the floor. I had meant to bend over to see it better, but my quivering legs caused me to drop to my knees, my body seemingly made of Jell-Oy. Picking up the note in my trembling hands, I silently read the words: You’ll know when to run. –June.  
The light in my room came on suddenly in a startling flash.  
I turned around sharply in fright and hid my hands behind my back. “Mom!” I exclaimed, squinting in the light.  
She squinted at me in her blue jeans and white T-shirt, her bare feet on the carpeted floor in my room. “What’s wrong?” she snapped. “Why were you screaming?”  
“I thought I saw a bug,” I thought up quickly. “I don’t know where it went.”  
She sighed and just stared at me for a moment, and then looked around my room before eyeing me once more, suspiciously. “Go to bed,” she said angrily, and left my room, slamming the door behind her.  
That had been three days ago.   
I had no idea what June’s note had meant, and I hadn’t seen her or any of her Pokemon since. Galvantula is okay, I thought. All of our Pokemon had been in such terrible shape, but it seems her Galvantula is alright. Great… I hated June’s Galvantula, though I guess it was good that at least one of her Pokemon was in good health again.  
A shrill scream ripped me from my thoughts, making my eyes pop wide open, and I sat up in my bed quickly. The noise was coming from downstairs. “Mom!” I leaped out of bed. For some reason, my legs didn’t carry me to the door to my mother’s shrieking. I stared at the door, paralyzed. What’s going on? I thought in a panic. Suddenly, it hit me. I removed my blue shorts I had on, ran in my white boxers and undershirt to the closet, and flung the door open. Several pairs of clothes, including jeans, shirts, a heavy black coat, a light black jacket, a black beanie hat, and my black backpack, were tossed to the ground behind me. Quickly, I scooped them all into the backpack, except for the jacket, and ran to my dresser drawer. Socks and underwear from the bottom drawer were immediately forced into the bag and I zipped the bag closed. I quickly pulled another pair of socks from the drawer and pulled them onto my feet.  
My mom’s screams grew even louder and more desperate.  
I hope I’m not making a mistake, I thought as my body trembled with excitement and fear, running back to the closet to grab a pair of dark blue jeans. After literally leaping into them and wrapping a belt around the waist, I struggled frantically into a black polo shirt.  
As my feet were forced inside of a pair of dirty, black sneakers, my mom’s pleas for help got more desperate and loud.  
She might really be in trouble! I realized. Maybe this isn’t what I thought! I grabbed my backpack and slung it over my shoulder, grabbed my black baseball cap with the Poke Ball design on the back from my bed, and, putting it on my head backwards, snatched up from the floor my black jacket with the embroidered design of my favorite Pokemon of all time, Mewtwo, on the right breast of it, as I ran out of my room, leaping down the stairs, reaching the bottom floor in two long leaps.   
My mom was nowhere in the living room.   
A loud banging noise surprised me, coming from the kitchen.   
“MOM!” I screamed out, struggling to get my jacket on.  
Her yells rang out again, coming from the kitchen, making me jump.  
I ran there and gasped at the sight before me. “MOMMY!”  
The upper half of my mom’s body was in the refrigerator, the door closed on her as she seemed to be struggling against it, calling out in terror!   
The refrigerator was leaping up and down in the air, slamming heavily to the floor, two jagged, blue lines at its sides, reaching into the sky like arms, the normally white fridge now a deep red, two circular, white designs near the top, a large red spike on the very top of it. A strange design underneath the two circular shapes grabbed my attention. It almost looked like a smile…  
“Rotom?!” I gasped.   
The refrigerator leaped even more excitedly, slamming hard and noisily to the floor, and made a strange cry.  
“Whoa! Rotom!” My body was shaking hard, a smile starting to spread over my face despite the fear flooding throughout my body.  
Though my heart kicked strongly in my chest from the decision.  
Though my mind screamed both against and for it.  
Though I knew I had no idea what would happen in the following seconds if I made such a rash decision.  
I ran out of the house as fast as I could.  
I tore through the front yard’s smooth stone path, the air fresh and invigorating, the evening sky darkening as the sun was vanishing, and I made a sharp left. I ran past a few houses, including Kiwi’s, Aly’s mom’s, and finally Robin’s, before I made another left, and…  
“Aaahh!!” My scream was combined with another person’s cry as I slammed into them and backed up a few feet.  
Wearing a yellow shirt underneath a red, lightweight jacket, tight red jeans, and snow white sneakers, her large, black bag slung over her right shoulder, June’s face of surprise turned to joy as she leaped forward and wrapped me in a hug.  
I hugged her back, more intent on catching her after she made such an awkward, stupid jump, than actually hugging her.  
“Gary! You’re here!”  
“June! What’s going on?” I exclaimed. “Is that your Rotom in my house attacking my mom?!”  
June held my shoulders in her hands and pulled back, staring at me in shock. “It’s attacking her?”  
“Well, it’s kind of eating her,” I replied calmly. “I mean, it took over the fridge and is holding her inside of it.”  
June sighed with relief and then glared at me. “Gosh, Gary. It’s just holding her. She’ll be fine. You had me worried! You know Rotom hasn’t been the same since hanging around with your Porygon-Z.”  
I glared at her. “Not now, June!”  
She nodded solemnly and grabbed my hand, pulling me into a run.  
I didn’t resist. There was no other choice but to run at this point.  
“Gary, I’m sorry I took so long to message you,” June breathed as she ran.  
“Why the hell did you have to send Galvantula into my room in the middle of the freaking night for??!” I demanded, feeling an angry surge within me.  
“Galvantula was the only one who could just sneak into your house,” June explained. “I mean, Rotom could have done it, too, but…” June paused. “I dunno. I guess I should have chosen Rotom, instead. Sorry. It’s been a couple of years, you know? I forgot you don’t like Bugs!”  
“I have a damn phobia of the things!” I shouted.  
“Sorry!” June yelled back. “Anyway, I had to think up a plan, and I told Rotom to cause some kind of distraction in the house since it can just take over things. I didn’t think it would do what you just told me it did, but it worked!”  
“Well, thanks, but what’s the rest of the plan? I can’t possibly go back home, now!”  
“We’re heading for the Johto region!”  
“Johto? Why there?”  
“It’s so close by! We can break away into there and then…”  
“And then…?”  
“I didn’t get much further than that…” June admitted.  
“WHAT? You get my mom attacked by one of your Pokemon, and we have no idea of what’s going to happen next other than the fact that we’re going to enter a region right next door?!”  
“I just wanted to get you out of there! I’m sorry! I saw you in your room, all alone and sad. Your mom said you weren’t allowed company. Ever! I felt like you needed help! I knew after deep thought that you’d be held there for a long time and not be allowed outside without her, if at all. The best idea I had was to run off to the Johto region together!”  
“Okay, okay,” I said in a gentler tone. “We’ll head-” A loud roar from the right of me stopped my sentence and I screamed as I turned, seeing only a flash of red. I was tackled hard to the ground, still screaming in horror, trying to see my attacker. A wet, sticky feeling came over my face and I grunted in disgust. Struggling underneath the sickening feeling on my face, I reached up and pushed against it, looking right into the face of the thing above me. “CHARIZARD!!!!!” I uttered in disbelief.  
An enormous dragon stood over me, its head in my face, its tongue repeatedly wiping the right side of my cheek, slobbering over me.  
“CHARIZARD!!!!!!” I screamed out again, happily this time.  
It was my Charizard! My very first Pokemon, once a Charmander so long ago, fully evolved during our travels together! This had to be my Pokemon!  
I wrapped my arms around his neck tightly, tears filling my eyes and uncontrollably running down my cheeks, and he let out a deep purr in response, nuzzling his head against my face, his large tears dripping onto me.  
“Rotom got a hold of him,” June smiled at us. “I told it to collect all of your Pokemon, but I guess it couldn’t find the others. This was all it got.”  
I didn’t let go of Charizard and looked up at June, my smile fading. “Primeape? Weepinbell? I heard they were back from the Pokemon Center! They should’ve been there! And the other Pokemon who have been staying with Prof. Oak! They should be fine!”  
“I know, Gary. But this was all Rotom came back with!” June said sadly. “I’m so sorry.”  
With a loud cry, June’s Rotom, in its normal form, flew past her and stopped in midair, turning around to face us with a big grin.  
“Rotom!” I called out to it.  
“There you are!” June smiled. She turned back to me, worry on her face. “I’m so sorry, Gary. I told Rotom to check carefully. I sent it out early this morning, when I was sure all of the Pokemon would be outside, getting breakfast. Perhaps I should have waited a bit longer.” She turned to Rotom. “Are you sure you couldn’t find any of Gary’s other Pokemon? I know I had you on a rushed timeframe, but was Charizard all you found?”  
Rotom had a serious look on its face as it nodded quickly.  
June sighed and turned back to me. “I’m really sorry, Gary.”  
“It’s fine,” I replied, rubbing Charizard’s head, still crying with joy from having gone so long without seeing him.  
Charizard let out several grunts repeatedly, pushing hard against my face with his own, showing teary affection.  
“Gary!” June suddenly grabbed my wrist and pulled me up to my feet. “If Rotom is here, we have to go!” She yanked hard and we were on the move again, Rotom leading the way, and soon after, Charizard taking flight, flying next to Rotom.  
“June, what direction is Johto?” I asked, keeping my delighted eyes on Charizard.  
June didn’t answer. She just stopped out of nowhere.  
I ran past her and gasped as I was pulled back by her tight grasp on my wrist.  
Charizard and Rotom stopped, Charizard landing heavily on the ground, Rotom freezing in midair.  
I didn’t understand what was wrong at first, but then I saw him.  
“Gary!” Prof. Oak called out to me from ahead of the four of us, glaring with disapproval.  
“Prof. Oak!” I exclaimed.  
Prof. Oak shook his head and continued to stare coldly at me. “Gary,” he said, taking a step towards us. He turned to June. “And Jill, as well. I am very surprised to see this. You both have managed to acquire Charizard from my lab and are trying to break away from here. I am very disappointed in you two. Gary, your mother’s request is that you stay here. She is still your guardian, so you have no permission to leave this place. I’m very sorry, Gary, but you cannot proceed any further.”  
It was all over.   
Galvantula scaring the crap out of me in my room.  
Rotom retrieving my Charizard.  
Rotom trapping my mom.  
June’s eagerness to set me free.  
All for nothing.  
My shoulders slumped, my body trembling, my heart dropping to my stomach, fear filling my body as I thought of the fact that I’d be returning back home to my mom.  
Prof. Oak took another step towards us.  
A loud cry rang out and caused us all to look around in confusion. A mysterious figure leaped out from seemingly nowhere, its body covered in a bright spark of light. With another cry, what looked like lightning flew from its body and hit Prof Oak!  
Prof. Oak screamed painfully and collapsed, twitching and groaning on the ground, his body sparking with electricity.  
“PORYGON-Z!” My eyes were wide, my mouth stretched open to the limit in awe, staring up at my Pokemon.  
Porygon-Z flew at me and circled my body.  
June shrieked in pure terror and stumbled back at the sight of my Pokemon.  
I smiled and tears overflowed at the sight of my good friend as I pulled it into a hug.  
Porygon-Z shivered in my grasp and cried out with pleasure.  
“Porygon-Z!! I can’t believe you’re here! What are you doing here?” I laughed.  
“Prof. Oak!” June was staring down at the professor, fear on her face, her hands to her cheeks.  
I looked down at the paralyzed professor, my heart beating sharply, wondering what would happen from here on out. There’s no looking back now, I realized immediately. I released Porygon-Z from my hold. “Porygon-Z, let’s go!”  
It let out a cheerful cry, its head spinning rapidly.  
I ran past it, Charizard, and Rotom, and grabbed June’s shoulders. “Come on!”  
“B-b-b-but…” June stammered. She looked up at me shakily. “Prof. Oak! We can’t just leave him!”  
“We don’t have a choice! I don’t wanna leave him, either, but we’re in huge trouble now! We have to go!”  
“NO!” June closed her eyes and shook her head. “I will not leave the Professor like this!”  
I shook June harshly. “June! We’ve gone through too much! We have to get going! We have to get far away from here! We’re like criminals now! We attacked the Professor!”  
“NO! You’re Pokemon did!” June accused, turning to Porygon-Z.  
I looked back to see Porygon-Z and Rotom spinning in circles, facing each other, looking into each other’s eyes eagerly.  
“This is all your Pokemon’s fault!” June had fire in her eyes. “I told you your Pokemon is out of control! And I still can’t read that damn thing!”  
I stared at her momentarily as my hands slid off of her, unsure of what to say.   
June was able to understand the language of Pokemon and communicate with them, and yet she couldn’t understand my Porygon-Z. In fact, she was downright terrified of it. She also had been unable to read the Bug type Pokemon owned by the Viridian City Gym Leader, but eventually had managed to understand them and their feelings for their Trainer after I had defeated them. There remained no reason for why June couldn’t read those Bug Pokemon in the first place, nor a reason why she was unable to read Porygon-Z to this day.  
“We’ll discuss this later,” I growled through gritted teeth. “For now, we’re in huge freaking trouble!”  
Prof. Oak groaned and shivered on the ground, his body sparking as he struggled to get to his feet.  
I stared at him for a couple of seconds and quickly returned to June. “June, we’re out of here! You’re welcome to join us!” I turned to Charizard. “Come on! Porygon-Z, you, too!” I regretted it immediately, but I sucked in a deep breath and ran past Prof. Oak.  
Charizard roared and I heard him take flight, flapping his powerful wings.  
Porygon-Z cried out and I heard it make a strange noise close by me, letting me know it was following.  
I heard footsteps and June’s heavy, frantic breathing behind me, accompanied by Rotom’s yell, and I knew I had a couple of more companions with me.  
The five of us ran past Prof. Oak’s mansion.  
I made a turn away from Route 1, unsure of where I was leading the group. We were running through open plains, away from the houses of Pallet Town, alongside the trees surrounding Route 1.  
June shrieked loudly and ran past me, Porygon-Z not far behind her, blatantly following her, scaring the life out of June, unintentionally.  
I would have laughed if the situation weren’t so serious. “CUT IT OUT, PORYGON-Z!” I barked.  
Porygon-Z continued to chase after June, ignoring me.  
Rotom hovered above June easily, smiling.  
I couldn’t hold it in any longer and smiled broadly at the sight, my body shaking with restrained laughter.  
With a loud gasp, June stopped in her tracks.   
Rotom froze in place.  
Even Porygon-Z stopped chasing after June, tumbling in midair for a few seconds before stopping to stare at the sight before it.  
Charizard let out a growl and hovered in the air, flapping his large wings.  
Once I saw what everyone was looking at, I stopped running, too, my heart thumping in my throat.  
Charizard landed heavily on the ground behind me.  
“Gary,” was the harsh whisper that came from the throat of my lifelong friend.  
“Kiwi?” I managed choke out, my eyes filling with confusing tears instantly.  
Kiwi sat in an electric wheelchair, wearing blue shorts and a lighter blue T-shirt, her feet sitting in brown sandals. I hadn’t seen her in over two years, being locked up inside of my own house. Her black hair ended at her shoulders back then. Now, it was cut close to her head. She glared coldly at me, and only me, ignoring the others.  
I had wanted to see her for so long, and yet, now that I was seeing her face to face, I had an unnerving feeling in my chest and stomach. For some reason, seeing one of my closest friends after so long, was terrifying.  
“What do you think you’re doing, Gary?” she asked me seriously, her eyes stabbing into my eyes and chest like the sharpest, coldest of icicles.   
My mouth dropped open to answer her, but nothing came from it.  
“Charizard and Porygon-Z,” Kiwi noted coldly, not taking her eyes from me. “Going somewhere?”  
I shook my head, though I was obviously lying. I felt like I had answered against my will.  
She smirked, but the smile was the most sinister, suspicious smile I may have ever witnessed. It wasn’t a look I was used to seeing on Kiwi. It sent chills down my spine.  
“Where are you headed, Gary?” she insisted in a shiver inducing tone.  
I shook my head again, completely incapable of speaking at this point.  
Kiwi’s eyebrows furrowed, her eyes narrowing tight.  
My entire body was on ice.   
Nobody spoke.  
“Unova sounds like your best bet,” Kiwi spoke up after a moment. Her tone had lightened noticeably, but it was still unfriendly. “Where else is better than to have a fresh start in a region as far away as there, in a place so much different than Kanto? Especially for someone trying to run away.”  
I only swallowed.  
Kiwi’s eyes squinted harder. “Your choice. I wish you good luck, though.” She pressed a button on the right arm of her wheelchair, making it move forward.  
I kept my eyes on her, turning around as she wheeled around behind us and smoothly rolled away, her chair whirring.  
June, Rotom, Charizard, and Porygon-Z looked after her.  
Gritting my teeth, I glared at Charizard and walked over to him. He purred deeply as I pet his stomach. “You ready to fly?”  
Charizard nodded and grunted before lowering himself to the ground for me.  
I climbed onto his back. “Porygon-Z, we’re going for a ride!”  
Porygon-Z looked over to me and let out a shrill shriek that I hadn’t heard it make in a long time. One that tore through my eardrums painfully. A shrill, relentless sound that made everyone helplessly scream.  
I covered my ears and closed my eyes as I cried out, Charizard rocking underneath me as he roared. “SHUT UUUUUUUUUP!!!!!!!” I let out at the top of my lungs.  
A moment later, the cry ended.  
I opened my eyes and screamed in fright, surprised to see Porygon-Z right in front of my face, staring at me.  
Charizard was shaking his head, his eyes closed.  
June glared at Porygon-Z, a wary look in her eyes.  
Rotom looked up at Porygon-Z with a smile.   
“June, we’re out of here,” I told her sternly. “Are you coming or not? You put a lot of work into helping us get this far. Are you going to just throw it all away?”  
June looked after where Kiwi had left, turning back to me with a fearful look in her watering eyes. She shook her head slowly. “Gary, we can’t-”  
“Fine,” I cut her off, causing her to gasp a little. “I don’t have time for this, June. We’ve done too much and come too far. I’m not going back home. No matter what. I can’t! Goodbye, June.” My heart pounded as I pointed to the sky, not wanting to leave June behind, but I couldn’t force her to come with me if she didn’t want to go. “Let’s go, Charizard!”  
Charizard roared and his wings extended. With a few tremendous flaps, he ascended and flew through the sky.  
I swallowed hard and grasped Charizard’s back tightly as the wind blew against me. Pallet Town began to shrink right in front of my eyes, Porygon-Z spinning in circles right above my head, its body outlined in yellow. Something caught my eye and I turned to see what it was, immediately inhaling a sharp breath, but soon after, smiling.  
June was flying in the air after me, determination on her face as she focused her eyes on me. Her body was outlined in a light green color.  
Rotom was beneath her, floating after her, its eyes glowing light green.  
June smiled as our eyes met, but didn’t speak.  
“June!” I laughed lightly.  
“We should make a right turn if we’re going to Johto!” June called up to me.  
I shook my head hard. “No.”  
“No?”  
I nodded. “You heard me.” I pointed forward and Charizard roared, flying with a strong burst of speed.  
“Gary! Slow down! Where are we going?”

*

June’s feet lightly walked across the shiny floor behind mine, our reflections clear as if looking into a crystal clear lake under the sun.  
Porygon-Z and Rotom let out gentle, cheerful calls as they circled above both of our heads.  
Charizard walked behind June and I, sniffing the air, growling at other people’s Pokemon as they walked by us, causing me to scold him every so often.  
“Are you sure about this, Gary?”  
The building was enormous, with different corridors, escalators, stairs, people, stands, stores, and doors, everywhere! It was impossible to take note of everything in the airport. It was filled with everything that a traveler could possibly need and want, and then some.  
“I think it’s our best option considering the circumstances. If you trust that I’ll pay you back as soon as I possibly can, and you’re willing to do it…”  
June nodded. “If this is what you want.”  
“I don’t know what I want anymore. You didn’t really tell me what to expect or think about, and now, we’re just going with the flow.”  
June lowered her head. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled. “I was honestly just trying to help.”  
I nodded and managed a smile. “Thanks.”  
June looked up at me sorrowfully, but seeing my smile, she smiled for just a moment before it faded away only seconds later. “But, aren’t you worried that Kiwi might tell Prof. Oak or the police where we’re headed? Why would she tell us to go to Unova? Doesn’t that strike you as odd?”  
“I considered that.” I looked away. “Even if she does, Unova is the one of the farthest places to go. It honestly is our best bet. And we never told her we were definitely going there. Besides, I don’t believe Kiwi would do that. She’s one of my best friends. She has nothing to gain by telling on us. It doesn’t make any sense.”  
“She acted so strange...” June recounted. “She seemed so... cold. Why was she like that? That was really scary.” She stopped and grabbed my shoulder, stopping me. Our eyes met, and I could see how scared she was. The uncertainty; the distrust. “Gary, I don’t know if we should go there.”  
“I understand. But, I trust Kiwi,” I said confidently. “She’s my friend, June. What she’s been through the past couple of years has changed her. We can’t judge her for that. I can only imagine how anyone would change after surviving an experience like what she went through, and then what happened after... To us.”  
June closed her eyes and lowered her head, nodding as her lips pressed against each other hard, wrinkling them. She sniffled and let go of me to wipe at her eyes. “You’re right.” She met my gaze again. “I’m sorry.”  
I gave her a reassuring nod, and we turned from each other and approached a counter with a brunette woman smiling at us warmly in a pure white suit. “Hello,” she greeted us, exposing her pearly whites as well. “Welcome to Round Crossways. Do you have tickets ready to this flight leaving shortly? The final passengers are urged to board immediately.”  
June and I exchanged glances, and I nodded at the uncertain look on her face before turning back to the woman.  
“N-” I began.  
“No,” June said, bumping me gently with her hip, giving me a sly smile. “We’ll be catching the next flight to Unova, please. I’d like to pay for our tickets now.”  
“Okay,” the woman nodded happily, typing on a computer in front of her. “I’ll just need some form of identification, please.”  
June reached in her pocket and pulled out the Thunder Badge, handing it to the woman.   
The lady took it and examined it before pulling out a long, white, lightly humming, electronic tube with a yellow, glowing top and waved it over the Badge. She put away the tube and typed for a moment on the keyboard before handing June her Badge back and turned to me expectantly.  
“Oh!” I exclaimed, and fumbled around for my Pokedex. It wasn’t in my jeans. My heart began to beat hard. Oh, no, I thought in a panic, digging through my jacket pockets. I’m screwed. I’m so stupid. This is all June’s fault for not infor- “Aha!” I burst out happily as I checked the pocket inside of my jacket and gratefully pulled out the Pokedex, squeezing it tightly, and then handed it to the woman.  
She placed it in a slot in the computer and typed for a bit before taking it out and handing it back to me with a wide grin. “So, how will you be paying for this?” she asked June sweetly.  
“I’ll be using my…” June dug around in her pockets. The pretty smile on her face soon gave way to worry.  
I began to feel a panic in my chest while watching June.  
June pulled the pockets of her jeans inside out, and then did the same to the pockets of her jacket. She dropped her enormous bag to the ground and dug through it, tossing multiple items around her, including soaps, shampoos, clothes, Poke Balls, and many other items I didn’t recognize. With a sharp cry, she looked up at me and then turned to the woman behind the counter. “Um...”  
“June?”  
She turned to me, fright written on her face. Her throat widened as she swallowed, and that made me swallow uncomfortably. June turned back to the lady.  
The lady looked at us both, an uncertain look on her face.  
Suddenly, a loud, familiar cry rang out, and the screen on the lady’s computer flashed brightly, blinding us!  
I blinked against the bright lights flashing in my eyes.  
When they had faded, the woman behind the counter was still rubbing her eyes, and June was blinking hard with wide eyes, looking around.  
“Wow, what was that?” the lady murmured, looking down at her computer screen.  
“Porygon-Z?” I asked quietly, trying to find it, reflecting on the sound I had heard before the flash.  
Rotom stared at me with an eager smile.  
Charizard was looking outside of an enormous set of windows that made up an entire wall, staring at the planes parked outside.  
“OH!” the lady let out.  
All of us looked at her, surprised by her outburst.  
“Gary and June! You both already paid for your flight! Earlier this morning!” The pretty woman looked up at us brightly. “You don’t need to pay again. But you do need to board this plane, immediately!”  
June and I exchanged stunned glances.  
I turned to the woman.” Okay!” I started to walk past her, down the corridor behind her.  
The woman leaped in front of me, smiling gently. “I’m sorry, but you’ll have to put the Charizard back into its Poke Ball. It’s far too large to be allowed walking around freely on the plane. The other one over there should be okay, but the Charizard is a bit too dangerous and large. I’m very sorry.”  
I turned to Charizard.  
Charizard let out a grunt, staring back at me.  
I felt my belt, knowing there were no Poke Balls on it. “Wait!” I turned to the lady. “Just let me buy a Poke Ball! I don’t have one for him right now!”  
The lady shook her head sadly. “There just isn’t enough time. You need to board the plane right this moment or you can wait for the next flight, but that will cost you extra money.”  
I stared at the woman in disbelief. “But…”  
“If you’re boarding, you will need to get on right this instant,” she said urgently. “Please!” She extended her arm towards the corridor.  
I turned back to Charizard.  
Charizard let out a mournful whine.  
I ran to him and leaped at his throat, wrapping it in a hug. “Charizard…”  
“Sir, if you don’t board right now, you won’t be able to get on this flight!” the lady insisted.  
I looked Charizard in the eyes.  
His eyes were coated in a layer of water.   
“Hey!” I said strongly. “You head on back to Prof. Oak’s and take good care of him. And before you get any crazy ideas, it’s far too dangerous to follow the plane I’ll be in. And I don’t need you getting lost following the wrong plane or something. Once I’m in Unova, I’ll find a way to get you out to me, buddy. But I have to go.” My voice lowered to a whisper. “Porygon-Z is doing me a huge favor right now. I, you, we, can’t pass up this opportunity.”  
“Excuse me, Mr.-!” the lady demanded impatiently.  
I released Charizard, refusing to show tears. “Get home safely! I’m coming back for you!” I told him strongly, and I closed my eyes and ran away from Charizard, past the lady, and down the corridor. Charizard roared tremendously, painfully, behind me, but I refused to look back. I hadn’t felt a pain so bad in such a long time.  
“Gary!” June ran after me.  
I didn’t stop running, plowing down the hallway, away from one of my best friends in the entire world.

*

My head split. My ears popped. I grabbed my head in pain and groaned. As the plane ascended higher into the sky, shaking hard, experiencing some turbulence, which made me start to fearfully regret getting on this plane at all, I felt an agony I had only heard of from others describing their bad experiences on planes.  
My mom was terrified to fly, but my dad hadn’t been. I was always eager to fly on a plane, but never got the chance to. Our trips together ended up being mostly throughout the Kanto region. Any distant trips through Kanto or to foreign locations were taken by bus, train, or car, as far as I remember.  
My dad traveled by himself by plane to other places sometimes, without my mom’s approval, but he didn’t care. In fact, my dad’s last trip was on a plane. He arrived wherever he had been flying to safely, but, of course, he never came back.  
And now, here I was, traveling with June, her Rotom in its Poke Ball, and her four other Pokemon in their Poke Balls. When I had been traveling with June through Kanto, she had ten Pokemon with her. When she had pulled out all of her belongings from her bag, looking for her credit card to pay for the flight, I had only spotted five Poke Balls, a sticker containing the first letter of whatever Pokemon was inside, on each one.  
Were her other Pokemon not fully recovered, yet? Where were they right now? Did she leave them at a Pokemon Center while she planned to travel to another region with me? She still had Galvantula and Rotom, but did I know the other three Pokemon she has, or are they new?  
Would Charizard make it back home to Pallet Town safely? I didn’t have a Poke Ball for him anymore. It had gotten smashed in the warfare cause by Team Solace at the Pokemon League. Was my Charizard now susceptible to being captured by another Pokemon Trainer now?  
Porygon-Z just did me and June a huge favor. But where was it now?  
So many worries.  
So many fears.  
So many questions.  
All filling my mind as June and I looked out the window from our seats, the plane leaving the shrinking airport behind as it got higher in the sky.  
On our way to the Unova region.


	2. For Old Time's Sake Part 2 Of 3

The sparkling, glorious blue sea stretched out beneath the plane I was in, splashing against itself in small waves reflecting the bright blue sky illuminated by the sun poking out shyly behind glowing white clouds.  
June was next to me, leaning close and gazing out the window.  
Several clouds blocked my view on occasion for a few seconds before my continuous view of fresh waters proceeded. I leaned back against my seat and sighed, staring at the ceiling of the plane, my mind crowded with worrisome thoughts. I quickly stood up and glanced around, spotting several passengers in their seats eating lunch and having conversations with each other.  
A few of them turned to me and stared back, a few of them smiling, others giving me blank glances.  
A couple of stewards were chatting together, laughing in a corner.  
I sat back down and let out a weary sigh.  
“Where do you think that thing is?” June asked cautiously.  
I didn’t like her tone. “Don’t speak about it like that!” I said sharply. “I’m really worried. Porygon-Z hasn’t shown up yet, and I have no clue as to where it went.”  
“I hope it’s okay,” June said in a quieter tone. “I just... wish I knew where it was right now.” She glanced around quickly, her eyes wide with fear.  
“Will you get over your stupid fear?” I said angrily. Noticing that it was getting quieter on the plane from my loud voice, I spoke my next words in a calmer tone. “I’m not in the mood for your stupidity.”  
“It’s not stupid!” June cried. “That thing is damn well terrifying to me, okay? You don’t like Bugs, and I don’t like that Porygon-Z!”  
“Okay, okay,” I whispered, staring into her eyes, knowing that everyone was paying attention to us now. “I’m just a little freaked out.” I leaned back against my seat, staring up at the ceiling. “I don’t want that thing running loose on the plane. Who knows what it could do?” I could feel June’s stare on me, but I didn’t turn to her.  
“Round Crossways, Flight 646, is now preparing for landing,” a man’s voice, clear and smooth, came out through the speakers of the plane. “Passengers are required to stay seated and buckle their seatbelts as the plane prepares to land. We hope you enjoyed your time with Round Crossways and hope you’ll be flying with us again.”  
I turned to June, worry in my eyes.  
She glanced back, a concerned look in her eyes.  
I wanted to say something, but I knew she knew what I was thinking.  
She glanced around again, swallowing, and then turned back to me.  
My eyes shut tight as I cried out in pain and grabbed my head as it split down the middle, the plane shaking roughly, my ears popping continuously.

*

“PORYGON-Z!!!” My hands cupped around my mouth as I called for my Pokemon. “PORYGON-Z!!!!”   
June was close by me, looking around the inside of the airport with me.  
“PORYGON-ZEEEEEEEEE!!!!!” I yelled as loud as I could.  
June and I had been searching the airport for my Pokemon for almost an hour after leaving the plane after our nearly eight hour flight had ended and after my head had stopped feeling like an axe had its way with it. Our search turned up no results.  
Where did it go? I wondered, scared. Where is my Pokemon? My Porygon-Z! Where?  
June hadn’t called out my Pokemon’s name once, and I didn’t ask her to do so. If she wasn’t going to really make an effort to assist in the search, then fine.  
I wasn’t in the mood to argue with her over her ridiculous fear of my Pokemon. I just let her look for it in silence while I continued to scream as loud as I could, people looking at us curiously. Why is this happening? Why is my Porygon-Z missing? Where did it go? I remembered the cry I had heard before being blinded by the flash of light, and the fact that the cry sounded exactly like Porygon-Z’s. Porygon-Z definitely was the cause of the flash and the reason why June and I had been able to get on the plane to Unova. But after that, where did my friend go? “PORYGON-Z!!!” I bellowed. A tap on my shoulder made me leap and turn around, my heart pounding in surprise.  
“Excuse me, kid.” A security officer in a black uniform was glaring down at me. “Is something wrong?”  
“Yes!” I nodded. “I’ve lost my Pokemon. My Porygon-Z! I can’t find it!”  
“I see,” he replied, his stare softening. “Well, we can assist you in finding it, but you can’t run around here screaming at the top of your lungs like that.”  
“We’re sorry, sir,” June apologized beside me.  
He smiled and nodded. “Not to worry. We can check the security cameras to find your Pokemon. Where did you have the Pokemon last?”  
I opened my mouth, but froze on my answer, realizing that I couldn’t answer him honestly. The truth would be that I last saw it in the airport at Kanto. If those cameras were checked, it might reveal that my Porygon-Z had hacked the computer system. I swallowed hard, unsure of how to respond. My mouth opened again, but I just stared at the man stupidly.  
He waved his hand in my face, causing me to blink. “Hey! You alright?”  
I nodded quickly. “I am! I’m… sorry.” My eyes lowered to the floor.   
“Do you remember where you last saw your Pokemon?” he asked again.  
I shook my head. “No,” I murmured.   
“Well, what flight did you just come off of? We can check the cameras based on that,” he offered.  
I shook my head hard, looking up again. “No. I…” My body started to shake as I tried to find a way out of this conversation. “I’m really sorry. I think I know where it went to. I’m sorry for causing such a raucous. We’ll be okay. Please, excuse us, sir.”  
I turned away from the security officer and walked away quickly.  
“Hold on!” the man called out. “Where do you think you’re going?”  
“I’ve wasted your time!” I said loudly, not turning back to him. “Everything’s fine! I left it in cargo!” I picked up my pace, hearing footsteps following behind me.   
June and I walked silently together as I tried to find the way out of the airport. It seemed like we spent an hour pushing through crowds of people, walking by little stores, and taking escalators both up and down, repeatedly. The entire time, I was holding back tears. Finally, I saw the enormous glass doors leading outside, crowds of people coming in and out of the building through the same doors that stood between sets of tall windows on either side of it where walls would be, stretching along the building. I moved even quicker, and in another few minutes, I had pushed through crowds to finally get through the doors and was finally standing outside. I now saw that there were many buildings that made up this airport other that the one I had exited, hundreds of people coming in and out of every area possible. The sun shined brightly above as the morning sun’s heat surrounded me. My back pressed against the window as I slid down to the ground and closed my eyes. I rested my head on my knees, wrapping my arms around them, and remained still. I didn’t cry, but I felt distraught. Defeated. Devastated. My Pokemon was missing after its help getting us into Unova. Why? Where did it go? I could sense June sit down next to me and my eyebrows furrowed in anger as thoughts swirled around in my head.  
“Gary, I know I’m not fond of Porygon-Z, but I really am concerned about where it is,” June said with the tone of sincerity. “I want to find it.”  
I only had one answer in my mind for why Porygon-Z was missing. It was one that I didn’t want to accept, but it was the only answer I had at this point. But Porygon-Z would never just run away from me, no matter how stupid it acted, I thought strongly. Suddenly, I recalled when I had first sent out my Porygon-Z to introduce it to my team. It had run off and unintentionally scared a lady when it was trying to be friendly to her. Was it somewhere right now, scaring somebody by accident? How would I ever find it in this huge place? Why wasn’t it on the plane? Was it still in Kanto?   
June’s hand landed on my shoulder and rubbed it gently.   
I shrugged it off with an angry grunt and stayed in my sad position. I had run away to Unova with June and five of her Pokemon, and ended up losing the only two Pokemon I had. Porygon-Z… I thought sadly, my eyes watering now. I hugged my knees even tighter and pressed my eyes against them until it hurt, but I didn’t relieve myself of the pain. Charizard…  
“You two kids alright?” a voice asked.  
I halted my tears and rubbed my eyes swiftly as I sniffled before looking up at a young man with a dark blonde color to his hair, hazel eyes with concern within them, and a warm smile.   
He wore baggy brown pants and a brown vest over a black, long sleeved shirt, his feet in black boots that reached over his pants and stopped above his ankles.  
An Eevee sat on his right shoulder.   
I squinted at the unfamiliar young man.  
June didn’t say a word, staring at the guy.  
“Sorry if I’m intruding in on a bad moment,” the man said, his smile vanishing. “I just noticed you two kids seemed rather down and thought I’d see if you were okay. I just dropped my wife off here. She’s exploring the Johto region for her boss.”  
The Eevee cried out happily and smiled down at June and I.  
I looked down. “We’re fine,” I said shortly.  
“Yeah,” June quickly agreed. “That’s a beautiful Eevee you have there.”  
“Thank you very much,” the man replied happily.  
“I own an Eevee, too!” June said, her voice getting more excited. “She’s so special to me!”  
“That’s really great! I own most of his evolutions, as well. I’ve raised all the known evolutions at some point in my life, though a couple of my friends have passed on. This here Eevee is the newest one that hatched about one month ago. Who knows what he’ll evolve into!”  
“I’m sorry to hear about your other Pokemon, but it is nice that you have this new little cutie! I want to evolve my Eevee someday, too!”  
“Oh? Into what?”  
June giggled. “That’s a little secret of mine!”  
The man laughed in a gentle voice. “Well, that’s fair enough for me. If you don’t mind me asking, what are you two kids doing here?” He had been staring at June, but suddenly whipped his head to me, his smile fading slightly.  
June didn’t speak.  
The man looked back and forth between us, and his smile broadened. “Well, no need to tell me if you don’t want to,” he said with a small chuckle. “I’ll be on my way, then.”  
“Wait!” June jumped up as the guy turned his back to us, making him stop. “To be honest, we’re kind of… visiting the Unova region, but we don’t know where to go from here!”  
The guy turned around, still smiling. “Is that so? Well, Unova is pretty big. There’s so much to see! Where are you guys coming from?”  
“The Kanto region,” June told him.  
“Ah, Kanto,” the man sighed, maintaining his warm smile. “What a beautiful area. I’ve been there only a couple of times, the last time being a few years ago, but I’d like to go back sometime soon. Unova is quite a different atmosphere, but very easy to love. Since you have Pokemon, perhaps the best place for you to start your tour is by speaking to the expert on Pokemon in this region; Professor Juniper!”  
“Professor...” June started, her eyes wide and ready to pop. “Juniper...?” June ended.  
“That’s right. Professor Juniper. That’s who my wife works for. Why not-?”  
“PROFESSOR JUNIPERRRR!!!!! OH MY GOOOOOSH!!!!!” June shrieked. “WE’RE IN THE UNOVA REGION!!!!!!”  
I stared at June in shock, confused by her sudden outburst.  
“Um…” the man said. “Why, yes. You are indeed in Unova.” He gave a light chuckle.  
“I just realized this is the region of the amazing, astounding, fantastic, mind blowing Prof. Juniperrr!!!” June waved her arms frantically.  
“Prof. Juniper,” I muttered, the name ringing a bell.  
“Sounds like it’s settled, then,” the stranger said gently. “If you’re willing, I’ll happily drop you all off at Prof. Juniper’s Lab.”  
Who is this guy? I thought to myself.  
“YES!” June jumped in the air excitedly. “PLEASE! PROFESSOR JUNIPER!!!” Her eyes glistened like gems, her hands clasped together, looking at this young man as if he were made of gold.  
The man pointed at a dark brown minivan parked several feet away from us. “Well, let’s get in and I’ll happily take you guys there.” He walked towards it and opened the door to the driver’s seat, turning back to us with a welcoming smile that refused to leave.  
June ran up to the minivan and turned back to me. “Come on!” she spoke happily, impatiently.  
I stood up and stared at this mystery man as I walked over to his vehicle. “Who… are you?” I asked suspiciously.  
The man laughed loudly, bending over, holding his sides. He wiped at his eyes. “Oh, my.”  
June looked at me and her face went a little red as she lowered her eyes. Perhaps she was embarrassed at being so eager to leap into a stranger’s car.  
That’s what I had hoped, at least.  
The man stood up straight, puffing out his chest, bouncing on the toes of his black boots once. “My name is Virgil.”  
“You’re a stranger to me,” I replied. “My mom always said to beware of strangers.”  
June suddenly gasped. “WAIT!”   
All eyes turned to June.  
“YOU! I KNOW YOU! YOU ARE FAMILIAR TO ME!!!”  
“I am?” the man claiming to be named Virgil, asked.  
“YEAH!” June responded. “You’re the cutest winner of the Unova League, like, ever!! You are definitely him!!”  
Virgil’s face flushed a deep red as he stared at June. “Wow. Well, thank you,” he mumbled, looking at the ground, smirking.  
“I want to meet Prof. Juniper!” June said, nodding. “Please! Virgil! Take us there!”  
“I’d be glad to.” Virgil then turned to me. “Will you accompany us?”  
I stared at the happiness on June’s face.   
She was clapping her hands, her eyes closed, bouncing on her feet in a pure thrill. She seemed to recognize Virgil, and seemed excited to meet this Prof. Juniper.  
The name Virgil wasn’t familiar to me at all, but neither was this region I was now stuck in. There also wasn’t really a plan on what June and I would be doing in Unova. All of these things considered, I felt like I had no choice but to trust in June’s enthusiasm and, hesitantly, I agreed. “Okay,” I sighed, and approached his minivan, opening one of the side doors and cautiously stepping inside.  
June hopped into the passenger seat and Virgil got behind the wheel.  
The four windows of the vehicle opened a little.  
I gazed out of the door at the airport building.  
“Is everything okay?” I heard Virgil ask.  
I didn’t respond. Where did you go? I questioned sadly before slowly closing the door. I kept my eyes out the window, waiting for Porygon-Z to show up at the last second.  
“Buckle up,” Virgil said in a friendly voice.  
I absentmindedly grabbed the seat belt and snapped it into place around me.  
The vehicle began to move forward, and within a few minutes, I was looking out the back window at the airport as it slowly began to fade from my view. A smooth turn to the right, and the buildings were completely gone.  
I turned around and sighed, looking at my feet.  
“Hey!” Virgil’s voice came out.  
I looked up quickly.  
Virgil was looking at me through the rearview mirror, still smiling. “What are your names? I never got them.”  
“I’m June!” June said quickly, and then turned back to me with a caring smile. “This is my friend, Gary.”  
“Nice to meet you both,” Virgil nodded, returning his eyes to the road. “I think you’ll both enjoy the Unova region. Wow, Kanto. If you don’t mind me asking, where were you guys during that bombing at the Indigo Plateau a couple of years ago?”  
June and I exchanged glances. The silence was lasting too long, but neither of us spoke.  
Virgil stopped at a stoplight and glanced at the rearview mirror again, staring at me, and then turned to June. “I’m sorry if that was a sensitive question. What matters is that you’re both okay. Such a terrible time that must have been.” The vehicle moved forward again when the light turned green.  
The ride was smooth and made me feel comfortable. Drowsiness was sinking in, my eyelids getting heavy, but I wouldn’t let myself fall asleep here and I kept my eyes open. I was in a completely new region, had attacked Prof. Oak, and was missing two of my Pokemon. I felt like some kind of fugitive. In reality, I guess I was.  
The environment in this area had a noticeably different feel than I was used to. We drove by a lot of concrete. Buildings. Sidewalks. Streets. Even the air seemed different. Heavier, perhaps. It felt busier in this region. Kids ran around without a parent in sight, chasing each other. Groups of men in suits strolled by, laughing about their conversations. Skyscrapers lined one block we drove by. Cars drove by constantly around the one I was in, slowing down the pace of our trip and creating a lot of noise with the repeated honking of horns.  
All of this grabbed my attention. I wasn’t used to so much… congestion!   
An airplane flew overhead, seeming to be flying sideways, keeping up with Virgil’s driving, but once he stopped at a light, the visual effect ended and the plane flew straight, disappearing over a building in seconds.  
“Enjoying the sights?” Virgil asked.  
“Yeah! This is so much more… city than I’m used to!” June responded. “Kanto is quite different than here.”  
“We do have our green places, too,” Virgil informed us. “In fact, once we get closer to the lab, you’ll be seeing some Pokemon in the nearby woods.”  
Eevee cried out happily in Virgil’s lap, his head out the window, his tail wagging slowly.  
“Your Eevee is such a doll!” June gushed.  
“Thank you.”  
Eevee turned to June and cried out cutely before looking out the window again, his tail wagging even faster.   
“You’re so kind to be taking us to Miss Aurea Juniper herself!” June squealed.  
Virgil laughed. “You seem to be quite a fan of hers.”  
“How couldn’t I be? She’s a strong woman in the field of Pokemon research and is just, like, an idol!”  
“I couldn’t agree more. She’s quite knowledgeable. I can’t wait to see her again, someday. I have to get back to work as soon as I drop you off, so I won’t be able to stop by and greet her. I don’t get a lot of time to just travel around.”  
“Oh! Are we holding you up? I don’t want to make you late!”  
“No, no. Don’t worry about that. I’ll make it in time. I have a couple of minutes. I’m glad to have a moment to just drive around. Working for the Pokemon Rescue Squad is hard work.”  
“Pokemon Rescue Squad?” I asked in a low voice, looking at him.  
We were now driving past many houses in a beautiful neighborhood. It wasn’t filled with the city feel of where we had just been. It was empty, quiet, and peaceful, but somehow still had a lot more of a cluttered feeling compared to similar places in Kanto.  
“Yes. I work for the Pokemon Rescue Squad. We report to various incidents, such as problems with Pokemon, or natural disasters, big or small. We have many different teams, and my team is Team Eevee.”  
“Oh,” was all I muttered, focusing back at the houses, my mind on my Porygon-Z and Charizard.  
“Wow! A whole team full of Eevee?” June squeaked.  
“No, no,” Virgil laughed. “It’s a team with the evolutions of Eevee, and also this little one.” Virgil rubbed his Eevee’s head, and the Pokemon turned around with a happy purr and closed his eyes, enjoying the touch.  
“Oh! So your battle at the Pokemon League was with Team Eevee?” June asked.   
“That’s right,” Virgil nodded. “After our victory, we tried to further our journey by challenging the Elite Four, but we didn’t get anywhere. It took us months to even locate a member of the Elite Four, and then to have lost so horribly to Caitlin. She completely chewed through us. Afterwards, she was rather upset we had disturbed her sleep for such a weak battle, and then she went inside of some kind of flower cocoon thing which wrapped around her and drifted away into the sky! Strange girl, but strong as the warning of the wrath of a woman scorned. Team Eevee and I have a lot more work to do before I can even think about becoming a Pokemon Master.” He gazed briefly, lovingly, at his Eevee before looking back up at the road.   
We were now curving around a bend, woods surrounding the path.  
Several strange Pokemon looked at us before running off. One almost looked like a Bibarel; perhaps its pre evolution? A couple of others resembled small fawn, and were orange. A pair of large deer with cream fur on their chests and limbs watched us, their antlers holding red and brown leaves on them. Glancing up into the trees, I saw several Pokemon resembling gray birds resting on tree branches. A sharp curve drove us alongside a huge lake where the enormous swan looking Pokemon, Swanna, turned to stare at us, some flapping their beautiful, snow white wings and flying into the air, causing the entire flock to follow suit.  
They are so beautiful, I thought, mesmerized.  
The wonderful view of trees and Pokemon in their natural habitat was interrupted as we soon found ourselves in another city, driving by crowded sidewalks and a few cars rolling by us quickly.  
“This is Nuvema Town,” Virgil told us. “Our trip will end shortly, but I’ll drop you off right in front of the lab.”  
“Thank you so much, Virgil,” June said. “Your hospitality was just wonderful! We’re so appreciative.”  
I nodded. “Yes. Thanks a lot.”  
A huge building soon came into view. Virgil drove past a large circular stone structure full of grass and varying flowers. The edge of the structure was lined with especially large daffodils that were spaced out several feet apart. Cement flooring encircled the outside of this setup, and circling around that were raised stone blocks in front of a landing that held even more grass and flowers, lined by a few bushes and a couple of trees. This led to a large building with a standing steel tower with flat plates and rods that reminded me of a radio tower. Much more plant life and a small building that looked like a greenhouse were beyond it.  
With a sharp turn, Virgil stopped his car. “This is it. Prof. Juniper’s lab.”  
“Thanks again,” I said, unbuckling my seatbelt and reaching out to shake his hand.  
He grabbed my hand strongly and shook it.  
June leaned forward and hugged Virgil, and he hugged her back. “It was such an honor!” She released Virgil and rubbed Eevee’s head, making Eevee sing out and wag his tail as he rubbed up against her hand. “Take care, sweetheart!”  
We got out of Virgil’s minivan and he waved at us. “Tell Professor Juniper I said hello! And enjoy your stay here!” He quickly drove off.  
“He sure was nice, huh?” June asked.  
I didn’t answer her and just watched as Virgil drove away before turning to her. “So, now what?”  
“What do you mean? We go see Professor Juniper, duh!” June answered, crossing her arms.  
“June, are you mad? What are we going to see her for? We don’t even belong here! What was the point of coming here? This whole thing was a mistake. We shouldn’t have done it. We’re probably in huge trouble right now and I’ve lost my Pokemon. This woman surely knows Prof. Oak. We probably have a warrant out for our arrest!”  
“Maybe you and Porygon-Z do, but I don’t. I didn’t do anything.”  
“You’re an accomplice.”  
June now had an uncertain look on her face. “Oh, stop worrying. If anything, it’s your Pokemon’s fault. And now it’s missing. We’re innocent. Now let’s meet Professor Juniper!!” Before I could argue any further, she grabbed my hand tightly and yanked me forward, running towards the building before us. June reached the front of the building and the electronic glass doors slid open immediately, so she pulled me after her as she flew inside.  
The inside of the building was huge, the brown ceramic floor looking freshly polished, the white walls looking freshly painted, and a few closed doors leading to unknown places.  
A metal cart stood near a woman with long brown hair reaching down past her shoulders. Two large wooden trays and a smaller wooden tray sat on the metal cart.  
The lady looked at me and June with surprise.  
My eyes widened as they took in this new person.   
The woman wore a short, black skirt and a white tank top tucked into the skirt, a white lab coat around her shoulders, standing in blue heels.  
I felt a little bit weak in her presence suddenly.  
June stepped forward and squinted at the woman.  
“Hello,” she greeted us with a sly, confused smile. “I think I was expecting two female Trainers here today. Perhaps I’m mistaken?”  
My eyes continued to scan this woman up and down repeatedly, my mind spinning, my heart beating, my body shaking. Whoever this lady was, I was taken by her.   
She was stunning! The way her heels made the rest of her legs look, along with the added appeal of appearing taller. The smooth look of her skin. The glow her body gave off. The shape of her in her fitting outfit. Her-  
A loud shriek destroyed the rest of my mesmerized thoughts and I jumped, whipping around to June.  
June ran up to the woman in a flash and grabbed her hands, pressing them against her face as she closed her eyes, smiling in a ditsy daze. She rubbed her face against the woman’s hands and sighed, and then pulled them away and sniffed them hard. “Prof. Juniper!! It’s really you!”  
Professor Juniper stared down at June in complete shock, her mouth hanging open.   
June released Prof. Juniper’s hands and wrapped her arms around her waist, squeezing her hard. “Miss Aurea!! Miss Juniper!! Prof. Juniper!! I can’t believe this moment has actually arrived!! I never thought it’d happen. My honor. My love. My dearest dear of loves! I thought I was blessed to have met Prof. Oak, but to think I’d take an even more advanced step in my life’s goals and meet Prof. Juniper, toooooo?! This is beyond comprehension! Beyond deserving! I deserve to die tonight, having fulfilled such an unworthy achievement! My Juniper! My Professor!” She shrieked loudly again.  
I shook my head and ran up to June. “Let go of her!” I shouted. “What is wrong with you?” I grabbed June by her shoulders and tugged her back.  
“NOOOOOOOO!!!!” June refused to let go of the professor. “GET OFF OF ME!!!”  
“What’s going on here??” Prof. Juniper uttered in confusion.  
“Prof. Juniper, I’m sorry,” I told her, struggling to pull June off of the woman. “She’s retarded. June, I said to get off!”  
“But she smells so goooooooooood!!” June pleaded.  
“June, you idiot!” I was embarrassed by her behavior.  
I heard the electronic doors open and turned around to see who had entered, still holding onto June.  
June turned around, still clinging to Prof. Juniper.  
Prof. Juniper looked up and sighed. “Are you two the girls I was expecting?”  
I released June and faced the new arrivals.  
One of the girls was wearing cream colored sneakers and a white dress, her long, brown hair reaching far down her back. Her dark eyes had a warm, alluring twinkle to them. She had a large, red backpack on her back.  
The other girl had on white sneakers, dark blue short shorts, and a light blue shirt. Her black hair reached past her shoulders, a black bow on the right side of her head, and she wore a heart stealing smile, an epicanthal fold to her black eyes. She was carrying a large, baby blue backpack on her back.  
For some reason, my heart began to hurt as it beat hard into my chest as I stared at this girl in shorts.  
“Are we interrupting something?” the girl in the dress asked, staring at us in shock.  
Prof. Juniper laughed. “Possibly. If so, that might be a good thing.”  
June immediately blushed and let go of Prof. Juniper, keeping her stare down. “Sorry,” she mumbled.  
“I can come back later, if you need,” the girl in the dress offered. “Like, tomorrow, even.”  
“No! No! You two are here for your Starter Pokemon, right?” Prof. Juniper stepped towards them.  
“Yes!” the girl in shorts said, stepping up to the professor eagerly, smiling.  
“Wow…” I whispered, my eyes glued to her. I had no chance to get with Prof. Juniper, but this girl looked about my age. But could I just walk up to her and ask her out? No. I knew I didn’t have the courage. She was just too gorgeous. There was no chance. Just looking at her, I was unsure of my own existence.  
Nothing made sense. Nothing was real. It was just me and her in a white room. Nothing else.  
“I’m Ella,” she greeted Prof. Juniper, shaking her hand.  
“Ella…” I repeated quietly, staring at her.  
“And I’m Trixa,” the girl in the dress introduced herself, bouncing over to Prof. Juniper and bowing strangely.  
Ella smiled and turned around, our eyes meeting.  
My mouth opened in shock, unable to breathe, my eyes darting around nervously before returning to hers.  
She was still staring at me. Her smile broadened and I could feel myself starting to melt at once.  
I managed to smile back.  
She stepped up to me and extended her hand. “Who are you? Are you both getting your Starter Pokemon, too?”  
I grabbed her hand gently and shook it, and my hand slid right off in about a second. Embarrassed that I may have let go too soon and it might be taken rudely, I reached out again.  
Ella laughed as she grabbed my hand a second time.  
I took a large step back as I released her hand, my face getting extremely hot now.  
Ella shook June’s hand.  
“I’m June, and this is Gary. And, no, we’re not here for a Starter,” June answered, making me realize I had completely forgotten about Ella’s questions. “We traveled here from Kanto for a little visit.”  
“Oh! So you two are boyfriend and girlfriend!” Ella’s eyes locked on mine.  
“NO!” I screamed out, stepping forward.  
Ella stared at me in shock, her beautiful eyes wide.  
June, Prof. Juniper, and Trixa stared at me with the same look.  
“I mean, no,” I tried more quietly, looking down.  
“Oh. Well, you two would make a cute couple,” Ella commented, winking at me. “You both are traveling from different regions together already! Seems like love might be in the air.”  
“NO! No!” I said frantically. “We’re just friends! I haven’t even known her that long! This is just a huge misunderstanding!” I laughed nervously.  
June squinted her eyes at me and I could feel a coldness surround my body instantly.  
Ella laughed. “Well, you seemed pretty close when we got here. You were holding her from behind!”  
“No, no, no! I was restraining her from bothering Prof. Juniper!”   
“Aahhh. I do remember she was holding Prof. Juniper pretty closely, too!” Ella giggled. “I wish me and my boyfriend could travel around the world like you two do, but he doesn’t want to be a Pokemon Trainer. So, I’m going off on my own.”  
Glass shattered from inside of my body as my heart dropped down, down, down in a million and one pieces into a dark, deep area within me. “Boyfriend…?” I croaked out.  
Ella nodded, still smiling. “I love him to death. He’s a great guy, I just wish he would accompany me. But, he just isn’t into Pokemon so much.” She looked away in dismay.  
What a stupid jerk, I thought. I’d follow you around the planet on foot, several times over, without rest, for the rest of my life! He doesn’t deserve you. That worthless-  
“Well, since we have our two Trainers here, how about I show you your options?” Prof. Juniper suggested. She walked over to the cart and stood by the three trays.   
The larger trays contained five Poke Balls each. A thick blue and yellow box, and a thin pink box, sat in each tray. The smaller tray only contained three Poke Balls.   
Prof. Juniper grabbed one of the Poke Balls from the smaller tray and pressed the middle button. The ball quadrupled in size before the Professor tossed it into the air.  
A white beam shot out and a green, snake like creature looked up at us, its hands on its sides, and confidently exclaimed its name.  
“This one is a Snivy, the Grass type Starter!” Prof. Juniper introduced it. She threw the second Poke Ball. “And this is Tepig, the Fire type!”  
A red and black pig Pokemon landed on the ground, released from the ball, and grunted. It squealed fire from its snout.  
“And finally, the Water type, Oshawott!”  
Oshawott stood tall, grabbed a shell that sat on its stomach, and swung it around strongly.  
“So, who will go first?” Prof. Juniper asked.  
“I WANT TEPIG!” Trixa screamed.  
“I WANT SNIVY!” Ella shouted at the same time.  
Tepig squealed with excitement and leaped into the air.  
Snivy closed its eyes as it nodded and crossed its arms, smiling. “Snivy,” it said cooly.  
Oshawott dropped its shell and looked up at the two young girls in shock. Angrily, it picked up its shell, dusted it off, and placed it back on its belly before angrily crossing its arms and turning its back on us.  
Prof. Juniper laughed lightly and returned Oshawott to its Poke Ball. “Sorry, Oshawott.” She slipped Oshawott’s Poke Ball into her lab coat pocket and then took the two large trays over to Trixa and Ella. “These are your five Poke Balls. Use them wisely to capture Pokemon.”  
Ella and Trixa grabbed their Poke Balls from the tray, also taking their Pokemon’s Poke Ball from Prof. Juniper.  
“Use the Pokedex to record captured and seen Pokemon on your journey. It also doubles as your ID.”  
Both Trainers took a pink box and opened them, turning it to their individual Pokemon.   
Snivy. The Grass Snake Pokemon. One of the Unova region Starter Pokemon, it is very fast and often described as prideful.

Tepig. The Fire Pig Pokemon. One of the Unova region Starters. This Pokemon is very nimble and can dodge attacks with ease.  
The Trainers then decided to scan each other’s Pokemon.  
Tepig. The Fire Pig Pokemon. A Starter Pokemon from Unova. This Pokemon will wag its tail when happy, and exhale smoke instead of flames whenever sick.

Snivy. The Grass Snake Pokemon and a Starter Pokemon of the Unova region. This is a very smart Pokemon and it remains cool under intense circumstances.  
“Awwwww, look at them, Gary!” June cooed, kneeling close to Snivy. “Aren’t they so cute? She looks so strong! And this Tepig looks so soft! Can I hug him?” June looked up eagerly at Trixa.  
“Him?” Trixa responded.  
“She?” Ella questioned.  
“Yes! Tepig is a male, and Snivy is female!”  
“How do you know that so easily?” Prof. Juniper asked, stepping up to June, squinting down at Snivy and Tepig.  
June lifted up Tepig and squeezed him in her arms until he happily squealed, and then set him down. She rubbed Snivy’s head and kept her eyes on her, causing Snivy to smile as she closed her eyes. “I can read Pokemon. I’m able to communicate with them and understand them.”  
“Really?” Prof. Juniper crossed her arms, an impressed, and surprisingly calm look on her face as she cocked her head slightly.  
June nodded, not taking her eyes off of Snivy. “I can tell a lot about Pokemon just by looking at them.”  
“It’s true,” I chimed in. “There’s no denying it. I’ve known her long enough to confirm this.”  
“That kind of gift would sure be useful during research here in the lab...” Prof. Juniper said thoughtfully.  
June vanished from Snivy, and Snivy looked up in confusion.  
In the next second, June was in front of Prof. Juniper’s face, their noses practically touching!  
Prof. Juniper gasped.  
June had a psychotic glint in her eyes and a disturbing smile on her face. “Does that mean you want me to work for you?? I’ll do it for free! I’ll live in the lab! I’ll do anything and everything and whatever and all things you say! I’LL DO IT!!!”  
Prof. Juniper nervously laughed, taking a deep, long stretch of a step back from June, but June instantly took a step forward, keeping in the Professor’s face.  
“Come on!” I scolded and pulled her back. “She has an assistant already. Virgil’s wife. Remember?”  
“Oh! You’ve met Virgil?” Prof. Juniper said to me.  
“Yeah. We met him when we got out of the airport, and he suggested our first trip in Unova be to meet you,” I informed her. “He actually drove us here, but was really busy and had to go. But he said hello.”  
“Yes. That young man is always off somewhere with Team Eevee. It’s kind of him to have driven you two out here. I’m sorry you couldn’t meet Bianca. She just left to do some research for me in the Johto region.”  
“Bianca? Is that Virgil’s wife?”  
“Yes! By the way, do you both know Prof. Oak? He’s a good friend of mine. I should call him at some point later today.”  
I nodded. Yeah, much later. Like after June and I are far away from here. Just great. Now, Prof. Oak will know where June and I went for sure.  
June kept her eyes down and didn’t say anything.  
“Oh, and here is your Town Map!” Prof. Juniper was still holding out the trays to Trixa and Ella.  
They both grabbed a blue and yellow box.  
“Originally, another girl was going to be obtaining a Pokemon, as well, but at the last minute, she wasn’t able to be a part of this,” Prof. Juniper said sadly to June and I. “So, I do have an extra Town Map if you two need one.”  
“Um…” I thought about it. “If you just have one lying around, sure!”  
“I do! Hold on and I’ll get it.” Prof. Juniper walked away, disappearing behind one of the many doors.  
I turned around to find Ella staring directly at me, causing me to shyly look down and avoid her glance, and I found myself staring at her Snivy. “You made a great choice with Snivy. She’s nice.”  
“Thanks a lot, Gary. You’re really sweet. Do you own any Pokemon?”  
I hesitated before answering. “I own a few back in Pallet Town.”  
“What’s Pallet Town like?”  
“It’s nice. Quiet. It’s a bit different than here, but Unova is very nice as well. Just different.”   
I turned as a humming noise grabbed my attention and saw Trixa knelt down by her Tepig, lifting the upper half of his body and making him dance to the strange tune she was humming.  
Tepig looked confused by this as he stared up at Trixa.  
I turned to Ella and June, who both were watching Trixa, dumbfounded.  
“Um, Trixa?” Ella tried.  
Trixa didn’t respond, but continued making her Tepig dance as she hummed.  
“Trixa?” Ella tried louder.  
Trixa released Tepig and he landed on his front legs. She turned to Ella and stood up. “Yes?” she said with a smile, her eyes seeming distant and in another place.  
“How about a Pokemon battle?” Ella asked, raising a fist in excitement. “Tepig versus Snivy.”  
“Oh! Well, I dunno…” Trixa said, lowering her eyes.  
“Oh, come on! Let’s use them, fresh out the Poke Ball, and see which is stronger!”  
Trixa sighed. “I guess…”  
“If you don’t want to, we don’t have to,” Ella said with disappointment.  
The door Prof. Juniper went through opened and she stepped out holding a thin, light blue, electronic box in her hand. She reached me and handed me the object.  
I opened it and it made a beep, whirring mechanically. It was a Town Map! I could see the entire Unova region within it. I touched the touch screen and played around with it for a bit. “Wow! With this thing, we’ll have no problems reaching new places! This is amazing!”  
“It can tell you about new events happening in towns and cities, it acts as a compass, can tell wind direction, has turn-by-turn navigation, and is just about the most useful bit of technology a Pokemon Trainer or anyone in general could have!” Prof. Juniper praised.  
“Yeah! Thanks a bunch, Professor!”  
“Not a problem. Oh!”  
June took Professor Juniper by surprise as she appeared in front of her face again and cocked her head to the side.  
For a moment, I thought June was about to plant a kiss on the Professor’s lips!  
“Miss Professor Aurea Juniper, ma’am? The last time I saw a photo of you, I’m certain your hair was piled on top of your head in a bun! Is this new?” She reached up and gently grabbed Prof. Juniper’s long hair in each hand, feeling it tenderly as it were made of the finest material, gazing at it as if it were made from a rare, expensive diamond.  
Prof. Juniper looked very creeped out as she slowly nodded, eyeing June. “Why, yes. I thought a new hairstyle was necessary. I changed it a few months ago, actually. Do… you… like it?”  
June released the Professor’s hair and pulled her into a hug, burying her face into Prof. Juniper’s chest as the woman cried out in shock from the attack. June released her and backed up, clapping happily. “Love iiiiiit!!”  
Prof. Juniper fixed her hair with her hands and laughed uncomfortably. “I’m happy to hear that.”  
“Professor, should Ella and I battle now?” Trixa asked. “Or is it better to wait until our Pokemon are more experienced so we can show our Pokemon’s skills based on how we raised them, as opposed to how they are right now?”  
“Hmm,” Prof. Juniper responded with a smile, gazing at Trixa. “What a deep way to consider that. Personally, I say you should battle now. See how you mend with your Pokemon and get an understanding of the personality, characteristics, and skills of what you have chosen before working with your Pokemon alone. You can then spot and work on any faults and deepen your bond as you travel from here, battling wild Pokemon and other Trainers. The next time you two battle, it’ll be a true test of your skills as Trainers and a display of the bond you both have built with your Pokemon. That’s just my opinion, of course.”   
June sighed dreamily as she gazed lovingly at Prof. Juniper, taken by her words.  
Prof. Juniper’s eyes widened as she gazed back at June cautiously.  
I extended my arm as a barricade in front of June, just in case she got too crazy and tried to fondle the Professor again.  
Trixa nodded and turned to Tepig. “Tepig, are you ready for our first battle?”  
Tepig cocked his head and stared at Trixa. “Tepig?”  
“Then how about we all step out to the battlefield?” Prof. Juniper then led the way through one of the doors of her lab.  
We all followed her to a battlefield outlined in white outside in a grassy plain in the back of the lab, and Ella and Trixa stood in opposite places within it.  
June and I stood off to the side, next to Prof. Juniper. I had tried to stand in between June and the Professor, not wanting June to bother her, but June blatantly nudged me out of the way and stood in between the Professor and I without giving me a glance, her eyes on the battlefield.  
“Good luck, Ella!” I called out, beaming.   
Ella turned to me and smiled dazzlingly.  
I suddenly realized how awkward my words were and turned to Trixa. “Um, good luck, Trixa,” I said, instantly embarrassed that I sounded so obviously less excited.  
Trixa didn’t pay me any mind. She looked down at her Tepig by her side and nodded.  
Tepig squealed and walked forward.  
“Snivy! Go!” Ella ordered, and Snivy ran forward to her position.  
“This will be a one-on-one match with a five minute time limit!” Prof. Juniper declared.  
“Five minutes? Why?” I asked her.  
She turned to me with a smile. “This is just a test match. If it lasts longer than five minutes, it should just be stopped at that point. These are brand new Pokemon, after all. Five minutes is long enough for the Trainer and their Pokemon to feel each other out.”  
“I see.”  
“Professor Juniper’s mind is like no other!” June gushed, her eyes literally tearing with delight as she looked up into the sunny sky above, her hands clasped together.  
I shook my head slowly, staring at June warily.   
Professor Juniper actually blushed, staring at June, before quickly turning back to the battle waiting to start. “Begin!”  
“Snivy! Leer!”  
“Tepig! Tackle attack!”


	3. For Old Time's Sake Part 3 Of 3

“Tepig!” Tepig cried out, eyes wide, and he ran forward, charging at Snivy.  
“Snivy!” Snivy glared at Tepig as her eyes glowed red.  
Tepig skid to a stop and stared at Snivy in fear.  
“Tepig! What’s wrong?” Trixa uttered in shock.  
“Use Leer again!” Ella demanded.  
Snivy took a determined step forward, her eyes still glowing red, and Tepig grunted frantically, backing up several feet, a terrified look on his face.  
“Again!” Ella continued.  
“Tepig! What’s going on?” Trixa pleaded. “Don’t be afraid! Please! I don’t understand!”  
Snivy advanced on Tepig, and Tepig was running backwards until he ran into Trixa’s feet, scared of Snivy.  
Trixa knelt down and gripped Tepig in her hands from behind. “Tepig! What’s going on? Is Leer like Psychic attack? Is it forcing you back? Is it taking control of your body’s movements??”  
“No!” Prof. Juniper called out.  
We all turned to the professor.  
“Leer lowers the Defense of the opponent, making Physical moves hurt more. It gives the opponent an intimidating stare and sometimes causes a fearful reaction.”  
“Is that all?” Trixa smiled down to her Tepig. “Come on, Tepig! Don’t be so scared! Go!” She gave Tepig a happy shove forward and Tepig stumbled into Snivy.  
Tepig was now on top of Snivy, Snivy struggling to get out from under Tepig before finally shoving him off of her.   
“Snivy!” Snivy stood up and dusted herself off, frowning.  
Tepig got up and let out a snort of fire from his nostrils.  
“Tepig! Fight back with Flamethrower, now!” Trixa ordered.  
Tepig squealed loudly and glared furiously at Snivy, but he didn’t attack.  
“Flamethrower?” I muttered.  
“What’s wrong now?” Trixa cried out desperately.  
Ella pulled out her Pokedex and stared at it.  
“Tepig is too young to know how to use that move, Trixa,” Prof. Juniper explained.  
“Oh, just great!” Trixa wailed with disappointment, dropping to her knees.  
“Snivy, use Tackle!” Ella said, looking up from her Pokedex.  
“Snivy!” Snivy moved in a flash, tackling Tepig.  
Tepig grunted in pain and bounced along the ground.  
“Tepig! No! Are you okay?” Trixa asked with worry as she stood back up.  
“Finish it off with your Vine Whip attack!”  
Vines rose from Snivy’s shoulders and flew out at Tepig, who was struggling to get up.  
“Tepiiiig!” Trixa screamed, covering her eyes.  
“Tepig!” Tepig stood up and with a squeal, leaped over the vines.  
“Hey! Why can your Snivy do its type move, but not mine?” Trixa questioned.  
“Flamethrower is a more advanced move than the basic Vine Whip, Trixa,” Ella said, crossing her arms impatiently. “These Pokemon aren’t that high leveled yet!”  
“Well, that’s not fair!” Trixa said angrily. “Tepig, use Fire Blast!”  
I lost my balance and fell to the ground. “Is she serious right now?”  
Ella raised a palm to her forehead, shaking her head. “Fire Blast is even more advanced!!”  
“Really?” Trixa gasped, looking up at Tepig.  
Tepig landed and snorted out an attack from its nostrils, but only a small fireball flew out.  
Snivy swiftly leaped into the air, avoiding the fireball, and her vines flew out again, smacking Tepig in the face.   
Tepig screamed out as he was dropped.  
Snivy landed a few feet away.  
Tepig grunted hard, pushing himself up, but then fell back down. His eyes opened and he glared at Snivy, exhausted.  
“Finish it off, Snivy! Tackle attack!”  
“Enough! Time is up!” Prof. Juniper stated, raising a hand and stepping forward, causing Snivy to stop charging. She smiled at Ella, Trixa, and their Pokemon. “You all did very well. I think you now have a bit of battling experience and know what to work on.”  
“Tepig…” Trixa knelt down beside her Pokemon and rubbed his head.  
Tepig looked down, a depressed, defeated look on his face, and grunted sadly.  
“Now that was a good match!” Ella said to her Snivy while on her knees.  
“Snivy!” Snivy replied proudly, looking up at Ella.   
“It’s a pleasure to have you join up here. Come on back!” Ella returned her Snivy to her Poke Ball and stood up, walking over to Trixa. “Trixa, honey, you’ve got to learn the basics of Pokemon battling.” She smiled and reached a hand down, helping Trixa to her feet. “Your head is always in the clouds. This is a direct cause of you not paying attention during the times we were studying together. You were always getting distracted or just not caring.” She held up her Pokedex. “The Pokedex would have told you Tepig’s moves. I checked to see what moves my Snivy had, too. You have got to try harder if you really want to take this seriously. I bet you could have won if you had been more focused.”  
Trixa nodded and looked down. “Tepig, I’m really sorry. I goofed up and cost us the match.” She bent over and picked up her Pokemon. “Are you alright?”   
Tepig looked down sadly, avoiding contact with his trainer’s eyes.  
Trixa hugged him close and kissed his cheek, making her Pokemon look up and manage a small smile. After first returning with her own bright grin, she sighed as her face turned more solemn and turned to Ella. “I’m sorry for that awful battle, Ella. But, I hope that next time, I’ll be much more wise about this.”   
Ella smiled and pulled Trixa into a hug. “Hey, don’t be so down. It was an honest mistake. But I definitely do expect better from you next time. We’ve got to make it to the Pokemon League, right?”  
“Right!” Trixa agreed as Ella let go of her.  
“And we’ve got to hurry,” Ella added. “It’s already nearly the end of Autumn. It will be Winter in no time. The Pokemon League begins at the end of the Summer.”  
“Oh, wow! Is that not enough time to make it?” Trixa’s eyes widened innocently.  
“Depends on how fast you get your eight Badges,” Ella winked. She turned to me, making my heart stop and then kick into overdrive. “So where are you headed to from here?”  
“Um. Well. I mean, huh? Well, um. Yeah. I…” I couldn’t find a way to answer her, and the more time I took, the more dumb I knew I was looking, all the while, lost in the beauty contained in her face.  
“Gary will be competing in the Pokemon League, too!” June said cheerfully, placing her arm around my shoulders, beaming.   
“Huh?!” I stared at June in shock.  
She smiled back.  
“Are you serious? Really??” Ella smiled gloriously at me, excitement on her face.  
“Well, I mean, what better way than to explore the Unova Region?” I said slowly, shrugging my shoulders, smiling nervously.  
“That is great to hear! You already own some Pokemon from Kanto, right?”  
I nodded slowly, my heart beating even quicker. “Yes. I do.”  
“Can I see them? I’ve never seen Kanto Pokemon in person before!”  
“Um… I don’t really have them with me right now. They’re still at Prof. Oak’s place.”  
“Well, how about we call him up right now?” Prof. Juniper suggested. “It’ll be good to hear from him again and we can have your Pokemon transferred here!”  
“No, really, that’s not necessary!” I replied quickly. “I can get them later on when I’m ready. Right now, I’m kind of just getting the feel of Unova. I’m not even fully sure I want to compete!”  
“What?” Ella said sadly.  
“I mean, I’m sure I will, but I’m really loving this city feel and want to check out the sights first and relax. June and I just got here. I could use a nice walk to the next town or something, and from there I’ll get my Pokemon. No rush.” I laughed nervously.  
“Okay, then,” Prof. Juniper laughed. “I’ll call him a little later and tell him I met you. Gary, right?”  
No, Jeffrey, Antonio, Pete, Darren, Tyson, I thought up desperately. With a sigh, I nodded. “Yes. Gary.”  
“The same name as his grandson, Prof. Oak,” Prof. Juniper nodded. “That’ll be easy to remember. I guess I should get you a Pokedex.”  
I shook my head. “No, I have one from Kanto.” I pulled it out to show her.  
“That might not be fully updated with all of the information the Pokedex I have left is guaranteed to have,” Prof. Juniper responded kindly. “The ones I gave to Ella and Trixa are brand new and freshly updated. Just wait a second. I’ll get the spare right away for you.”   
“Prof. Juniper, I’m gonna head on out of here, then!” Ella said happily.  
“Ah, yes. No need for you to wait around here. Good luck on your journey, Ella!”  
“Thanks, Prof. Juniper!”  
Prof. Juniper turned and walked back to the lab.  
June and I exchanged glances.  
“I look forward to seeing you at the League, Gary,” Ella said, grasping my immediate attention. “I know you won’t let me down.” She leaned forward and nudged my shoulder with hers before winking, and then turned to Trixa. She let out a sigh and shook her head.  
I turned and saw Trixa holding Tepig in her arms, her head up at the sun, eyes closed, smiling, spinning in rapid circles, mumbling something in a tune.  
Ella turned back to me, smiling, and then looked back at Trixa. “Good luck! I’ll see you later, Trixa!”  
Trixa paid her no mind and continued twirling.  
Ella returned her gaze to me, and then focused on June. “It was a pleasure to meet you, too, June! Will you be competing?”  
“Nope, not me,” June said, waving her arm and shaking her head. “I’m here for the sights, and to learn how to work with my Pokemon better. I’ve got a long way to go before I’ll feel confident enough to start battling competitively again. That’s why I’m traveling with Gary! He has tons of knowledge and experience on these things. I learned a lot from him while we traveled through Kanto.”  
“So, he’s like your teacher! Wow! You’re so lucky!”  
Teacher? I thought, feeling my face grow hot with embarrassment. Not really… Although June can be such a kid most of the time.  
“Teacher! Ha ha. Yes, I suppose it’s something like that.” June glanced over at me.  
Ella smiled sneakily. “Are you sure it isn’t something more?”  
“NO!” I blurted out, before reminding myself in my head that she has a boyfriend, and even if she didn’t, I’m a total coward and would never ask her out, and even if I did, she’d never go out with someone as ugly as me.  
Ella giggled as June shot me a strange look. “Well, three’s a crowd! I’ll see you two another time! Bye!” She smiled and waved at us as she hurried away.  
Three’s a crowd… I repeated in my head. What did she mean by that? I didn’t dwell on it much longer and shook my head hard, turning to the lab.   
Prof. Juniper still wasn’t back.  
She has to be calling Prof. Oak, I thought. “June, we’ve gotta move.”  
June turned to me and nodded, understanding completely, and gave a quick glance back to the lab before facing me again.  
June and I ran in the opposite direction of the lab, but we didn’t get far.  
“HEY!”   
We both stopped.  
My heart bounced rapidly in my chest. Oh, no, I thought with fear. Juniper?  
“Where did everyone go?”  
No, I realized. Not Juniper. Trixa? I looked back.  
It was. She was still holding her Tepig.  
Tepig was moaning, a nauseous look on his face.  
Trixa ran up to me, clutching her Pokemon. “Where are you going? Where’s Prof. Juniper and Ella?”  
“Ella? Um… well she went off on her journey,” I said quickly. “And Prof. Juniper said bye to us all, but I guess you weren’t paying attention.”  
“Oh,” Trixa said, shaking her head, staring at her Fire Starter. “Sometimes, I have no idea where my head is at. I totally didn’t even know everyone had left.”  
“Yeah. Um… I’m going to… um…” I started.  
“Leave?” Trixa asked. A sad look came over her face. “I know you’re here visiting. Don’t let me hold you up. But, to be honest, I wish I wasn’t such a screw up. I’m afraid I may not be cut out for this Pokemon Trainer thing.”  
“Why?” I asked, glancing back at the lab.   
Still no sign of Juniper.  
“Why? You saw that battle, didn’t you?” she whined. “I know nothing about Pokemon! I’ll never make it!”  
We have to get out of here, I thought frantically, turning to the lab.  
Still no sign of Juniper.  
“June and I are traveling through the Unova region to compete in the Unova League,” I blurted out before my brain had fully agreed with my mouth to say that thought out loud. “I have tons of experience from my journey in Kanto, and June is a previous Gym Leader from Kanto. We’ll teach you whatever!”  
Trixa’s eyes burst open. “Are you serious? You’ve travelled Kanto,” she turned to June, “and you’re a Gym Leader?”  
“Um, I used to be one,” June said, blushing. “I was a lousy one, though. Gary is the one who knows the most about Pokemon and stuff. Really. I’m nothing.”  
I shot her an angry look before turning back to Trixa. “Anyway, if you’d like, we can travel together.”  
“Oh, wowee! I’d just love that!” Trixa’s black eyes were now twinkling with delight, her arms squeezing around Tepig tightly as he struggled in her grip, grunting and squealing.  
My eyes shot from the lab, to Trixa.  
Still no sign of Juniper.  
“Then, we’ve got to go!” I ran past her and June as fast as I could.  
“Wait up!” June shouted.  
“Hey! What’s the rush?” Trixa yelled.  
“You guys started your journey late!” I remembered, using it as an excuse. “We’ve got to make up for lost time! You and I will be collecting Badges! We’ve got to make sure we get to these Gyms in enough time for the both of us!” I charged forward, knowing that now, there was no going back.  
I had the strangest feeling that I had absolutely no control over my life anymore.  
Not even a day had passed since my mom had been attacked by the refrigerator.  
Shortly after that, Prof. Oak was attacked by my Porygon-Z.  
Soon after that, Porygon-Z got me and June a free trip to the Unova region, leaving Charizard behind, Porygon-Z itself missing ever since.  
And now, it was just me, June and her five Pokemon, and our new traveling partners, Trixa and her Tepig.  
I hadn’t fully made up my mind yet, but.  
It seemed that Trixa and I.  
With June traveling along with us.  
Would be challenging the Unova League.


	4. Tripping Off The Basics

Tepig ate from a bowl overflowing with Pokemon food.  
Rotom and Magneton hovered above June as she stood next to me, Magneton shocking Rotom on occasion, Rotom seemingly enjoying the jolts of electricity.  
Eevee, Electivire, and Galvantula ate from their bowls near Tepig.  
Trixa was on her back on the ground on top of a lot of dead leaves, looking up at the sky, smiling and swaying her arms and legs as if she were in the snow making snow angels.  
June and I had our eyes on her, watching silently in confusion.  
After a long while, I sighed and turned to June.  
June didn’t look away from Trixa, staring at her with a stunned look on her face, her mouth hanging open.  
How did we get stuck with this one? I wondered, glancing back at Trixa, and I immediately began thinking about Ella.   
Ella, with her pitch black hair with the matching black bow in it, her mesmerizing smile abducting me from my current place, pulling me into her realm of perfect beauty. Her eyes, an attractive slant and glint to them, bending me to any desire she requested. Why couldn’t she be travelling with us? Or even just me and Ella, alone…   
I pulled out my electronic Town Map and stared at it. Well, this thing is really cool, I thought. I may have lost out on who I would want accompanying me and June on this journey I never agreed to, but at least I got this nice consolation prize. But am I really going to compete in the Unova League? Is this really what I want? To go on another journey like I did in Kanto? Well, I guess it won’t be exactly the same, for many reasons. But what about my Pokemon? Porygon-Z and Charizard. There’s no telling where they both are right now. I can only hope they both made it back to Prof. Oak safely. And what about all of my other Pokemon? I can’t ask Prof. Oak to send them to me. My Porygon-Z attacked him the last time June and I saw him, and we ran away! He must hate our guts at this point. Must I recapture a slew of Pokemon again and train them? Once I capture over six, they’ll be sent to Prof. Oak. He’ll know I’m in Unova if he gets a ton of Unova Pokemon sent to him. What do I do? I have to catch something while I’m here, right? I am still a Pokemon Trainer! My goal is still to capture all the Pokemon in the world. All one thousand of them.  
I remembered the promise I made to my mom when I had first begun my travels as a Pokemon Trainer: “I’ll become the greatest Pokemon Master. With my Charmander. And we’ll catch them all. All one thousand, mom. I promise.”  
Before I was a Pokemon Trainer, when Melissa was traveling as one, she would call home, crying, upset about not doing well on her journey.  
“You're not allowed back home until you're a Pokemon Master and have captured all one thousand Pokemon,” my mom would tell her strongly. She didn’t mean it, but was just encouraging my sister to never give up.   
It was a thing in my family to just say that there was one thousand Pokemon in the world. We knew there weren’t really that many Pokemon confirmed, but knew species were being confirmed as Pokemon almost daily.  
Many creatures are confirmed as a Pokemon species in some regions, while other regions are still discussing their validity before confirming them. It’s theorized by many Pokemon Professors around the world that there are thousands of different species of Pokemon on the planet, waiting to be categorized as Pokemon.  
When I had gone on my journey as a Pokemon Trainer, though my mom tried to hide her true feelings and offered me support in my decision, it wasn’t long before it was clear that my mom was fed up, especially after all the dangers I had been through, added with all the stress she was going through with my father passing away and Melissa not calling back home in so long, and gave me a much harder time than she ever gave them when they had left.  
Something grabbed my attention and I turned to see a small creature with a large tooth sticking out of its mouth creeping into the area. It resembled a beaver. It looked familiar to me, like something I had seen when Virgil had been driving me and June to Prof. Juniper’s lab. The creature snuck closer, nearing Eevee.  
Eevee looked up and stared at the new Pokemon, wagging her tail. “Veeee?”  
The creature backed up a couple of feet and stared silently at Eevee, its tail straight up in the air.  
I was too nervous that I’d scare away the Pokemon, so I didn’t reach for my Pokedex. I should catch this thing, I considered.  
The creature looked at me!  
I stared back. Smiling slowly, I said, “Hello. Who are you?”  
The creature said its name and backed up some more.  
I decided it might be okay to pull out my Pokedex, and slowly moved my arm to grab my device. It kept its wary eyes on me as I pulled out the Pokedex and pointed it.  
Patrat. The Scout Pokemon. They can keep watch for days on end, living off of food they store in their cheeks. This conscious Pokemon must be on guard at all times.  
“A Patrat! Cool! It must be like a Rattata is in Kanto! A great starter Pokemon to capture! Hey! Trixa!” I turned to Trixa, but she was still on her back, rubbing against the ground on her back with her arms and legs. “Trixa?”   
She didn’t move, completely ignoring me, totally in another world.  
I turned back to Patrat, but it was now running away. “Wait!” I ran after it, reaching in my pocket for a Poke Ball. “Oh, no!” I remembered I didn’t have any Poke Balls with me and stopped, looking after Patrat as it disappeared into the woods. “Damn it!” I turned around to Trixa angrily. “HEY!” I shouted.  
Trixa stopped moving at once and turned her head to me, still smiling. “Hello!”  
“Trixa, you just missed out on a Pokemon! A Patrat just ran away and you could have caught it!”  
Trixa smiled a little wider, her eyes twinkling with some sort of delight, presumably, and then she closed her eyes and continued swaying through the leaves.  
“What the hell?” I muttered, squinting at her. I looked back to where Patrat had run off, but there was no sign of it. “Don’t you care?” I asked Trixa.  
Trixa stopped making her movements and sighed, her smile plastered on her face and her eyes reopening, and stood up. “Patrat, you say?”  
“Yeah!”   
“I’ll find another later or something! Don’t sweat the small stuff, Gary.”  
“But, you just missed out on a Pokemon,” I said, lowering my voice, trying to not get angry over her nonchalant attitude.  
“I didn’t even notice it,” Trixa shrugged. “No big deal.” She looked down to Tepig. “I guess you finished eating, huh?” She knelt down next to Tepig and his empty bowl and pet his head, Tepig grunting happily in response to her touch.  
I turned to June’s Pokemon. Galvantula, Eevee, Electivire, Rotom, and Magneton, I saw. Why only those five? What happened to Blitzle, and those other guys like Lanturn, and whatever else she had? She had ten Pokemon! I wanted to ask what happened, but not in front of Trixa. I needed to wait until June and I were alone.  
Galvantula called out and turned around to June, walking over to her, and I immediately backed away from the thing.  
June bent down and pet her creepy spider Pokemon, and Eevee ran up to June, jumping and landing on her right shoulder. June laughed and grabbed her Eevee, hugging her tightly.  
Magneton shocked Rotom again, Rotom laughing with delight.  
Electivire had finished eating and was staring at Trixa and Tepig with a strange look on his face.  
“Return!” June said firmly, sending her Electivire back to his Poke Ball.  
“I really think your Pokemon are just amazing!” Trixa commented, holding her Tepig in her arms, smiling at June. “I’ve never seen any of these before! In person, at least. Even Galvantula, which is from Unova! Thanks again for showing me them.”  
June nodded. “I’m glad I could assist in your Pokedex information!”  
Earlier, Trixa had recorded all of June’s Pokemon in her Pokedex after getting over her amazement. She picked up Eevee, laughed and pointed at Rotom, knocked a gentle fist against Magneton’s hard body, rubbed along Galvantula’s sickening, Bug body, and lifted Electivire’s arms.  
Electivire had growled at her, but didn’t attack.  
Trixa didn’t seem to notice Electivire’s warning as she joyfully skipped away after her examination.  
“Well, if everyone’s done, let’s just continue on to Accumula Town, okay?” I suggested, looking at the Town Map.  
According to the data, the nearest place to obtain the first Badge was Accumula Town. The Gym there had only been open for four months, and the Gym Leader, Bane, raised Poison type Pokemon.  
What really grabbed my attention was the city after Accumula. Striaton City. The Gym there had reopened four years ago after a very long hiatus, according to what this incredible Town Map said. Apparently, the Gym Leaders, Chili, Cress, and Cilan, individually raise one type of Pokemon, different from each other, and depending on what Starter Pokemon the challenger chose in the Unova Region, the challenger would be facing the Gym Leader who had a type advantage. Cilan raised Grass types, Cress had Water types, and Chili had Fire types. These rules struck me as peculiar, but invigorated me to challenge such odd rules that Unova allowed.   
The Unova region is pretty cool to let such stuff happen, I had thought. Maybe I actually will compete in the Unova League after all!  
“Accumula Town?” June questioned. “How far is that?”  
“According to this map, we should be there in just a little bit. We’re really not far.”  
“Well, we’re already behind in starting this journey, right? We should get going.”  
“Yeah,” I nodded, and turned to Trixa. “Um…”   
Trixa was nowhere in sight.  
“Where’s Trixa?”  
June looked around. “She was right here just a second ago!” June returned her other four Pokemon and then faced me, confused.  
“Great,” I sighed. “Is this girl serious right now? Where did she go?”  
June shrugged.  
“This girl is starting to become a pain,” I grumbled, again wishing that Ella was with us instead.  
“Let’s just try and find her fast and then keep moving.”  
“Right...”  
June and I moved along the wide path, looking through the trees surrounding us, glancing at a high ledge on the right side of the path that contained more trees that led into deep areas that might have been nice to explore had I officially decided that I would be traveling through the Unova region.   
But I hadn’t decided that.  
June had made all of the plans so far.   
I glanced at the ledge, wondering what might lie beyond there before turning to look in the opposite direction where June already had her eyes. “Look.” I stopped. “More Patrat. In a huge group.” I knelt down slowly and crept over to the gathering of the Patrat, huddling low, keeping out of sight of the Pokemon by hiding behind some shrubs.  
June joined me on her knees, staring at the rodent Pokemon.  
“Time to capture a Pokemon,” I whispered, reaching in my pocket. Nothing was in there, so I dug through my other pockets. “Ugh!”   
At my noise, the Patrat all looked up in my direction, their tails on end.   
I clasped my hands over my mouth with a gasp.  
The Patrat immediately ran away, even deeper into the forest.  
“Damn it!” I stood up and stomped the ground. “I forgot I have no Poke Balls!” I turned around to leave, but stopped with a loud gasp. “Trixa!”  
“Hey!” she smiled, on her knees behind June, and stood up, her Tepig by her feet.  
“What are you doing here?”   
“I was watching the Patrat with you both,” Trixa replied.  
“What? Since when?”  
“Since we were traveling through the woods together and you spotted them, of course, ha ha!”  
“You were with us?”  
“I was right behind you two. Didn’t you see me? And they say I’m absent minded!” Trixa laughed shrilly.  
I covered my face with my hand and sighed. This whole thing is a joke, I told myself. None of this is real. It can’t be. No way.  
“Well, I’m glad you’re safe,” June spoke. “We were looking for you!”  
“Really? How weird is that, huh?” Trixa spoke with delight.  
“Can we please continue on to Accumula Town?” I asked impatiently.  
“Sure thing!” Trixa said cheerfully.  
We continued forward on the original path. It had been a long gap in time before I mentally noted the amount of silence between the three of us.  
Trixa walked behind us with her eyes closed, smiling, Tepig shooting her curious glances on occasion.  
“Trixa?”   
June turned back to stare at Trixa.  
Trixa continued walking, her arms stationary at her sides, not moving.  
“Trixa?” I tried again.  
Trixa didn’t respond, continuing to walk.  
“I think you should open your eyes when you walk,” I suggested. “You might crash into something.”  
Trixa didn’t react, her head tilting to the left suddenly as she kept strolling along.   
I turned back to June, who looked at me, a weary look on her face. “Is she gonna be okay?”  
“She’s at least ten, right? I guess if she’s been acting like this for around ten years, she’ll be fine. No need to try to change her. We’ll just keep an eye on her. I dunno.”  
We both looked over to her again.  
Her head was swaying around in circles, down and around, up and around, down and around, repeatedly.  
“That girl is freaking nuts!” I burst out.  
Trixa continued on with the weird swiveling of her head.  
“Gary!” June whispered.  
“Just seeing if I could grab her attention,” I explained. “Since she’s lost in her own strange lifestyle, I can ask you some questions.”  
“Huh?” June stared at me wide-eyed.   
“You only have five Pokemon with you,” I said in a low voice. “What happened to the other guys?”  
“Oh,” June murmured. “Blitzle, Lanturn, Manectric, Ampharos, and Pikachu.”  
“Yeah!”  
“They’re in Gringey City right now, at the Pokemon Center.” June’s voiced lowered even more. “They haven’t fully recovered. I’ll have them sent to me once they’re okay. But for now, there are still complications with them. I gave up a lot trying to free you from your mom’s house. I wanted to stay home and make sure my Pokemon were okay, but I needed to get you out of your home, too.”  
“Well, I never asked you to help me.”  
“You couldn’t ask me!” June responded, getting angry, turning sharply to me. She squinted hard as if she couldn’t believe what I had just said.  
My eyes widened and I simply nodded. I hadn’t meant any offense. Now, I was regretting my words, my heart’s beat quickening.  
“How are your Pokemon?” June asked more calmly, her eyes softening. “Only Porygon-Z and Charizard made it to you. You mentioned something about Primeape being with Prof. Oak when we were in Pallet Town. And Weepinbell. Have you heard anything about the others?”  
“Drifloon, Kingdra, and Noctowl are still in a Pokemon Center recovering. I think they’re in the one in Viridian City. They should be just fine in a few more months. My other Pokemon with Prof. Oak are just fine, of course. Prof. Oak kept me updated by sending me notes on a Hoppip.”  
“I’m glad some of your Pokemon are doing well.”  
“Yeah. I’m really grateful. At least I know some of my Pokemon are fine and the others should be coming back home, soon.”  
“I’m happy to hear that, Gary.”   
“Thank you. I’m sorry so many of your Pokemon are still unwell. Did they tell you exactly what’s still wrong?”  
June’s eyes glistened and she blinked before looking away. “There’s a lot going on. I don’t understand all the Doc lingo, but, like I said back then, whatever they used on the Pokemon was more than an electric shock. Blitzle is in constant agony. The others are in rough shape, too. It’s just a lot of complications, okay, Gary??” She inhaled sharply.  
Her tone made my body twinge. My heart jump. Maybe this wasn’t the time to have brought this up. It was none of my business, anyway. I should have been more sensitive about this.  
June exhaled slowly. “They think my Pokemon will be okay, but they did warn me that anything could happen.” June sounded more patient. “They’re really not doing too well. The doctors are doing the best they can.”  
I opened my mouth to say something, but suddenly, Trixa skipped past me and continued on, humming a song, Tepig running to keep up with his Trainer.  
“Where are you going?” I called out to her.  
Trixa kept on skipping, and suddenly, an enormous creature leaped out from the trees! She skid to a stop, Tepig slamming into her legs from the sudden halt, and Trixa gasped.  
“Whoa! Look!” I recognized the large Pokemon from my ride with Virgil and pulled out my Pokedex.  
Sawsbuck. The Season Pokemon and Deerling’s evolved form. This Pokemon’s look changes with the seasons. Often traveling in herds, the one with the most extravagant horns is the leader.  
“Wow! An evolved Pokemon!” I felt a surge of jealousy fill my body, wishing I had run into this Pokemon instead of Trixa before remembering that I didn’t have any Poke Balls on me to capture it, nor any Pokemon to battle against it with, and so I sucked my teeth.  
Trixa took a strong position on her feet and pointed at Sawsbuck. “You’re a Pokemon!” There was an odd, momentary pause. “Tepig, go!”  
“Tepig!” Tepig ran towards Sawsbuck.  
“Tepig, Tackle attack! Go!”  
“Teeeepig!” Tepig charged at Sawsbuck. He jumped and slammed his body, headfirst, into Sawsbuck’s chest, pushing Sawsbuck back a couple of feet, but Sawsbuck seemed just fine.  
“Trixa, use your Pokedex!” June urged.  
“Tepig, maybe you can use Ember! Right?” Trixa tried, ignoring June.  
“Tepig! Tepig!” Tepig said happily and used Ember, sending out a swirl of sparkling fire at Sawsbuck.  
Sawsbuck was hit, stumbling back, and then it ran towards Tepig angrily.  
“It’s gonna attack, Trixa!” I shouted. “Watch out!”  
Trixa growled, glaring at Sawsbuck.  
Sawsbuck neared Tepig, Tepig backing up, awaiting orders from his Trainer.  
“TRIXA!” I yelled.  
Sawsbuck was suddenly consumed by fire and collapsed, crying out in pain, right in front of Tepig!  
Tepig had been cowering in front of Sawsbuck as the large Pokemon got closer, but he looked up at Sawsbuck once it was screaming amongst the fire around its body.  
“Sawsbuck is Burned!” I said happily. “This is your chance, Trixa!”  
“YAY!” Trixa cheered, leaping into the air... and then she skipped away!  
My eyes bulged out. “TRIXA??”  
Trixa skipped right past Sawsbuck and continued down the road. “Let’s go, Tepig!”  
“Tepig? Tepig!” Tepig ran around Sawsbuck as it up looked in shock at him.   
The opponent Pokemon stood back up and turned around to me and June. growling.   
“Whoa!” I took a step back. “Wait a minute!”  
Sawsbuck ran at us.  
“Oh, no!”  
“Great!” June leaped in front of me, holding a Poke Ball in her hand. “This will do just fine! I choose you, Eevee!”  
Eevee’s Poke Ball soared through the air and opened, sending out Eevee in a flash of white light. “Veeeee!”  
“Eevee, use your Charm attack!”  
Sawsbuck leaped at Eevee, its body stretched, the front hooves reaching for Eevee.  
Eevee let out a loud, happy cry, and winked at Sawsbuck with glittering eyes.  
Sawsbuck soared into Eevee with its hooves, sending her flying back.  
Eevee got to her feet and shook her head hard, glaring at Sawsbuck.  
“Fight back with Quick Attack!” June ordered.  
Eevee crouched down and then rapidly fired herself at Sawsbuck, knocking it to the ground.   
Sawsbuck’s horns started to glow light green and sparkles seemed to be pulled into them from the sun above.  
“It’s about to use Solar Beam! Eevee, take it out with Double-Edge!”  
Eevee was covered in a gold aura as she ran at Sawsbuck, a yellow trail flying off of her body. She slammed into Sawsbuck.   
Sawsbuck’s Solar Beam fired from its horns, exploding into the ground, raising dirt into the air.  
June and I cried out in surprise, covering our faces. When the dust cleared, we lowered our hands, but only saw Trixa staring at us, her face holding surprise, her Tepig looking at us with a matching look of shock.   
“Wow! Pretty sweet, huh?” Trixa beamed.  
“WHAT??” I shouted, storming towards her. “You left us here to battle that thing without finishing what you started!”  
Confusion replaced Trixa’s joy. “What do you mean? We beat Sawsbuck! It was your turn!”  
“WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!!!” I bellowed. “Sawsbuck was still able to battle!! You ran away from it!! You don’t just stop in the middle of a battle like that!!!”  
“Well, what more do we do?” Trixa asked, brushing her long hair with her hands.  
“You battle until it’s down! You keep going until the opponent is out! You catch the freaking thing! You don’t just run off!”  
“It was Burned! You said so!”  
“BURN DOESN’T MEAN YOU WIN!!! WHAT THE-?!”  
“Gary…” June said gently, placing a hand on my shoulder.  
I took a deep breath and stayed quiet.  
“A Burn, or any status ailment, doesn’t end a match, Trixa,” June explained kindly. “It’s a nice boost, but the opponent is still more than capable of winning.”  
“Ooohhhh!” Trixa mused. “’Kay!” And she skipped off in her own happiness, Tepig running after her.  
“You know, I really don’t know about this girl,” I said in a low growl.  
“She’s innocent,” June said, giving me a gentle push. “Give her a chance.”  
I just shook my head.  
“Let’s also catch up with her!” June added and ran to follow her.  
I hesitated but then ran, too.  
Trixa wasn’t far ahead, and we kept up with her by jogging.  
This girl is brain dead, I thought harshly. She needs to just stay home, not travel on her own, or with anybody. She’s a hazard to herself and her own Pokemon!  
Trixa continued making her way along until something appeared from the trees to her right.  
It looked like an adorable little puppy. It sniffed the air and stepped out cautiously, and then looked up at Trixa.  
Lillipup. The Puppy Pokemon. The fur on Lillipup’s face senses changes in the environment, detecting predators and also useful when hunting.  
“Another new Pokemon! Trixa, don’t screw this one up, alright?” I warned her.  
She turned back to me. “I haven’t screw up anything since starting this journey! What do you mean?” She turned back to Lillipup. “Tepig! Ember!”  
“Teeeeeeeeeepiiiiig!” Tepig sent out a big flame of fire at Lillipup.  
Lillipup whined out as it was forced down by the hit. It got back up and charged at Tepig, opening its jaws, its teeth glowing white, and bit into Tepig’s side.  
“Piiiiiig!” Tepig responded in distress.  
“Hey! Lillipup isn’t Burned!” Trixa pointed at Lillipup.  
“A Burn isn’t guaranteed!!” I barked. “Will you focus on the damn battle?!”  
Trixa glared at me. “Don’t talk to me that way! There’s no need to be mean! I haven’t traveled an entire region and gained a lot of experience like you have! Why are you being such a jerk to me?”  
My anger faded as I realized how impatient I was being with her, regret filling me quickly. “Trixa…”  
She turned back to the battle. “Tepig, use your Tail Whip! That’s a basic move, I think!”  
Tepig ran at Lillipup and made a quick turnaround, his tail facing Lillipup, and it wagged sharply, brushing into Lillipup’s face cutely.  
“PupPupPup!” Lillipup stumbled back, shaking its head.  
“Now use Ember!” Trixa turned to me. “Lillipup’s Defense is down, so it will do more damage!”  
My shoulders slumped in disappointment at her words as Trixa looked away from me. At least she gets the idea… I accepted. We can go over the details later, I guess.  
Tepig attacked with Ember.  
Lillipup rolled along the ground, soon stopping.  
“YEAH!” Trixa jumped repeatedly. “We win!”  
“Catch it!” I instructed.  
“Why?” Trixa asked, turning to me, brushing back her hair.  
I wasn’t sure how to answer. Was that even a serious question? “Why…?” I asked, struggling to keep my voice calm.  
“Yeah. Why?” Trixa asked, crossing her arms.  
Lillipup shook its head and got to its feet.  
“Trixa!” I pointed at Lillipup.  
Trixa turned around. “It’s still up!”  
Lillipup barked a few times and then ran at Tepig, using Tackle, and slammed into his stomach.  
Tepig’s stomach flashed white, signaling a Critical Hit, and Tepig rolled along the ground, finally sprawling out on his back.  
Lillipup barked again and ran off into the woods where it had appeared from.  
Trixa walked over to her Tepig and knelt down. “How ya doing?” she asked warmly. She rubbed her Pokemon’s exposed, rounded belly.  
Tepig groaned and flinched at her touch.  
“You’ve had enough. Come back.” She returned Tepig to his Poke Ball and turned to June and I. “Well, I guess I’m out of usable Pokemon for a little while!”  
“You!!” I stomped closer. “WHY didn’t you catch the Lillipup when it was down?!”  
“Why would I do that?” Trixa asked, her head cocked to the left.  
“BECAUSE YOU’RE A POKEMON TRAINER!!!!” I shouted as loud as I possibly could, birds flapping their wings in the treetops and flying off at the echo of my voice. “You’re meant to defeat and capture Pokemon you don’t own, or even those you do own, if you want, and RAISE THEM!!!”  
“Oh. I kind of wondered how that was supposed to work. Thanks for telling me!” She smiled and skipped away.  
“HEY!”  
My voice stopped Trixa. She turned to me, her eyes wide.  
“You’re also meant to use your Pokedex to scan Pokemon to record what you’ve seen!” I snapped. “You’re doing everything all wrong! You’re not gonna make it if you don’t follow the obvious rules!”  
“Well, they’re not that obvious,” Trixa snapped back. “If they were, I would’ve noticed them!”  
I let out an angry sigh. “You missed out on three cool Pokemon today! I could’ve captured them if I had Poke Balls with me!”  
“Well, shows just how obvious those rules are if you don’t even have any Poke Balls with you,” Trixa smirked. “I have Poke Balls.”  
I had no response to this.  
“You can use mine if you want.” Trixa dug around in her pockets.   
“No! Those are your first five! They’re very important!” I insisted. “Please! Keep them! We’ll just buy more when we find a Poke Mart in a Pokemon Center.”  
“You can use mine,” June offered, lifting her bag on her shoulder.  
“Like I said, I’ll buy more at the Pokemon Center!” I spoke sharply. I took out the Town Map. “Look! The next Pokemon Center is outside of this forest, and according to this, that’s only but another fifty feet away! Come on! We can heal your Tepig, Trixa!”  
“Pokemon don’t just recover inside of their Poke Balls?” Trixa asked in her wide-eyed innocence.  
“NO!” June and I shouted in unison.  
“Oh. Ha ha,” Trixa giggled, blushing.  
I sighed. “Come on!” I grabbed Trixa’s hand and pulled her after me, June following after us, as we moved as quickly as we could. In seconds, I could see the forest clearing out, and a wooden building was in the distance, a large, pink P on the front of it, near the top. That must be it! The Pokemon Center!  
We ran even faster towards it, Trixa complaining at my insistent pulling.  
The only building in this clearing, I led the way into it, bursting through the door, and scanned the inside of it quickly. I spotted a couple of wooden tables and chairs, a pair of computers on wooden desks, and a large and long wooden, polished desk containing a cute lady behind it smiling at us wearing a pink nurse’s outfit, a pink Pokemon smiling at her side. They both wore a little white nurse’s cap with a light blue cross.  
I ran up to them. “Excuse me, but is this the Pokemon Center?”  
“Yes, this is! Are you in need of some Pokemon care?” the young lady asked.  
The Pokemon by her side cried out happily.  
“Yes! Is Nurse Joy here?”  
“In fact, she is! I’m Nurse Joy!”  
“You??” I questioned, and squinted at the lady who looked like she wasn’t even old enough to attend college.  
She giggled. “Why, yes, I am!”  
“But, you barely look like you’re... sixteen! How can you be the Nurse Joy here?”  
Nurse Joy giggled again. “I thank you for your compliment, but I can guarantee I am indeed an adult, as well as the Nurse Joy here.”  
“I can’t believe it! The Nurse Joys in Kanto look… well… similar to you, but not quite the same. They look… More adult! No, that’s not quite the right word, but…”  
Nurse Joy giggled once again. “So, you’re from the Kanto region? Well, yes, while I think I look noticeably different from the other Nurse Joys in Unova, there’s no doubt that we all have a major difference in appearance from our relatives in Kanto and the other regions! I welcome you to the Unova region! And might I introduce you to the Pokemon we all have here to assist us! As opposed to the Chansey you’re used to seeing, in the Unova region, we’re partnered with Audino!”  
“Audino!” the pink Pokemon cried out gently.  
Audino. The Hearing Pokemon. It can detect even the faintest of sounds. The feelers on their ears can act as a stethoscope, hearing the heartbeats of others.  
I stared in shock at Nurse Joy and Audino, realizing that there might just be a lot of things that I’d have to get used to in the Unova region.  
Gym battles.   
The Nurse Joys.  
The Audino.  
And who knows what else!   
As Trixa and June handed Nurse Joy their Pokemon, and we all took a seat by the window, looking out at the afternoon sun, I dwelled on a fact that had continuously been circling my head since the moment I had found my mom struggling to free herself from the refrigerator holding her captive.   
Life would never be the same for me again.  
And I also found myself pondering the fact that.  
The Nurse Joys in Unova weren’t as attractive as the ones in Kanto.


	5. Some Like It Hot

“If you’re gonna start earning Badges, you should start catching some Pokemon, Gary,” June told me.  
“You don’t say,” I said sarcastically.  
“Well, I’m just saying. Accumula Town isn’t far away, right?” she asked.  
I nodded. “I never really said I was going to challenge the Unova League. My mom was attacked in the middle of the night by one of your Pokemon, and then, the next thing I know, I’m pretty much homeless. Then, I run into my Charizard and Porygon-Z, the latter who attacks Prof. Oak, basically banning me from Pallet Town. And now, both Pokemon are missing. To top it off, I’m in some whole other freaking region I’ve never been to, with no Pokemon, and no access to any of my old Pokemon, and you want me to just go catch some new ones? Then what? If I catch more than six, I’m busted as far as what region I’m in. And once the Unova League is over, then what are we going to do? Where will we go?”  
“I’ve thought about that,” June replied, her eyes to the ground. “You’re always welcome back at my place...”  
I turned to her, scowling, getting even angrier as I noticed her red cheeks. “Oh, of course,” I snapped. “Your place! Back in Gringey City. In Kanto! And exactly how are we going to get back over the freaking ocean to the Kanto region? Hmm. I guess a plane would work, right? Right. Oh, wait! I forgot! You didn’t bring your freaking purse or anything to pay for the trip! The food you brought in your bag, and the food we’ll get for free at the Pokemon Centers, are only going to be but so sufficient, June!”  
“Will you stop getting so angry at me?” June yelled back. “Just shut up and listen! I already made a call at the Pokemon Center we came from. I’m getting a new card mailed to Striaton City. I checked out the Town Map in the Pokemon Center and I knew it might take some time to get to Unova, so I figured I’d send it a couple of towns ahead of us. So we just have to make sure we make it to Striaton City.”  
I sighed. “Fine. After Accumula, we’ll go straight there. It’s not far from there.”  
June smiled. “See? I’ve got everything under control.”  
I rolled my eyes.  
The sun beamed from above. It was surprisingly hot for the kind of cool, easygoing weather we’d been having the past couple of months. The path we were on was guarded on each side by a light number of trees, grass stretching for miles beyond the dry, dirt ground beneath our feet, dirtying my sneakers slowly as they crunched the brown, dead leaves.  
My hands were in my jacket pockets as I pondered taking it off.  
“So, about Unova…” June said after a little while.  
“What about it?” I asked cautiously.  
“What do you think?”   
“It’s nice. Why?”  
“Gary!” June said angrily. “Why do you think I’m asking? I wanna know if you’re going to compete or if you want to leave?”  
I turned my eyes to the cloudless, blue sky, thinking about her words. Staring at the blazing sun was making me feel even hotter, but I didn’t look away as I pondered my future plans. After everything I’d been through in the past couple of days, this was the first real time I was able to call the shots. I could take the time to think and not act in haste.  
Compete in the Unova League, or…? Or what?  
I lowered my eyes to June, and then turned to… “Hey!” I said in surprise, looking around, blinking out the bright flashes lingering in my eyes from the sun. “Trixa! Where are you?”  
“Oh, no!” June’s head whipped around frantically. “Where’s Trixa?”  
“Let’s just leave her!” I said impatiently. “I’ve had about enough of her and her craziness! We’re not her babysitters.”  
“We’re her friends, Gary,” June responded.  
“Don’t give me that. Come on, let’s go.” I walked past June as she looked around with a worried look.  
“Gary, we can’t just leave her! She might need our help!”  
“I’m not arguing that the girl needs help, but not the kind of help we can give her.” I continued to walk, and June’s footsteps followed behind me shortly after.   
“Aren’t you worried at all?” June asked sadly.  
I sighed loudly. “No. She’ll be fine.”  
“You’re so stubborn.”  
“I’m way too impatient to be dealing with this. Imagine if you hadn’t kidnapped me to the Unova region. She’d still be lost right now.”  
“Hey! I could’ve left you home, okay?” June said, her voice rising.  
I didn’t say anything, but kept walking as the trees continued to thin out, more flat land replacing it.  
“Besides, maybe we’re here for a reason, you know? Like, to save her!”  
“Maybe you’re here to save her,” I joked.  
“You know, I should have just left you in Pallet! You can really be such a total piece of-!”  
“Hey! You two!” a voice interrupted June. We both turned and saw a young guy running towards us, a concerned look on his face. “Excuse me, please!” He stopped in front of us, breathing hard, and then straightened up. Smiling kindly, he spoke his words slowly, carefully. “I’m sorry, but I’m looking for two friends of a girl. She just walked into the Spa Resort I run, and started using the hot spring. She said that two of her friends were coming along, right behind her, and they’d be paying for her stay.”  
“A girl…?” I asked hesitantly.  
“Um… What’s her name…?” June asked cautiously.  
“She said her name was Trixa,” the young guy answered.  
“WHAT?!?!” June exploded.   
I grabbed June’s arm and pulled her away from the guy. “Nope, never heard of her. Good luck,” I replied quickly.  
“Gary, she could get into huge trouble!” June pulled me back towards the guy. “Sir, we are so sorry. That’s our friend in there.”  
“You keep throwing that word around,” I muttered.  
June shot me an angry look before turning back sorrowfully. “Excuse her, please. And, allow us to introduce ourselves. My name is June.” She bowed slightly before the man and then jabbed me in my side with her elbow.  
“Ay!” I cried out, and then faced the man. “I’m Gary,” I said quickly, grumpily.  
“It’s nice to meet you both. My name is Dan,” he smiled. “My family and I run a Spa Resort and hotel not far from here.”  
“Well, you better get Trixa washing some dishes, because we have no money and had no idea she had just run up into your place like that. She was with us and just disappeared.”  
“Oh, wow,” the man said with disappointment. “That’s really unfortunate. These things aren’t free.”  
I nodded. “Well, feel free to call the police. Or the mental hospital. If you call the mental hospital, make sure they have plenty of tranquili-ouch!” I grabbed my throbbing shoulder, glaring at June after her very strong punch she gave it.  
“We’re both very sorry for the trouble she’s caused,” June said, lowering her head. “If it’s okay with you, we can just take her and leave. If you need us to wash any dishes or do laundry or anything, we eagerly offer you our assistance.”  
“We offer you our assistance,” I agreed. “As in June and Trixa. I am getting the hell out of here.” I walked away from them, briefly. My walk forward became reversed as I felt a strong, familiar pull on my earlobe that made me whine out.  
“Like I said, we will gladly pay you back in any way we can,” June offered, gripping my earlobe tightly. “We apologize for our friend’s overzealous behavior.”  
Dan laughed a little as June released my ear and I scowled at the ground, rubbing it. “You’re good people, and I appreciate the offer, but it’s alright. I noticed that Trixa had a Poke Ball. Is it safe to assume that you three are Pokemon Trainers?”  
June nodded, and I followed suit shortly after, although I was unsure on how to answer that for myself.  
“I know the life of a Pokemon Trainer must be a busy one. I don’t want to slow up your journey. Consider this one on the house.”  
“Really?” June asked, shocked.   
“Well, we could use the money, but, yes. It’s on me,” Dan replied, his smile fading slightly. “Business has been pretty slow lately. We’re not sure why. The bills are stacking up and we’re trying to pay them off, but times are getting really hard right now. We’re not sure what’s going to happen.”  
“I’m so sorry to hear that,” June said, her voice low with sadness.  
Dan nodded, his smile fading further. “I’ve worked here with my family since I was a kid. It hurts to see everything we’ve worked for seem to crumble like this.”  
“Maybe it’s just a seasonal slump!” June suggested.   
Dan shook his head. “I wish. People seem to come here every season. Maybe it dies down in the summer, but not like this. We haven’t had a customer in over three months. I won’t lie to you; it was really nice to see somebody in that hot spring after such a long period of time.”  
“Awww.” June looked really upset by this news. “We’ll spend some time with you!”  
“June, wait a minute.”  
“But, Gary, I feel bad.”  
“I do, too. But we can’t!”  
June looked down in despair.  
“I’m really sorry,” I told Dan.  
He shook his head, smiling. “I wouldn’t want you guys around here, anyway. It’s so boring and dull. It certainly is shocking seeing things in such a bad place right now. But, we’ll bounce back. Hopefully.”  
Silence greeted us as the awkward sadness kept us without a word to say.  
“Well, you guys are welcome to use the hot spring if you’d like,” Dan said brightly. “Follow me and I’ll take you right to your friend!”  
I flinched at the word “friend.”

*

Her long hair floating in the water, her shoulders in the straps of a white swimsuit, her eyes closed, smiling peacefully, Trixa was laying gently in the hot water against a giant, long rock, breathing gently.  
“Trixa!” June and I shouted.  
Trixa continued smiling, her eyes still closed, seemingly not hearing us.   
“Grrrrr!” I picked up a small rock on the ground by my feet and pulled back my arm.  
“Gary!” June grabbed my hand, stopping me.  
“Fine!” I pulled my hand away, dropping the object. “TRIXA! What are you doing?”  
Trixa’s eyes opened slowly and she smiled even brighter as she saw me, June and Dan. “Gary! June! Dan! I told you my two best friends were here with me!”  
I felt a warm spot in my heart as I heard her call June and me her “best friends.”  
“They’ll be joining and covering the costs!” Trixa continued, closing her eyes again.  
The warm feeling faded instantly and I leered at her.  
“Trixa!” June called out to her, gently.  
“Hm?” Trixa’s eyes opened sweetly.   
“We never said we’d cover any charges,” June said, a worried look on her face.  
“Huh?” Trixa sat up in the water, exposing more of herself, her eyes wide with surprise. Her swimsuit was a one piece. “But, how are we gonna pay these good people back for this service?”  
“No one even agreed to use the services of this place in the first place!” I was losing it.  
“Why would we come here if we’re not going to use the facility?” Trixa asked innocently.  
I covered my face with my hands and growled loudly. “We weren’t planning on coming here in the first damn place!” My hands fell swiftly.  
“Why are you yelling at me?” Trixa’s face was visibly upset and a little scared.  
“You broke into a freaking resort and just assumed we would be paying for it! Why wouldn’t I be mad??”  
“Now, now,” Dan said, smiling. “Calm down. Let’s not get all worked up. How about you kids enjoy the hot spring and let loose all of your tensions.”  
“Yeah, Gary,” Trixa agreed. “You’re way too wound up. This thing is so comforting. Join me!”  
My face got hotter as I stared at Trixa, her body halfway out of the water, and looked her over quickly. “No,” I said firmly.  
“Why?” she asked, looking at me, wide-eyed.   
“I don’t want to,” I mumbled, and looked away from her wet frame.  
“But the water’s really nice,” Trixa urged.  
“I don’t swim,” I said moodily. “I don’t even like the water.”  
“You don’t like water?”  
“I don’t swim in it,” I answered shortly.  
“Hmmmm.” The water splashed as Trixa made her way over to the other end of the hot spring, closer to me.  
I turned to her and felt my heart beating fast.   
She actually looked rather pretty, soaking wet, looking up at me with such an adorable look on her face.  
I forced myself to look away, but stared at her from out the corner of my eye.  
She sniffed the air. “Hmm. I guess you do stink. It must be because you’re afraid of the water. That’s not healthy.” She made her way back to the other side of the hot spring.  
“I CLEAN MYSELF!” I defended myself furiously. “I SHOWERED LAST NIGHT AT THE POKEMON CENTER! I didn’t say I was afraid to shower!! I said swiiim!!”  
“This isn’t exactly something you swim in, Gary,” Trixa responded. “You just lay in it. Like a bath. You’re not afraid to bathe, are you? Like in a tub?”  
“No.”  
“This is the same thing!” Trixa closed her eyes and sighing happily against her rock.  
“No!” I turned my back on Trixa.  
“Oh, fine. June? How about you?”  
“It’s a little warm for me to be in a hot spring,” June giggled.  
“You won’t even notice it!” Trixa said excitedly. “It feels so nice!”  
“Trixa, Dan said you can spend the day here for free,” I informed her. “I’m going on to Accumula Town. I don’t have time for this.”  
“What?? You’re just gonna leave me?” Her hurt voice actually tore through my heart.  
“We’re not leaving you,” June assured her.  
“You wanna bet?” I challenged, and walked past an uncomfortable faced Dan and made my way out of the hot spring. I moved quickly, fed up with everything and everyone, walking down a long, winding, rocky mountain path, through a short, two story, yellow building with an orange roof and a lot of windows.  
I heard June call out for me, and Trixa began whining, Dan trying to calm everyone down.   
“Gary, at least let her change!” June demanded.  
I stopped at the front doors of the Spa Resort and turned around, seeing June and a bathing suit clad Trixa run down a separate hallway together.  
Dan and I faced each other awkwardly, and he smiled.   
“I’m sorry. I have nothing against you. Please don’t take this personally,” I apologized.  
“No, not at all!” he said with a light chuckle. “I don’t know how you travel with two girls. You’re lucky. They’re both very cute, but I’m sure they can be a headache. I think Trixa may have been expecting you to pay because you’re the guy!” He laughed.  
My smile was strained, and I didn’t laugh, holding back my fury, looking to the ground. She expected me to pay because she’s an idiot, not because I’m male, I thought. This girl is more trouble than she’s worth.  
It wasn’t long before Trixa and June appeared from the hallway they had walked through. Trixa was now dressed in a blue dress and pink sandals, both girls frowning at me.  
I turned to Dan. “Thanks again, sir.” I walked out of the building quickly.  
June and Trixa burst through the doors after me. “GARY!!!” they both screeched, making me flinch.  
I didn’t stop walking.  
They both ran past me and turned to face me, scowling.  
I stopped in my tracks and returned their angry stares.  
“Why are you always acting like this, Gary?” June demanded. “Even back in Kanto, you always had to be such a boss!”  
“You both were in Kanto together?” Trixa asked, her anger fading from her face as she turned to June.  
“Yes!” June said, turning to Trixa in surprise. “We’re both from Kanto. We explained this at Prof. Juniper’s lab.”  
“You did?” Trixa asked, looking at June in confusion. “I don’t remember that. I was too eager to get my Starter Pokemon! Guess I wasn’t paying attention.”  
I shook my head, squinting at Trixa, and walked around June, keeping away from Trixa and her stupidity as if it were contagious.  
“Hey! This isn’t over, yet!” June blocked my path.  
“Listen, I’ve already told you this enough times,” I said, pointing my finger at her. “I’m stuck in Unova, with no idea on my future plans. If I’m going to be stuck here, you’d better be damn well sure that I’m making my own way. Follow me or leave me. Thank you for getting me out of my mom’s place, but I think I need to start following my own ideas now. If I’m going to be competing in the Unova League, I need a Pokemon, for starters. I don’t want to waste time. Now let me walk on and think about this before I make up my mind, will you?” I walked around her and towards a wide path lined by several trees on each side.  
June and Trixa followed behind me.  
I pulled out my Town Map and looked at it, but my mind was elsewhere. Will I really be trying to compete in the Unova League? Will I really start catching Pokemon again? What happens when my journey in Unova is over? Where will I go after this? If I don’t compete in the Unova League, what exactly will I be doing out here? My hands lowered with the Town Map still in them, and I looked at the path laid out.  
“Everything okay?” June asked me softly.  
“I’m sure it will be just fine.”  
“So a Poison Gym is first?”  
I nodded at June’s question. “Yeah.”  
“You think you’re ready, Trixa?” June asked her.  
“Yeah! I’ve been waiting for this for a while now!” Trixa exclaimed. “This will really be fun!”  
“Maybe you should have some kind of a battle, first,” June suggested. “I’m not sure you fully know how to battle yet. You know, like, the rules and stuff.”  
“Of course I do!” Trixa spoke eagerly. “And I’ll prove it to you right now!”  
Intrigued, I glanced back... and gasped at the sight of a Pokemon!  
Trixa pulled out her Pokedex and scanned the creature that stood between us.  
Pansear. The High Temp Pokemon. Pansear are more often located near volcanoes. This Pokemon feasts on Berries and always cooks them first using its fire.  
“Okay,” Trixa nodded. Her face was blank, but somehow focused. She put her Pokedex in her right hand and grabbed her Poke Ball with her left hand. “Tepig! I choose you!”  
“Tepig!” Tepig leered at Pansear.  
“Pansear!” Pansear growled and leaped quickly at Tepig, its claws glowing white.  
“Dodge that!” Trixa ordered.  
Tepig quickly moved, leaping and ducking around the quick swipes Pansear was attacking with.  
Pansear’s eyes glowed red as it used Leer attack.  
Tepig froze in fear.  
Pansear attacked with Fury Swipes once more, swiping at Tepig’s face.  
Tepig was forced to stumble backwards by the hits, but he got back up, breathing hot fire from his nostrils with a strong grunt.  
“Tepig, it’s our turn! Use your Tail Whip!” Trixa said, not taking her eyes off of her Pokedex.  
Tepig ran at Pansear and turned around, his tail whipping right in front of Pansear’s face.  
Pansear merely watched.  
“Tail Whip, once more!”  
Tepig backed up and smacked his tail repeatedly against Pansear.  
Pansear backed up a few feet, shaking its head softly, unfazed.  
I hope she knows that move isn’t actually doing any damage, I thought. It’s only lowering Pansear’s Defense. She better start attacking.  
“Again, Tepig!”  
Pansear leaped towards Tepig, reaching out for him with its paws.  
Tepig jumped to Pansear, getting ready to use Tail Whip again.  
Before Tepig could turn around, Pansear opened its mouth and licked Tepig in the face.  
Tepig squealed in disgust.  
“Aww! Is that a kiss?” Trixa gushed with delight, gripping her Pokedex tightly in both hands.  
Lick. This attack may Paralyze the foe.  
“You idiot,” I muttered, smacking my forehead, closing my eyes and shaking my head.  
Trixa gasped.  
Tepig backed up, shivering from Paralysis, and collapsed.  
“Oh, no! And I don’t have any other Pokemon!” Trixa said with disappointment.  
“Trixa! Don’t-!”  
“SSSHHHH!!!” Trixa shushed me loudly, waving her hand at me frantically. “I can do this! I’ll prove it! Just give me this chance!”  
I closed my mouth, surprised by her sudden determination.  
She squinted at Pansear, who was looking down at the Paralyzed Tepig. “A Status problem doesn’t end a match!” Trixa urged either herself, her Pokemon, or both. “Tepig! The match isn’t over! Get up and fight back! Use Tackle!”  
June smiled and nodded.  
Tepig struggled to his feet.  
Pansear ran to Tepig, raising a claw and leaping into the air, getting ready to attack with Scratch.  
Tepig took the hit, sliding across the ground.  
“Tepig! Come on! This isn’t over!” Trixa encouraged her Pokemon. “Let’s show what we can do!” She used her hands to brush her hair back and then pointed at Pansear. “Tackle it!”  
Tepig got to his feet as Pansear ran forward to use Fury Swipes. Tepig leaped over the swipes, into the air, and landed behind Pansear. He then charged at Pansear as the monkey turned around to face him, tackling it down.  
Pansear got up, keeping its eyes on Tepig.  
“Tackle again!”  
“Tepig!” Tepig charged right into Pansear, knocking it over.  
Pansear seemed shaky as it got up again. It screeched angrily and raised a claw to use Scratch attack again.  
“Ember!”  
“Teeeepiiig!” Tepig snorted and blew a huge flame from his nostrils.  
Pansear screamed from the hit, but then flew in a rage at Tepig and continued its attack, not bothered too much by the fire, and swung down.  
“TEPIG!” Tepig suddenly curled himself up into a ball.  
Pansear landed the hit, forcing Tepig back as he rolled.  
“Tepig!” Trixa cried.  
“He’s using Defense Curl!” June clapped happily.  
Trixa pointed her Pokedex at Tepig.  
Defense Curl. This move raises the Defense of the user.  
“Defense Curl! Defense Curl!” Trixa cheered, jumping in the air.   
Tepig uncurled himself and glared at Pansear, breathing hard, but managing a determined smile.  
“Wait, but I didn’t say to use that!” Trixa gasped, no longer smiling or leaping for joy. “Is he disobeying me?”  
“No! He just learned that move! He must be at that level from the battle experience he’s been gaining!” June explained.   
“Oh! In that case, that’s just fine!” Trixa laughed.  
Pansear yelled out angrily and ran towards Tepig, swiping at the air with Fury Swipes.  
“Tepig! Go for it! Tackle it right now!”  
“Tepiiiiig!” Tepig took the first couple of slashes from Pansear, bouncing against the ground, but got back up, tackling Pansear.  
Pansear rolled head over heels, backwards, and then laid on its back, groaning.  
“I think this is the time! Whoawhoawhoa!” Trixa reached into her jeans pocket and pulled out a Poke Ball. “Okay. Like this.” She pressed the center button and made the ball bigger. “And then you go like this!” She tossed the Poke Ball at Pansear as it bared its teeth, trying to get up.  
The Poke Ball hit Pansear on the head, opened, and sucked it inside with a red beam. It hit the ground and the center button was a deep red as it shook on the ground repeatedly.   
It continued to shake.   
And shake.   
And shake.   
And shake.  
PING!  
The red light faded and turned white, and the Poke Ball remained still!  
Trixa stared in shock at the Poke Ball.  
I smiled and looked at Trixa.  
June smiled and looked at Trixa, and then turned to me.  
Tepig was breathing hard from his battle, glaring at the Poke Ball.  
Trixa remained gaping at her Poke Ball.  
“Congratulations!” I congratulated her.  
“Trixa, you did wonderful!” June added.  
Tepig looked up at his Trainer and watched her silently, catching his breath.  
Trixa remained motionless, staring at her Poke Ball.  
“Trixa? You okay?” I asked.  
Trixa remained still.  
About five more minutes had passed, all of us in silence.  
“TRIXA!” I barked, getting impatient.  
“Huh?” she said, looking up at me.  
“What is wrong with you? You caught your Pokemon!”  
“Huh? What? I did??” Trixa looked down at the Poke Ball and gasped. She sprinted at it and lifted it in the air. “I… I… I DID IT!! I caught my very first Pokemon! I actually did it! There’s no way! I won! I won!! I won!!”   
“Te...!” Tepig started with joy. “Pig…” Tepig collapsed, exhausted.  
“Oh, my Tepig!” Trixa placed her new Poke Ball on her belt and picked up her Tepig in her arms. Turning to me, she said with a gentle grin, “Is Accumula Town nearby? I think Tepig needs a rest there.”  
I checked the Town Map. “Actually, we should be there in about fifteen minutes if we move.”  
“Oh, that’s great!”  
“We can heal both of your new Pokemon,” I nodded.  
“That’s right!” Trixa agreed.  
I smiled at her.  
Trixa smiled back, looking at me with her eyes that seemed to twinkle back.  
“Uh… Are we going or what?” June asked, breaking my attention.  
I turned to her. “Yeah! Stop wasting time!” I snapped.  
“What? ME?!” June said with a mortified look on her face. “I wasn’t ev-!”  
“Come on!” I shouted, interrupting her, and ran forward, Trixa running quickly alongside me, June behind us, calling for us to slow down.  
The three of us were on our way to Accumula Town, where Trixa was going to compete for her first Badge.  
I still had not one clue of what I was going to be doing during my time in the Unova region. I still felt like I hadn’t made any independent choices regarding what would be going on in my life after making the choice to run out of my house after the refrigerator attacked my mom.  
In due time, I’d find out how much control I had over my life.  
In due time, I’d find out how little control I had over my life.  
But for now.  
In due time.  
We’d be arriving in Accumula Town.


	6. Contact Highs

“According to your Town Map, there’s something called the Battle Club here!” June stared at the Town Map in her hands.   
“What’s the Battle Club?” I asked.  
“It’s like a place where Trainers can practice against other Pokemon Trainers! You get to even choose what type of Pokemon you want to battle against! It’s great practice, the way you want to practice!”   
I nodded. “Oh. I guess that sounds cool.” I looked over at Trixa.  
A strong wind blew, fluttering Trixa’s blue skirt and white shirt with pink and white flower designs on it, her hair blowing behind her. She crossed her arms and stared at the town we stood in.  
Accumula Town was a huge place that resembled more of a city than any town I’d ever seen in Kanto. Numerous buildings were several feet apart, and they all looked like they contained important things inside. The buildings were of different length, width, height, and color, and all had floor after floor of windows all around. I wondered what these buildings could be holding inside. Steps led up to a couple of the buildings, metal handrails alongside them. The town was a quiet one, with no one outside and no signs of life.  
“I don’t want to waste any time,” Trixa said, shaking her head. “I’d rather just go battle against the Gym Leader here.”  
“Yeah,” I agreed. “That sounds like a fine idea to me, too.”  
Trixa smiled at me, but I didn’t return it, looking away from her pretty smile to the ground and just nodded.  
“But, the Battle Club is a hot spot for Pokemon battles!” June added. “It’d be a great place to test out your battling skills and prepare yourself! You could even battle a Poison type Trainer!”  
“Nah.” Trixa shook her head at June. “That’s boring. I just want to get right into the battles! Our Pokemon are all healed up and Tepig and Pansear are gonna win me my first Badge! I can’t waste time practicing and stuff. Let’s just give it a shot. I’m really excited!”  
June smiled caringly. “I understand that, believe me. But you don’t want to be too eager and not be prepared. There’s nothing wrong with-”  
Trixa was already walking away from June, a calm smile on her face, a faraway look in her eyes. “Where do you think the Gym is?”  
June’s shoulders slumped and she turned to me, a hurt look on her face.  
I smiled and gently took the Town Map from June. “Maybe this girl isn’t as bad as I thought,” I said in a low voice accompanied with a wink, and followed after Trixa, looking at the map. “It’s this way, Trixa!” I called out to her, though she was right next to me. Based on my limited experience with her, I figured I may have to yell to grab this girl’s attention.  
Her eyes widened, glittering atop her little nose as they dug into mine. Her long, ravishing, flowing hair rested against her back peacefully. Her lips held a loving smile for no given reason.  
I felt uncomfortable in her gaze and quickly walked past her, leading the way to the Accumula Gym. I shook my head, focusing on the Town Map. Where’s that damn Gym? I thought angrily. I don’t even like Trixa. That Gym must be nearby. Trixa’s hardly even cute. A Poison type Gym. Should be an interesting fight. Trixa’s sort of cute. I don’t care! I can’t even challenge this Gym Leader. I need a Pokemon! Besides, the girl’s a bimbo! I looked up and saw, close by, a short, deep purple building. Staring back down at the map, and then looking up, my pace began to quicken. “This has to be it, I think!”  
“WOOOO!” Trixa ran past me, stopping in front of the location and gazing up at it.  
June and I ran together to keep up with her as she reached for the doorknob and turned it, opening the door.  
A metal, cone-shaped stand that barely reached my chest stood right in front of the building, a huge, red and white Poke Ball made of the same material attached to the top of it. Glancing at it quickly, I saw that it read: Accumula Town Pokemon Gym in shiny black letters. So, this is definitely it, I thought as Trixa led the way inside.  
We all stopped and looked around. None of us spoke. We just stared in shock.  
This place couldn’t be the Gym! It was a mess! The floor was wooden, and white ash was all over it. Tarp was laid over most of the floor. Open paint cans, covered in paint, sat on the tarp. Painters covered in ash, paint, and filth were on ladders, painting the walls black, while other dirty people on the ground were hammering away at the floor and others were using drills on the walls.  
“Is this really a Gym?” I asked.   
“This place doesn’t even look done!” June said. “You said they opened up only a few months ago, right?”  
I checked the Town Map. “Yeah. The Town Map says it’s been in use for four months!”  
“Ew! This is gross. I’m leaving.” Trixa turned around and tried to walk by June and I.  
“Hold on!” I grabbed her shoulder.  
“I don’t like it here,” Trixa complained. “I want to go somewhere else!”  
“Let’s just give it a chance, okay?” I suggested. “Let’s try and see what’s going on here, first.”  
“Hello, visitors,” a gentle voice said from my left.  
The three of us turned to see a short boy with purple hair which leaned across his left eye. He smiled slyly at us and straightened himself up, but he hardly reached my chin. He was wearing a button up, purple shirt over his black jeans, his black belt barely visible, and dark purple sneakers. “My name is Bane. I’m the Poison type Gym Leader of Accumula Town.”  
I squinted hard at the short child. “You?” I couldn’t believe it! He could have passed for six years old! “You’re the Gym Leader??”  
Bane’s smile faded and he gave me a tired look. I could tell he got that reaction a lot, and wasn’t pleased to get it again. “Yes, I’m Bane, the Gym Leader of Accumula Town,” he sighed grumpily.  
“So... this is the Gym?”  
Bane nodded, lowering his head with some visible embarrassment, but he looked right back up and inhaled deeply, puffing out his chest. “Yes. We’re just renovating the place right now.”  
“You may be cute and all, but you really ought to know a little something about presentation.” Trixa crossed her arms angrily.   
My heart beat quickly, suddenly. Cute, I pondered, staring at her from the corner of my eye. I felt a strange feeling in my chest.  
Bane snickered. “I apologize. Who are you three visitors, anyway? Challengers?”  
“No. Just her.” I nodded towards Trixa.  
Bane extended a hand to her and they shook. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. What’s your name?”  
“My name is Trixa.” She smiled and stepped closer to Bane. “I’ve come from Mistralton City, all the way here just to have a battle with you and the other Gym Leaders of Unova!”  
“Wow! Mistralton City is quite a long ways from here.” The Gym Leader looked Trixa up and down. “Such determination. I commend you. I’ll happily battle you. I don’t get many challengers here.” He walked away from us.  
“Well, that’s no surprise,” Trixa responded. “Like I said, presentation, sir.”  
Bane seemed to force a chuckle and let out a weary sigh before looking back. “I welcome you to my Gym, Trixa. My Pokemon will be glad to crush yours right through the walls.”  
“Huh?” Trixa gasped.  
Bane continued walking away from us before he stopped and turned to face us, a huge smile on his face showing his teeth. He raised his arms, his hands extending to the ceiling.  
At once, a couple of workers hammering the floorboards turned and placed their hammers on the ground. They pulled the tarp back until more of the floor was visible. As they released the tarp, they turned back around and continued with their hammering.  
The floor had a familiar, large, white painting in the middle of it. The outline of the battlefield.  
“Why do you think we are renovating the building?” Bane called out to us. “Our foes as smashed, mashed, and bashed into an inevitable loss, and you’ll be the next victim! Are you ready, little girl?”  
Trixa tilted her head and scratched it as she looked at Bane, a confused look on her face. “Little girl? But, I’m taller than you.”  
Bane’s face fell in shock.  
“Trixa!” I scolded her.   
“What?” She turned to me.  
I sighed. “Never mind. Good luck.”  
One of the painters was climbing down his ladder and he placed his brush in one of the buckets of paint before walking over to us. He threw a very hard glare in Trixa’s direction. “Welcome to Accumula Town Gym!” the man announced. “I shall act as the referee for this match between Accumula Town’s Gym Leader, Bane, and Mistralton City’s Trixa! This will be a two-on-two Pokemon battle without a time limit! The Gym Leader, Bane, is not allowed to switch Pokemon, but the challenger may. The first to lose both of their Pokemon is defeated. Let the battle begin!”  
Bane grabbed a Poke Ball from his belt and enlarged it. “Trubbish, you’re up first!” He threw the Poke Ball.  
A Pokemon was sent out onto the field amongst the noise around us from the workers. The creature gave Trixa an angry look, seeming ready for battle. It looked, literally, like nothing more than a small black bag of trash with eyes and appendages for arms and legs, which took me by surprise. “Trubbish!”  
I pulled out my Pokedex, as did Trixa, and I focused on what mine told me about the new Pokemon.  
Trubbish. The Trash Bag Pokemon. This Pokemon typically smells very foul. Once it has befriended someone, it will not smell bad around that person. Caution should be taken around this Pokemon, as they can belch poisonous gas.  
“Wow...” was my only response as I watched the monster. I couldn’t get over how... bizarre this Pokemon looked. I could hardly believe it was real.  
“I’ll start off with the best! Tepig!” Trixa sent out her Pokemon.  
“Tepig! Tepig!” Tepig grunted.  
“I insist, you go first,” Bane nodded.  
Trixa’s hands went to her cheeks as she blushed. “How sweet of you!”  
“You should be allowed one hit before I end this battle swiftly.” Bane was now sneering at Trixa.  
Trixa’s hands fell to her sides and she let out a cry, taking a step back.  
“Trixa, don’t let him psyche you out!” I encouraged her.  
“Believe in your Pokemon!” June added. “Focus!”  
Trixa turned to June and I and nodded, her face showing determination. “Tepig, start it off with Tail Whip attack!”  
Tepig ran forward and whipped at Trubbish with his tail.  
Trubbish growled and swiped at Tepig.  
“And that’s your turn,” Bane said seriously. “Time to end this! Double Slap!”  
Trubbish slapped Tepig repeatedly, forcing him back.  
“Tepig! Don’t go down! Please! Use Tackle this time!”   
Tepig ran forward and slammed into Trubbish, forcing it back.  
Trubbish groaned from the strong hit.  
A few of the workers stopped working and turned to watch the battle.  
“Trubbish, Poison Gas!”  
Trubbish’s mouth seemed to be filled with something, and it coughed it up at Tepig, a dark cloud of gas surrounding the fiery pig.  
“Tepig!” Trixa whined.  
“Tepig! Tep! Tepig!” Tepig choked against the smoke. Once it cleared, Tepig’s face was flushed with purple.  
“He’s Poisoned!” I noted.  
“Now end this with Sludge attack!” Bane continued, beaming.  
“Tepiiiiig!” Trixa closed her eyes and her hands rose to her face as her body flinched, refusing to watch.  
“Trubbish!!” Trubbish opened its mouth, sending out several balls of sludge at Tepig.  
“PIIIIIG!” Tepig flew through the air from being hit, landing hard, and flinched from the Poison in his body.  
“TRIXA!” June’s screech grabbed everyone’s attention at once.  
Trixa gasped and turned around, her eyes filled with tears.  
June didn’t say a word.  
Trixa stared back at her silently. “June?” she said fearfully.  
June held the promising look of a vicious attack on its way, all over her face.  
Trixa’s eyes widened and she slowly nodded. She wiped at her eyes and turned back to the battle.  
Tepig was on his side, breathing hard.  
“It’s time to finish this battle! Another Sludge attack!” Bane shouted.  
“A Status problem doesn’t end a match!” Trixa said strongly. She took a deep breath. “This isn’t over, Tepig!”  
Tepig struggled to his feet, groaning, his legs quaking, his eyes closed.  
Trubbish used another Sludge attack.  
“Tepig! I said this isn’t over! Don’t give up on yourself!”  
Tepig’s eyes opened as the Sludge balls hit the ground around him. With a loud shout, he made a quick run to the side, dodging the remaining attacks.   
“It’s actually up!” Bane said with noticeable surprise. “Sludge attack again! End it here!”  
Trubbish followed its Trainer’s orders with a barrage of Sludge balls from its mouth.  
“Tepig, dodge it!”   
Tepig ran past one of the attacks, but then flinched from the Poison, dropping, groaning weakly.  
“Tepig!” Trixa screamed.  
Tepig looked up as more of the disgusting sludge fell down, heading straight for him. He glared at the attacks and stood up, and began to stomp on the ground with his feet repeatedly. “Tepig! Tepig! Tepig! Tepig! Tepig! Tepig! Tepig! Tepig! Tepig!”  
“Tepig! What are you doing? Watch out!” Trixa begged.  
“Tepig!!” Tepig’s body was surrounded by flames and he flew forward at the last second, dodging the Sludge attacks and, looking like a flaming fireball, charged right into Trubbish!  
Trubbish wailed out as it was knocked over onto its back.  
The flames around Tepig’s body disappeared and he scowled at Trubbish, gasping for air, looking ready to collapse.  
“Trubbish is unable to battle! Tepig is the winner!” the referee declared, raising a hand at Trixa.  
Trixa gasped repeatedly, backing up several feet, and then stumbling forward several feet, back and forth repeatedly for about a minute before finally stopping and let out an excited squeal. “TEPIG! YOU WON! YOU WON! YOU DID IT, TEPIG! One down! Just one more to go! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!”  
“Tepig...!” Tepig growled, his legs barely able to hold him up. He was worn out.  
Trixa pulled out her Pokedex and pointed it at Tepig.  
Flame Charge. The user is consumed by flames and tackles the foe. This move boosts the user’s Speed.  
“Oh! How cool! Tepig knows a new move again! I can’t believe this! Yay!” Trixa bounced with delight.  
I smiled, watching Trixa in her excitement.  
Bane’s face looked pale as he looked down at Trubbish with his wide eyes and mouth open, stunned. He swallowed and looked up at Trixa before straightening his face and clearing his throat. “Come back, Trubbish. Thank you.” He returned his Pokemon and grabbed his second Poke Ball. “Quite lucky. You have the type advantage against my next Pokemon, but your Tepig is ready to call it quits. You’ll now face the strongest Pokemon! I choose Whirlipede!”  
From out of Bane’s Poke Ball came a Pokemon that gave me the shivers.  
“Whirlipede!” it uttered.  
“It’s a Bug!” I accused, pointing at it. Just great. A disgusting, nasty, Bug! I grabbed my arms and rubbed them as goose bumps began to crawl on them. I just knew this was a Bug type. It just had to be.  
Trixa pulled out her Pokedex.  
Whirlipede. The Curlipede Pokemon. Venipede’s evolved form. This Pokemon remains still unless it is attacked, which is when it will fight back. Contact with this Pokemon may result in getting Poisoned.  
“Alright! Ember, Tepig!” Trixa ordered.  
“Tepiiiig!!” From his snout, flames flew for Whirlipede, surrounding it.  
Whirlipede called out helplessly from the surrounding, super effective impact.  
“Not so fast! Rollout!” Bane countered.  
Before the flames around Whirlipede died out, it burst from the fire, spinning rapidly.  
“Meet it with Flame Charge!” Trixa pressed on.  
Tepig stomped in place again, his body quickly surrounded by fire, and he flew out at Whirlipede.  
Both Pokemon collided into each other at once, each one taking a super effective hit.  
“Whirlipede!” It bounced along the Gym floor.  
“Oh, no!” Bane said sadly.  
Tepig’s voice rang out loudly as he soared through the air and finally landed on his back. “Tepig…”  
“Tepig is unable to battle! Whirlipede is the winner!” the referee stated, waving to Bane.  
“HA! I KNEW IT! Whirlipede, you did it!” Bane took me by surprise as he leaped in the air repeatedly, laughing and congratulating his Whirlipede, which bobbed in place at its Trainer’s praise.  
“Oh, my poor Tepig!” Trixa complained. “You did so well, too! Return!”  
Tepig was returned to his Poke Ball.  
“Now that your Fire type is out, I’m curious to see what you’ll use now against my Bug type Pokemon,” Bane smirked.  
Trixa grabbed her second Poke Ball. “All I have left is this one.” She threw her Poke Ball to the field.  
“Pansear!” the freed Pansear spoke happily.  
“Pansear?!?!” Bane bellowed, his face a mix of rage and shock.   
“Yeah. Pansear’s Fire, too, I think.” Trixa pulled out her Pokedex.  
Pansear. The High Temp Pokemon. The tuft on its head can reach six hundred degrees when angered. It is considered very intelligent. This Pokemon is of the Fire type.  
“Yup! Fire type!” Trixa smiled, putting her Pokedex away.  
I covered my face in embarrassment. Is she serious with that? I wondered. Yes, I immediately answered. Of course she is.  
“Now, Pansear! Oh, wait!” Trixa pulled out her Pokedex again and stared at it for a few seconds. “Okay, you can do Incinerate! GOOOOO!”  
“WHIRLIPEEEEDE!!!” Bane’s face contained horror.  
Whirlipede flew out at Pansear, attacking with Rollout, as a large flame came from Pansear’s mouth, covering the Bug entirely. It wasn’t long before the flame died out and Pansear stared calmly down at Whirlipede’s beaten body.  
“Whirlipede is unable to battle! Pansear is the winner! This battle goes to Trixa from Mistralton City!” the referee’s voice boomed.  
Trixa’s mouth dropped open wide as she looked at the battlefield in disbelief.  
Bane’s lips quivered as if he were speaking silent words, and finally, he looked down sadly.  
The workers around us all clapped and called out their congratulations to Trixa, including the referee, who no longer held a cold look.  
Pansear turned around to Trixa. “Pansear!” It reached out for her.  
Trixa dropped to her knees, hard, but she didn’t seem to be bothered by the fall. “Pansear!” She extended her arms.  
“Pansear!” The fire monkey ran to Trixa and leaped into her arms.   
Trixa stood up and spun around in circles, giggling like crazy. “Yay, you did it! Pansear, you did it! You won! I can’t believe my first Gym battle was a success!” She stopped spinning and waved at the cheering workers in the area, giggling hard before leaping in the air and spinning at the same time, landing, and then running around in a circle with her Pansear in her arms.  
Bane silently returned his Whirlipede and then wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand. He stepped up to Trixa and looked at her as she ran around continuously. His eyes seemed to be twinkling behind tears.  
What’s wrong with him? I wondered.  
“Excuse me?” he asked politely.  
Trixa continued to run around rapidly.  
“TRIXA!” I barked.  
“Huh?” She stopped running and turned to me.   
Pansear was looking dizzy in Trixa’s arms.  
Frowning, I pointed at Bane.  
Trixa turned to him. “Oh! Hey there, cutie!”  
I felt another strange feeling in my chest as my eyes widened at her words.  
Bane smiled a bit and reached in his jeans, pulling out a small object. He held it out to Trixa in his open palm.  
It was an object in several zigzag patterns, repeated colors of red and purple all throughout it, outlined in gold.  
“Congratulations, Trixa. You have won the Toxin Badge.”  
“Whoawhoawhoa! Oh my oh my oh my oh my oh myyyyyyy!!!” Trixa repeated ecstatically. “My first ever Badge! Wait!”  
Trixa returned her Pansear to its Poke Ball and took off her bag. She opened it and dug through it, finally standing up holding a little white box with glitter all over it.  
She has a ton of food in her bag, I noticed. She must have taken it with her when she left home. All this time, June and I have been worrying about where our next meal would be coming from, eating what little food we have left, sparingly, as if it’s the last remaining food on the planet, and this girl has food to snack on! I turned to June and saw that she was also looking at Trixa’s open bag, hungrily.  
Trixa took the Toxin Badge from Bane and opened the box in her hands. I realized that the box she was holding was actually a fancy Badge case! The inside was pink and empty. She pushed her first Badge inside of the case, the bottom of it easily taking form around the Badge. She closed the case, kissed it, and placed it back in her bag.  
“Congratulations, Trixa,” I smiled, extending my hand.  
Trixa gushed out in joy and wrapped her arms around me in a huge hug.  
I was taken by surprise and hugged her back, getting a good whiff of her hair, which smelled like strawberries and a lot of sugar. The smell was a little too sweet, and yet irresistibly captivating. I couldn’t resist taking it in one more time. It was such a peculiarly pretty scent. One more intake. Was that a hint of roses? I silently absorbed the aroma an extra turn. It had been a while before I noticed that Bane was staring at us, his eyes wide in surprise.  
“Um…” I heard June say.  
“June!” Trixa released me and leaped at my friend, wrapping her in a hug.  
June’s eyes widened and she stumbled backwards, hugging Trixa back.  
“Are you two dating?” Bane asked me with a smile.  
I whipped to Bane frantically. “What?? Me and who??”  
“You and Trixa?” Bane shrugged.  
“NO!” I stared at the young guy in offense.  
“Oh. Well, that hug you had lasted nearly five minutes,” Bane laughed lightly. “Pretty long for even a married couple!”  
“We were there for that long?!?” I asked him, taken back. I had no idea. I guess I had gotten lost in… NO! My eyebrows furrowed, my eyes slammed shut, and I shook my head hard, refusing to allow myself to finish that sentence.  
“So you’re dating the redhead?” Bane questioned.  
“I’M NOT DATING ANYONE!” I exploded.  
“Okay, okay,” Bane said, raising his hands. “Take it easy.” He turned to June and Trixa. “Looks like they’re having their own hugging session.”  
I turned to the two girls and saw that they hadn’t let go of each other, June seeming to be struggling to break the hold.  
I guess her hugging me for so long wasn’t anything special, I thought, my heart thumping strangely. Just another one of her strange behaviors.  
Bane sighed and walked away from us.  
I turned and watched as he left the Gym, his head down. “Bane?” I called after him. “Bane!” Something was wrong. I ran after him, leaving the building. “Bane! Hold on!”  
The door to the Gym opened a moment later, June and Trixa coming out after me.  
Bane wiped at his eyes and sniffled.  
“Huh?” I grabbed his shoulder gently. “Bane, are you crying?”  
Bane sniffled again and wiped at his eyes, sharply yanking his shoulder free from my grasp. “Please. Don’t.”  
“I-I-I’m sorry,” I apologized. “But, why are you crying?”  
“It’s nothing...” he sighed, wiping his eyes again. Bane lowered his hand and took a deep breath before turning to me. A forced smile was on his face, but his eyes twinkled in the sunlight from tears.  
“Bane, what happened?” I demanded, concerned. “Why are you so upset? What’s wrong? Is it about that battle?”  
Bane’s smile faded and he looked away.  
“You made it sound like you were so tough, and yet your battle ended fairly fast. Are you disappointed? Sometimes, a Trainer comes along and takes you by complete surprise. Don’t be-”  
“Yeah, that battle was easy,” Trixa chimed in.  
“Trixa!!”  
“What? That’s exactly what you said!”  
“I did not!” I denied.   
“Did too!” Trixa insisted.  
“No! You’re not listening to me!”  
“I heard you perfectly clear! You said the match ended fast for me! It was easy!”  
“I didn’t say it was easy!”  
“You might as well have!”  
“Will you butt out?!”  
“You’re talking about me? Why should I?”  
June let out her breath loudly and shook her head.  
“Please! Please! You two, stop!” Bane pleaded. He crossed his arms and sighed. “I understand perfectly. Allow me to explain to all of you.” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Bane is defined as something that causes distress or can annoy. It is often referred to as a poison. That was the name I desired to be called. It was intimidating, and sounded pretty cool to me.”  
“You mean, your name’s not really Bane?” I asked.  
He nodded. “My name is really Ike. That name’s not scary, or even cool. I opened the first Gym in Accumula Town only four months ago and went with the name Bane. My losses were as embarrassing as the one I had today with Trixa. I’ve never won a battle as a Gym Leader. Not even once.”  
“You mean you suck like that normally?” Trixa asked.   
“Trixa! Shut up!” I gave her a furious glare.  
“I was just asking!” she yelled and turned her back to me, crossing her arms.  
Ike managed a smile. “Yes. I’m afraid I’m not the best Trainer out there. I thought maybe I could renovate the Gym to look more intimidating and seem tougher. It’s not in any bad shape at all. No Pokemon have been smashed through my Gym so bad that it needed fixing. I made that all up. I talked about my Pokemon as if they were so tough, but they obviously aren’t. I thought that by hyping us up, maybe we’d have more confidence and strength and win. I’m sorry I lied to you guys. I’m a failure as a Gym Leader. Perhaps this isn’t the path I should have taken.”  
June stepped up to Ike and took him, and the rest of us, by surprise by pulling him into a hug.  
Ike hesitantly hugged her back.  
“Ike, I understand,” June said to him comfortingly. “I was in your shoes, once. I used to be a Gym Leader in the Kanto Region.”  
Trixa gasped and turned around. “You used to be a Gym Leader??”  
June let go of Ike and turned to Trixa, smiling. “Yes,” she nodded. “I was the Electric Gym Leader. I also lost all the time, and eventually left my duties as a Gym Leader.”  
“Wow…” Trixa kept her eyes on June for a moment, not speaking. “You’re a weak Trainer, too?”  
June’s face tightened quickly.  
“Are all Gym Leaders supposed to be weak Trainers?”  
“I am not weak! I just needed some work, and I still do!” June shot back. “I’ve grown quite a lot since back then. Trixa, you’re going to learn that there are many strong Trainers out there, and that Gym Leaders are amongst the best battlers. You did well against Ike, but I warn you to keep your guard up.”  
“Well, I’ve only lost to Ella so far, and that was due to a mistake on my part. She’s not even a Gym Leader. I really must be getting better!”  
“You are, Trixa,” June said seriously. “But it will only get a lot harder from here on. When we reach Striaton City, we’ll see another Gym Leader there, and we’ll see how well you do.”  
“Ah! Cilan, Cress, and Chili!” Ike mentioned. “They’re good. Seems you chose Tepig as your Starter Pokemon, so you’ll be battling Cress, the Water Trainer. Good luck!”  
“Why do I have to battle the Water Trainer?” Trixa asked.  
“That’s how that Gym works,” Ike explained. “Depending on who you chose as your Starter in Unova, you battle the Trainer who has the type advantage.”  
Trixa snickered. “Sounds like they’re weak, too, and need an advantage to win, but I believe in my Pokemon!” She smiled at June.  
June grumbled but managed a nod and gave a small smile back. “Good.”  
“I wish you luck, Trixa. You are a good Trainer,” Ike told her.  
“Thank you.” Trixa’s eyes gleamed over her glowing smile.  
June turned to Ike. “As for you, do not give up on your dream. This isn’t the end. Stick with it if it’s in your heart. Take some time off if you’ll be allowed to and work on yourself as a Trainer, with your Pokemon. Improve together, as a team. You’re not doing this alone!” June grabbed Ike’s shoulders and stared deeply into his eyes. “But no matter what, remember that you and your Pokemon are friends. That comes first before anything else. Throw away the life of a Gym Leader if you must, but never sacrifice your friendship with your Pokemon. It means everything to you, and to them. Your Pokemon love you dearly and will do anything for you, and they trust in you as their Trainer. I beg you not to ruin that for power…”  
Ike squinted at June, and then nodded. “Of course not. I love them! I’ll never break our bond.”  
“Remember that you said that,” June said softly, and she let go of Ike, taking a few steps back.  
Ike continued to stare at June, and then looked up, past June. “Hey. Where is she going?”  
June and I turned around to see what Ike was looking at.  
“Trixa!” I called.  
She was skipping away from us, fast.  
“Where is she going?” I wondered out loud, exasperated. I turned to Ike. “Thank you again, Ike. Good luck!” I ran after Trixa. “Trixa!”  
“Bye, Ike! Take care!” June ran after me.

*

“Thanks for sharing your food with us,” I said with a mouthful of unsalted crackers.  
“Don’t talk with your mouth full!” June scolded me. She smiled at Trixa. “Thank you, honey.” She then put a cracker in her mouth and ate it.  
“Well, all you guys had to do was ask!” Trixa beamed. “I have a bit of money and I packed some food before I left.”  
The three of us had left the Pokemon Center hours ago after healing Trixa’s Pokemon and eating dinner at the cafeteria downstairs.  
Trixa and June had both made separate phone calls afterwards, but it was Trixa’s call that made my heart pound continuously as I didn’t know who she was calling.   
Was it Prof. Juniper? was my immediate concern.   
June had gotten off of the phone before Trixa, and when she walked over to me, I told her that we were definitely going to ditch Trixa if she was calling the Professor.  
When Trixa walked over to us, she said that her family was doing well and was proud that she had obtained her first Badge, causing me to breathe a sigh of relief. Her next statement, that Prof. Juniper was also pleased with her accomplishments earning her first Badge so easily and catching two Pokemon, made my heart stop. I was just about to run away until Trixa then told us, gasping in deep surprise, that she had forgotten to tell Prof. Juniper that June and I were traveling with her, causing her to run back to the phone.  
June and I held her back, laughing casually, letting her know that it was no big deal and that she could tell Prof. Juniper the next time we were in a Pokemon Center, though June and I exchanged relieved glances that Trixa’s absent minded behavior paid off for once.  
Trixa didn’t mention anything about Prof. Juniper asking her about me and June’s whereabouts, which surprised me since we had run away from her after she had gone to give me a Pokedex. I didn’t ask Trixa about it, though. If Prof. Juniper had forgotten about me, it was better that way.  
Now, we were all leaning against a tree trunk, sitting amongst crispy, dead leaves, looking up at the stars above us under an enormous blanket Trixa had with her. Trixa’s bag was filled with all kinds of snacks, but none of them had any flavor to them. They were all crackers and treats without any sugar, salt, or taste to them at all, but it was better than starving.   
It was about three in the morning, give or take, and we had been discussing June’s previous time as a Gym Leader since none of us were able to sleep. June told Trixa about her struggles back then and her leaving to travel with me to learn about Pokemon, and Trixa was eager for me to tell her my secrets that she felt that I knew about how to raise Pokemon.  
I had explained that I didn’t know any secrets, and I was unable to really explain anything. I just cared a lot for my Pokemon and did what came natural.  
Trixa wasn’t satisfied with this answer and bugged me for a better one until June interrupted, asking Trixa how she felt after her Gym battle.  
Trixa then eagerly discussed the match she had with Ike. She told us how terrified she was before she even entered the Gym. She said that she was afraid to even send out her first Pokemon and wasn’t sure who to use. She relived when she didn’t know what the best attacks to use would be, and how uncomfortable she was of the moves Ike used against her since she had never battled such Pokemon before, nor seen such moves used against her. She explained the fear of encouraging Tepig to get back up to battle, concerned that he might not be healthy enough to fight, and that she didn’t want to push him too hard. She excitedly spoke on knocking out Ike’s first Pokemon, and then later, his second one, and the feeling that rushed through her when she held her first Badge in her hand.  
As Trixa spoke, I recalled my first Badge at the Obsidian City Gym back in Kanto. It was a fake Badge, and a fake Gym battle, but at the time, I had thought it was real, and all of Trixa’s descriptions about winning her first Badge reflected my feelings back then exactly. I missed that feeling at that moment.   
I wanted it again.   
At least one more time.  
Yes, I thought. Just once more.   
As June and Trixa fell asleep on opposite sides of me, leaning on me, breathing softly, I made up my mind.  
I was going to travel through the Unova region with June and Trixa.  
I was going to collect the eight Badges of the Unova region.  
I was going to compete in the Unova League.  
I had nothing better to do, after all.  
But first…  
I had to capture a Pokemon.


	7. More Than Meets The Liepard Part 1 Of 2

“Me and Ella are more like neighbors than we are actual friends,” Trixa explained as the three of us traveled through the woods of Route 2 together. “I saw her a lot growing up, and we even went to the same school, but we never really hung out.”  
My eyes were on the path before us, walking in front of June and Trixa, each girl on either side of me.  
“It had already been set that I’d be receiving my Starter Pokemon when I turned ten. About two months before that day, I ran into Ella. We said hi and whatnot, and I was going to continue on my way, but she stopped me and asked me to take a walk with her! I’m such a shy person and I really don’t have any friends at all besides my family. That’s why traveling with you two is so cool! No one ever wants to hang out with me! I guess I’m sort of antisocial or something.”  
Antisocial, I thought sarcastically. Yeah. That’s the problem.  
“But, anyway, Ella wanted to walk with me, and I was stunned,” Trixa continued. “I agreed, and she asked me how I felt about Pokemon. Of course, I told her how much I adored them, and loved them, and wanted to cuddle all the cute little Pokemon in the world, and travel the world to meet as many as I could! She told me that she was considering traveling as a Pokemon Trainer. She didn’t want to be one when she had turned ten, but she said that this year, she’d been considering it, but just wasn’t sure.”  
My mind wandered away from Trixa’s words for a moment and dwelled on Ella. Her eyes. They may have very well been my most favorite thing about her. I thought about them every time I thought about her, which was quite possibly every day. She could very well be the most beautiful girl on the face of the planet. A movement in the grass near me pulled me from my thoughts and made me turn around, but there was nothing to see but trees and grass.  
“She’s only two years older than I am,” Trixa went on. “My mom and dad and five year old brother waited with me and Ella for a cab at Mistralton City and give me kisses and hugged me. I got to meet Ella’s dad, too. He was there to say goodbye to her. Ella and I traveled in the taxi for about three hours before we reached Nuvema Town.”  
Silence greeted us as Trixa finished her words.  
“I wonder where she went to,” I said in a low voice.   
“She’s pretty cute, eh, Gary?” June smiled widely, nudging me in my ribs lightly with her elbow.  
“Huh?” I cried out, feeling my face getting hot. “I dunno. What? What? What? I don’t know! I wasn’t looking!”  
“That’s rather rude to not look at someone when they’re talking to you,” Trixa mentioned innocently, staring at me. “Ella and you were talking together. You should have looked at her. I think you ought to apologize the next time you see her.”  
I frowned at her and looked away. “Yeah, sure,” I muttered, extremely embarrassed by the bizarre turn this conversation had taken. As we continued to walk, and I could feel June’s eyes on me, knowing she was smiling.  
Trixa looked around her surroundings, gazing at the many trees and the grass crunching beneath our feet.  
A strong gust of wind blew against us, making it a little bit harder to move forward.  
“Weeeeeeeee!” Trixa exclaimed, and started spinning against the wind, moving forward into it, her arms extended.  
June and I stopped at the same time and watched as Trixa spun around in a happy daze, her eyes closed and mouth wide in a happy smile.  
“Should we do something?” June asked quietly.  
“Yeah,” I nodded, and pulled out the Town Map, scanning it quickly. “If we head back to Accumula Town, we can take a detour that leads to a place called Minousse Town.”  
“Huh?” June said, turning to me in confusion.  
“From there, we can get to Rastail Town, and then there’s a Gym in the city right after that called Mixance City. I can try for my first Badge there against-”  
“Gary!” June said angrily, pushing me hard. “We are not ditching her! How horrible do you think she’d feel if her only friends left her like that? Didn’t you just hear her story?”  
We turned to Trixa, who was getting further ahead of us, still spinning around, flailing her arms.  
“She probably won’t even remember us, I’ll bet!” I reasoned. “Besides, Ella’s still her friend, right?”  
“Your little crush?” June teased with a sly grin.  
“She isn’t even that cute! Get over it, idiot!” I snapped.  
She snickered and turned to Trixa, who was getting further and further away. “We have to go after her before she gets hurt!”  
“And?” I asked. “Ow!” I cried out as June slapped me in the back of my head.  
Before June and I could move to go after Trixa, something flew out from the trees near her.   
The bird looked over and cried out in surprise, getting smacked by one of Trixa’s spinning hands, and it collapsed to the ground.  
Trixa stopped spinning and looked down at it in shock, her hands rising to cover her mouth as she looked down at the bird with wide eyes.  
“Hey!” I shouted as June gasped, and we ran together, stopping near the little pigeon. “Wait! It’s a Pokemon?” I pulled out my Pokedex.  
Pidove. The Tiny Pigeon Pokemon. This Pokemon is sometimes described as hard to raise to due to their habit of being forgetful.  
“Oh, no!” Trixa knelt down next to the bird. “Are you okay?”  
Pidove’s eyes opened and it hopped up. It flapped its wings and rose into the air, crying out loudly at us. Its wings flapped harder and a strong gust of wind blew us all back onto our backs.  
“He’s using Gust attack!” June shouted as dust and dirt flew into my eyes.  
Trixa was screaming.  
I covered my face with my hands. If only I had my Pokemon with me.  
The Gust ended and the three of us looked up as Pidove flew away, down the path.  
“We can’t let him get away!” I got to my feet. “Come on!”  
Trixa nodded with determination. “Pansear, after it!” She threw her Poke Ball and Pansear came flying out.  
It soared into the air and grabbed a tree branch, swinging skillfully from branch to branch while the three of us followed it.  
“Pansear, knock it down with Fury Swipes!”  
Pansear swung from the branch it had grabbed and soared through the air.  
Pidove looked behind him and shouted out as he saw Pansear raise its glowing paws and swipe at him several times, forcing him to the ground.  
“Now, Paralyze it with Lick attack!” Trixa ordered.  
Pansear stuck out its tongue and repeatedly licked Pidove’s face.  
Pidove twisted his body repeatedly and struggled underneath Pansear.  
After several seconds of licking, Pansear stopped and turned to Trixa. It shook its head. “Pansear! Pan!”  
“Huh?” Trixa cocked her head at Pansear.  
“I think Pidove might be resistant to that move,” June said, pointing at the Pokemon. “Check out his type.”  
Trixa pulled out her Pokedex and scanned Pidove.  
Pidove. The Tiny Pigeon Pokemon. They live near cities and are accustomed to civilization with humans. Their cries can get overwhelmingly loud in a group. This Pokemon is of the Normal and Flying type.  
“There you go,” June nodded. “Normal types resist Ghost moves like Lick attack.”  
“Ooohh… Well, then-”  
Pidove struggled hard and managed to get Pansear off of him. In a flash of bright light, Pidove flew at Pansear and knocked it over.  
“Quick Attack!” I pointed as Pidove flew into the air and used the move again.  
He flew down and tackled Pansear just as it was getting to its feet.  
Pansear growled and got back up.  
Trixa looked down at her Pokedex. “Leer!” She didn’t take her eyes off of the Pokedex.  
Pansear used Leer, causing Pidove to flap his wings hard as he backed away from Pansear.  
Pidove suddenly used Leer, too, causing Pansear to cry out and back up. Pidove then soared at Pansear once more with Quick Attack, forcing the red hot monkey to its back.  
“Pansear, use your Incinerate, now!” Trixa begged.  
Pansear hopped up and attacked, catching Pidove with a stream of fire that surrounded his body as he soared into the sky.  
Pidove screamed and finally fell hard.  
“Yes!” Trixa said happily.  
“Good one,” I approved.  
Pidove let out a low, tired coo, getting back up, and flapped his wings, ascending into the air.  
Pansear was breathing heavily now, staring up at Pidove.  
Both Pokemon looked exhausted.  
“Pansear, Scratch attack!” Trixa pushed on.  
Pansear inhaled deeply and ran for Pidove, leaping at him and swiping hard.  
Pidove fell back, rolling along the grass, and finally came to a stop on his stomach.  
Trixa clapped happily and then reached into her skirt pocket, pulling out a Poke Ball. She hesitated, and then, to my surprise, turned to me. “Here,” she said, holding her Poke Ball out to me.  
I stared at it in surprise. “Huh? What are you doing?”  
“Well, I don’t wanna catch it. You do it!” Trixa took a step closer to me. “You don’t have any of your Pokemon with you. Have one!” She smiled.  
I couldn’t help but smile back. Her smile had captivated me. “No!” I snapped out of my daze, shaking my head, and scowled. “That’s your Pokemon, not mine! You capture it!”  
“No. This is for you,” Trixa insisted. “You can’t compete in the Unova League without earning your Badges. You already missed out on your first Badge at Accumula Town. You’re only going to be able to compete with me at Striaton City if you capture a Pokemon.” She grabbed my hand with her free hand and placed the Poke Ball in it, and then she got behind me and pushed me forward. “Do it!”  
I felt chills at her touch, my gaze on the Pidove.  
Pidove flinched as he started to get over the pain of the battle he was just in.  
My time was up. It was now or never.  
I pressed the button of the Poke Ball and it grew in my hand. “Poke Ball! GO!” I threw it as hard as I could at Pidove.  
Pidove’s eyes opened and the Poke Ball slammed into his head, causing him to squawk sharply.  
The Poke Ball opened and a red beam pulled Pidove inside.   
As the Poke Ball hit the ground, the center button glowed red and it shook.  
My fists were tight at my sides.  
The Poke Ball shook some more.  
It shook a couple more times before…  
PING!  
“WHOA! NO WAY!” I cried with excitement. “We did it! HA!” I turned around and smiled broadly at Trixa.   
Trixa looked up from the Poke Ball and into my eyes, beaming right back.  
I pulled her into a tight hug, rocking her from side-to-side. “Thank you so much!”  
“Aaaawww!” Trixa giggled, though she didn’t return my hug. “Sure thing, Gary! You can be nice, after all!”  
My tight hug loosened around her a bit and my smile vanished.  
June giggled behind her, staring at me.  
I released Trixa and smiled again. This was simply amazing. My very first Pokemon in Unova would be a Pidove. I could use him to catch other Pokemon and win Badges! I turned to the Poke Ball and was ready to take a step towards it and retrieve my Pokemon, but a rustle in the grass made me stop.  
“What was that?” June asked, turning to the noise.   
“Is it another Pokemon?” Trixa asked. “After that last battle, I think maybe June should help you capture your second Pokemon. My Pansear needs a rest, and Tepig’s all I’ve got left!” She returned her Pansear to its Poke Ball.  
We all waited, but the only thing to be heard was the wind blowing cool air at us. The only thing to be seen was the grass moving to the desire of the sharp, blowing air, the dead leaves on the ground rustling and rolling around our feet, the branches in the trees shaking, the live leaves whistling.  
I took a careful step towards the Poke Ball and then froze, my heart pounding hard, and then I took another step, paused again, and looked around.  
Nothing out of the ordinary occurred.   
The wind blew up again, dirt and leaves flying up, and I closed my eyes, feeling them tear up as something got in them. I wiped at them for a moment, trying to clear them out, and opened my eyes, squinting now as they continued to tear a little bit, blinking, something stinging as I stared at the Poke Ball. Another step closer, and then another, and soon after that, I took a few more steps. Bending down, my hand outstretched towards the Poke Ball, my hand closed around it, and a smile spread on my face, my heart beating fast. My mouth opened to cry out my joy. “I…AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!”  
Something dark leaped out at me with a catlike screech.  
I reached my arms up to protect myself as I shrieked and felt the sharp sting of pain on my right arm as the creature attacked me. The pain caused me to scream even louder as I fell.  
Trixa and June screamed.  
My arm stung painfully as I cowered, the Poke Ball still held in my hand tightly. What is that? I wondered, my arm throbbing.  
Something was on the ground.  
As I lowered my arm, I saw something heart wrenching laying there.   
It was a cat. It cried out in a low purr, breathing painfully hard. Its ears were coated in blood. The body of the poor animal looked beaten, fur missing in several places as if it had been under some kind of horrible attack it just barely managed to escape from. Its body was mostly purple. There were parts that were tan, but with the blood and skin patches showing, it was impossible to tell if that was a part of its natural coloration or not. One of its eyes was closed, swollen, and blackened. Its tail was twisted in an awkward manner, looking mangled. One of its back paws was twisted and clearly broken, facing outward, the bone still inside of the flesh but poking up underneath it.  
“What in the world…?” My heart was in my throat as I swallowed and approached the animal. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I knelt down and stared at it, only about two feet away, and reached out gently towards its face.  
“Gary! Don’t!” I heard June shriek.  
I froze, and before I could turn to face June, something much larger leaped from the grass and trees with a sharp screech, tackling me and forcing me onto my back. I screamed in terror in the face of a large feline.  
Its face remained just an inch away from mine, its sharp claws digging into my shoulders, growling, its breath coming out strongly onto my face, smelling of something wet, humid, and foul. The animal’s deadly sharp fangs bared at me, coated in saliva, a thin line of bubbles on its gums and between its fangs.  
My breathing was rapid, but I tried not to breathe on the animal’s face. I didn’t want to upset it anymore than it already was. I guess I shouldn’t have tried to touch that other cat, I realized. They must be related. They look similar. One is just noticeably larger than the other. Besides that, they are pretty close in resemblance. These two things must be Pokemon. This large cat could be the evolved form of the smaller one. It must be.  
Suddenly, the creature looked away from me and let out a loud screech.  
Hearing June and Trixa’s screams, I turned my head to see Trixa with her arms around June’s waist, her face filled with terror, and June with her bag on the ground, a Poke Ball in her hand, ready to throw it, but instead she was frozen with a look of horror on her face.  
The beast on top of me screeched a terrifying cry again, and June wrapped her arms around Trixa, shivering with fear.  
What Pokemon is this? I wondered as I trembled beneath it. Why is it attacking me? What’s wrong with the little one?  
The smaller cat Pokemon uttered a mournful call, causing the larger cat on top of me to turn to it. It then turned back to me and growled before slowly backing off of me, and I noticed that something was wrong with its right back leg because it hobbled on it as it made its way over to the little kitten, nuzzling its nose against it and licking its face gently.  
I shook all over as I slowly pushed myself up, the huge cat immediately looking at me as I moved. I froze. There wasn’t a sound made for a long while.  
My arm was still throbbing painfully, but I ignored it in this terrifying situation.  
The large feline made a series of screeching noises at me, saying its name repeatedly in the process, a ferocious look on its face the entire time. It made these scary noises for a couple of minutes before going into a growling state, and finally, silence.  
I didn’t take my eyes off it, having no clue what it wanted.  
“No,” I heard a frightened voice whisper.  
I turned to the voice and saw June shaking her head, her eyes filled with tears, both her and Trixa still holding onto each other.   
The big cat turned to June and growled.  
The small kitten twitched and moaned.  
“That little kitten,” I said in a shaky, low voice, grabbing the larger cat’s attention.  
“No, Gary,” June’s voice quaked. She spoke in a louder, stronger tone, but it was still coated in fright.  
“Huh?” I turned to her as the huge cat turned to June again and let out a shrill, angry cry.  
“That’s a Liepard,” June said, pulling Trixa in closer to her. “That mean looking thing is a Liepard, otherwise known as the Cruel Pokemon. That other thing is his pre evolved form, Purrloin, also known as the Devious Pokemon. They’re both Dark type Pokemon and it’s common knowledge in Unova not to trust either one of them.”  
My mouth dropped open hearing June’s words and I turned to the two Pokemon.  
The Liepard was still growling at June.  
Purrloin was motionless on the ground.  
“That Liepard wants your help,” June said, still shaking her head. “He claims that his baby was beaten by a group of Pokemon Trainers trying to capture her. He claims he protected his child, but was distracted when one of the kids used a powerful Pokemon against him. While battling this Pokemon, the other kids got around him and began chasing his child. The Pokemon he was battling blocked his path and made it impossible for him to get to his Purrloin. Only, at this point, they didn’t want to capture Purrloin. They now planned on attacking her. They beat her with thick sticks and stomped on her, tossed her about, and seemed intent on killing her. He managed to defeat the opposing Pokemon and scare off the kids with a powerful Hyper Beam attack, and for the past two days, he has been seeking help. According to that thing, we’re the first travelers he’s come by, and he’s begging for assistance from us. He claims his own leg is injured as well from the fight with that Pokemon they used against him.”  
I stared at Liepard, and then down at the poor little Purrloin, my eyes tearing up quickly.   
Purrloin wasn’t moving, remaining facedown.  
“Of course we’ll help you!” I got to my feet. “OUCH!” I grabbed my arm, which only made it hurt even more and I grit my teeth tightly, groaning. It had several cuts in it and blood was showing on my skin, but it wasn’t running yet. I turned back to Liepard. “Of course we’ll help you. We can take you and your baby to Striaton City and help you both at the Pokemon Center there.”  
“NO!” June ran and glared at me, looking into my eyes.   
“Excuse me?” I said in confusion.  
“We have to get out of here, away from those things!” June demanded.  
My eyes bulged out in shock at her. “What do you mean?”  
“We are not trusting those two! Did you not hear what I said about them? Devious and Cruel Pokemon! They’re not to be trusted! I know about these two Pokemon already, Gary! Just ask your Pokedex!”  
“I don’t need to check my Pokedex to know that the Purrloin is in need of help from us!” I screamed at her. “Have you lost your mind?! Look at it!”  
June and I looked past the growling Liepard and over at the Purrloin.  
One of her blood soaked ears twitched.  
I gasped. “Come on! We have to help her!” I stepped towards Purrloin.  
“I said no!” June said in a strong, angry tone that I wasn’t used to her using, and she grabbed my shoulder, holding me back.  
“What has gotten into you?” I said, looking at her in disgust.   
Purrloin. The Devious Pokemon. This Pokemon puts on a cute act with its adorable looks to distract people and make off with their belongings. Even when it is caught doing so, it manages to get away with it by giving its cute stare.

Liepard. The Cruel Pokemon and Purrloin’s evolved form. People are attracted to its beautiful fur and strong, alluring form. They are merciless on their enemies and prefer sneaky attacks.  
“Turn that damn thing off!!” I barked at Trixa.  
Trixa cried out and put her Pokedex away, stumbling away from me.  
“I don’t need to know their damn data!!” I raged before turning to June. “These two Pokemon are in pain! That’s all I know and all I care about.”  
“You can’t trust these Pokemon! Gary, just listen to me!” June pleaded, gripping both of my shoulders now.  
I shook my shoulders hard, freeing myself from her. “Get off of me! I can’t believe you would say such a thing like this! Are you reading these Pokemon? Is this what you’re picking up from them?”  
June shook her head. “I can’t read past what a Pokemon is telling me. I told you exactly what they’re telling me. I just don’t believe him. These Pokemon are untrustworthy. Don’t listen to them!”  
I felt sick just looking at June now. “How can you say such a thing? These two are in obvious pain and even by reading them, you know they’re in pain, but you’re going to go listen to some stupid fears put into a Pokedex and judge the fate of this little Purrloin’s life on that?!”  
“Gary, we’re gonna end up with all of our stuff missing and maybe seriously injured!” June argued. “I am not taking that thing anywhere! They’re both fine! I’m sure of it!”  
“There’s no way you can misread that Purrloin! JUST LOOK AT THE POOR THING!!”  
“They put up a good act, I admit! But that is all it is! These things are notorious for this kind of stuff!”  
“Raikou is notorious for not trusting humans, but you think it attacked Kiwi in self defense!”  
“Don’t you bring that up right now, Gary!”  
“It’s the same exact thing!!”  
“It is not!!”  
“You’re right! At least the reason for your stupid trust in Raikou is based on what you claim you read from the thing! In this case, you can read the pain on these Pokemon, but you’re still being an idiot!!”  
“I am not traveling with that thing, Gary!”  
“Then get away from us, because I’m taking Purrloin and Liepard to Striaton City for help!” I stormed past June and placed Pidove’s Poke Ball on my belt as I got closer to Liepard.  
Liepard looked into my eyes, his teeth bared, growling loudly at me as I neared him.  
“Liepard, Striaton City is really close by,” I explained. “Allow me to take Purrloin and yourself there. Is this okay?”  
Liepard looked over to Purrloin.  
The poor kitten’s body twitched and she let out a weakened moan, her voice low, light, and causing my heart to beat even harder as I worried about the future of the Pokemon, knowing time was running out.  
Liepard looked over at me and nodded, still warning me with his strong, deadly teeth showing.  
I nodded back. “Trust me, Liepard. We’ll get there safely.” I moved closer to Purrloin and bent down. Carefully, I reached out and touched the injured Pokemon.  
Purrloin wailed loudly in pain, her head turning sharply away from me.  
Liepard hissed at me, arching his back, and then screamed out as he collapsed on his left back leg.  
“It’s okay!” I turned to Liepard, holding my hands up, my entire body shaking hard. “Just let me pick her up!” I reached down again and gently touched her, causing her to yell out.  
Liepard remained on the ground from his hurt leg, but he hissed at me again.  
I lifted Purrloin up and she struggled in my hands, groaning and squirming. Quickly, I cradled her in my arms, adjusting her body as best as I could to make it as comfortable as possible for her.  
Purrloin’s mangled tail hung at a strange angle from my arm. She stopped struggling and laid still, her eyes closed, breathing heavily. The blood from her body started to smear on my skin.  
This Pokemon is in critical condition, I thought to myself. This isn’t an act.  
“Gary,” June said, shaking her head. “This is a setup. I will not be going along with you if you’re going to take them, too. I refuse! I absolutely refuse!”  
I stared at June, her words stunning me. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing from her.   
June stared back at me, her arms crossed in front of her chest, a serious look on her face.  
I squinted at her in disbelief and shook my head. Without another word, I walked away from June, continuing down the path towards Striaton City.  
Liepard growled at June before following after me.  
“Oh, really?” June angrily shouted after me. “FINE! You’ve made your choice!! I’m out of here, then!”  
I ignored June, walking through Route 2, Purrloin in my arms, Liepard hobbling along beside me.  
“Hmph!” I heard June storm away in the opposite direction.  
“Wait! Please! Can’t we just…” I heard Trixa start to beg, but then she stopped.   
Purrloin moaned in my arms, twitching, her eyes closed so tightly, shivering in my arms, curling and uncurling her body in pain.  
“It’s okay, Purrloin,” I whispered. “You and your dad will be just fine, really soon. It’s okay, now. It’s going to be okay.”  
Purrloin curled up against my shirt, getting blood all over it, and her front paws reached out and grabbed onto my shirt as she let out a painful screech.  
I held Purrloin closer to me, my eyes overflowing in tears. “It must hurt so badly,” I said gently to her. “Your dad is right here, though. You’re in safe care. You’re going to come out of this just fine, Purrloin. You’re so strong. Hang in there, please. We’re so close.”  
Hurried footsteps from behind me caused me and Liepard to stop and turn around.  
“Gary!” Trixa called, a concerned look on her face. She ran up to us. “I hate fighting. I really do. But I don’t know why June would say such horrible things about Purrloin. I mean, they’re both obviously hurt!”  
I shrugged and turned around, continuing my walk, Liepard following me. “Screw her. She never was the brightest one, and her ability to read Pokemon has been questionable at times. I don’t know how she can claim to read Pokemon but think that these two are lying. Forget about her. We’re on our own, now. And even after we get these two to Striaton City and they’re healed, she isn’t welcome back anymore. She turned her back on us. It was her decision.”  
Trixa’s footsteps crunched along behind us. “I really hate confrontation,” she said in a low, sad voice. “I wish she didn’t leave us.”  
“Whatever,” I muttered.  
The four of us continued in silence other than Purrloin’s pleading cries and moans in my arms as she turned around, flinched, winced, and stretched, every movement bringing out a desperate call for help from her throat.  
Liepard kept his eyes on Purrloin, looking away every so often to check the path we were on, but for most of the walk, his eyes remained on his baby.  
My arm was throbbing urgently, but I didn’t pay any attention to it. After a little while, I could see that the trees and grass surrounding our walk were ending, and something was up ahead. “Hey! I think Striaton must be right up ahead!” I started to run past Liepard and Trixa to get a better view from the top of a nearby hill. I had only gotten a few feet before the grass began to rustle.  
Trixa gasped.  
I froze and turned to the sound.  
Liepard let out a sharp hiss in the direction of the noise.  
The grass nearby shook harder as something made its way from the trees, closer to us.  
Purrloin started to squirm and whine.  
I held her closer to me, a bad feeling arising in my chest. What is that? I wondered, thoughts flying through my mind rapidly as fear filled my body. Who is that? Could it be the Trainers who attacked Purrloin and Liepard? Could it be the setup June warned me about?   
Liepard let out another hissss, louder and longer this time.  
I turned to him as he continued to stare in the direction of the rustling grass, unsure of what the noise he was making meant. Maybe June was right, I began to fear.  
Purrloin’s left eye suddenly opened, the swollen right eye remaining closed, and she looked right into my eyes, making me gasp in shock.  
Oh, no, I realized.


	8. More Than Meets The Liepard Part 2 Of 2

My arm throbbed painfully as I held the beaten, bruised, bloody Purrloin in my arms.  
She looked up at me with her green eye, wide with concern, her other eye closed, swollen shut.   
I looked down at her in shock.  
This was the first time her eye had opened.  
Liepard let out her voice sharply towards the trees.  
“What’s going on?” Trixa cried.  
The grass rustled as the being maneuvered itself closer to us.  
“Who’s there?” I called determinedly as I felt Purrloin whine and kick in my arms, my heart beating with fear at what might show itself.  
The being stepped out from between two trees and stared at us before quickly looking away.  
“June!” I uttered.  
“Hey, look! It’s June again!” Trixa clapped happily.   
Liepard’s eyes tightened on June, but he didn’t make any noise.  
“June! We don’t have time for your stupidity!” I snapped. “Just get away from us! We’re trying to get to Striaton City!”  
“Well, I still have to get my credit card from there, too!” she shot back.  
“Whatever,” I said moodily, and turned away from her.  
“Besides, I-” June started.  
“Puuuuurrrrr…” Purrloin moaned in a weak voice. Her eyes were closed in pain, and when her good eye opened again, it were layered with a film of water as it glimmered sadly up at me. Her eye began to close again, just barely open. She appeared to be losing consciousness.  
“We have to go!” I ran past June, away from Trixa, Liepard hobbling quickly after me. At the top of the hill, I stopped to see a large city beneath me. “It’s here!” I immediately ran towards the city.  
Striaton City was filled with tall buildings, short buildings, skinny buildings, wide buildings, short little apartment buildings reaching only three stories high, and fancier buildings, some with flags on the front of them. The streets were littered with trash. The air changed noticeably from the freshness of trees to the aroma of a bustling city, busy people, and light pollution. A few cars occupied the streets, while the sidewalk was occupied by the youth as kids and young teenagers ran by us, laughing, pushing each other, and standing around casually. It was a mix of rough grit and sleek, eye catching appeal.  
As I ran by with a bleeding Pokemon in my arms and a hobbling Pokemon running behind me, trying to locate the Pokemon Center, several people in the streets stopped to stare at me, gasping and crying out, pointing at me. A couple of cars screeched to a halt and honked at me, but I ignored everything and everyone, running hard, pounding the pavement, trying to find help.  
“Hey!” a voice yelled out, but I didn’t turn to it or stop.  
A hand grabbed my shoulder suddenly.  
“Get off of me!” I barked, turning to see a short man who was just about my height, with a beefy stature, wearing blue jeans and a zipped up black jacket.   
The man gave me a serious look, the black iris in his eyes like ink as he nodded with his head across the street.  
I turned and noticed the huge building immediately. “Thank you!” I said to the man, and looked both ways before running across the street, dashing towards the building of the Pokemon Center.  
Several people sat in the lobby, talking in separate groups with each other, while one girl sat alone.  
Nurse Joy sat behind a large counter.  
Everyone’s attention turned to me as I ran up to Nurse Joy, the whispers loud and clear.  
Nurse Joy stood up immediately and stepped from around her counter. “Oh, my goodness!” Her face was in complete disbelief at the Purrloin in my arms, briefly turning to the Liepard before returning to the smaller cat. “What happened to this poor Purrloin?”  
“It was beaten by some people trying to capture it, Nurse Joy,” I explained as Purrloin squirmed in my arms, moaning loudly. “Her and her parent, Liepard.”  
“Audino, this is an emergency!” Nurse Joy turned in distress at Liepard.  
Liepard cried out and collapsed to the floor, breathing hard.  
I turned as the front doors opened, and June and Trixa came running in.  
Trixa ran up to me, but June stayed behind, watching the scene with disapproval.  
The electronic doors in the back opened and a pair of Audino wheeled out a stretcher, walking on either side of it.  
Nurse Joy carefully took the Purrloin from me. Purrloin screeched longly in agony and Nurse Joy placed her down gently on the stretcher.  
The pair of Audino wheeled the screaming Purrloin through the back doors.  
Another Audino came out with a stretcher and stopped near Liepard.  
Nurse Joy and Audino slowly lifted Liepard up and placed him on his side on the new stretcher.  
Liepard lifted his head and let out a purr before lowering his head back down and closing his eyes.  
“It’s okay, now,” I told Liepard as Audino wheeled him to the back.  
“And now, may you please follow me?” Nurse Joy asked me firmly.  
“Me?”  
She nodded. “You’re in need of some help as well.” She pointed at the floor.  
I looked down and saw my blood coated arm dripping all over the floor. “Oh! My cut!”  
Nurse Joy nodded. “We have to treat this as well.” She smiled and led the way towards the same doors the Pokemon were taken through.

*

“This isn’t the time nor the place,” I said to June irritably. “I’m not going to leave those two until I know they’re both okay. You, on the other hand, can get away from me.”  
“I know you’re upset, but that doesn’t mean I’m wrong,” June insisted sharply.  
“I said get away from me. I don’t know why you came back in the first place.”  
“I told you I need my card.”  
“Fine. Then get it and then get away from me.” I stood up to walk away from her.  
“Gary, ask anyone in Unova and they’ll tell you the same thing about them!” June got to her feet and followed me.  
I whipped around quickly and took a threatening step towards June, making her inhale quick and back up a couple of feet. “Can you read Pokemon?” I demanded.  
“Y-yes,” she stammered.  
“Did you see any reason not to trust them?”  
“It doesn’t work like that, Gary!” June insisted more nervously. “A Pokemon can lie, you know! I’m not psychic! I only know what I’m told!”  
“You can’t go around judging Pokemon like that, June!” I screamed.  
“Gary, I know this. I just…”  
I felt the eyes on us and realized I needed to either keep my tone down, or just leave the Pokemon Center. There was no way I was leaving, so I took a deep breath and sat down in one of the chairs against the wall in a corner in front of a table.  
June followed after me hesitantly, Trixa staying where the three of us had been sitting just a moment ago, remaining in her seat by the window, staring sadly outside.  
I had taken a shower and changed my clothes in the back after Nurse Joy had looked me over. She wrapped my arm up in gauze and I returned to the lobby while she and the Audino cared for Purrloin and Liepard.  
“Pokedex data is just an assumption,” I said calmly to June as she took a seat opposite me. “Or better yet, a generalization. It doesn’t define all Pokemon, June. It just tells the natural traits of them. You act as if it’s impossible that a Purrloin and Liepard could have gotten beaten up and needed help.”  
“It’s not impossible, I know. This just isn’t sitting right with me. I read their honesty. I read their need for help. But-”  
“Then the discussion is closed!” I said a little too loudly. I took a couple of deep breaths before speaking more softly. “Once you get your stupid card from Nurse Joy, I’m asking you to leave.”  
“What?” June whispered loudly, looking at me like I was crazy.  
“You actually wanted to abandon a pair of Pokemon,” I told her, shaking my head. “Badly injured Pokemon. I can’t be friends with someone like you. You have to go.”  
“Gary, I would have told Nurse Joy about those two Pokemon when we got here!” June pleaded. “She could have sent the police or something to get them. I wouldn’t have just abandoned them like that! I just didn’t want them with us!”  
Something flipped in the back of my mind. The wrong switch. I shook my head. “I can’t stand to look at you any longer,” I admitted. “Don’t follow me anymore. Just get away from me before I lose my cool with you. I’m not moving this time. Get your disgusting face... person!... away from me before I throw up!”  
June’s face scrunched up in dramatically at my words and her eyes filled with tears. She quickly covered her face and ran from the Pokemon Center.  
I had no regrets. That’s what I wanted to believe, but a painful feeling in my chest was telling me otherwise. I was furious with June, and to make my point clear that I didn’t want her traveling with me anymore, I had said something unnecessarily mean, and I knew it. But at least she left. Knowing she was the kind of person who could leave a clearly injured, dying Pokemon like that did make me feel nauseous being around her. I crossed my arms in front of me on the table and gently rested my head on them, closing my eyes. My last vision before I fell asleep was Trixa, who was staring at the floor, looking sadder than ever.

*

“I’ll never get used to this kind of food,” Trixa complained. “My mom’s food is so much better. Even takeout is better than this.”  
I mumbled something and nodded, not really paying attention.  
“Is the Pokemon Center food in Kanto this bad, too?” she asked me.  
“It’s alright,” I muttered.  
“So, it’s better?”  
“Yeah, sure,” I said quickly.   
“I should maybe ask my parents if I can visit Kanto one day. Is it like Unova?”  
“Sort of.”  
“Have you been to any other regions?”  
“Not really.”  
Trixa and I were in the cafeteria of the Pokemon Center, Trixa eating dinner.  
Nurse Joy had informed me that Purrloin and Liepard would be fine, but it could take weeks before they recovered and were ready to be released back into the wild.  
I didn’t care if it took months. I’d wait for them to be let out. I may even wait years if I had to. Those Pokemon suffered at the hands of humans. Their trust might be diminished. I’d show them that we can’t be defined by the actions of a small group. Just like I wouldn’t judge all Purrloin or Liepard by the actions of some of them, like June had done.  
June hadn’t come back in the several hours since she had run out of the Pokemon Center.  
I skipped lunch since I had no appetite, Trixa leaving me in the lobby to go downstairs and eat before returning and taking a seat next to me.  
She had immediately begun talking about how terrible the lunch was, and then inquired about going to the Striaton Gym.  
I told her she could go if she wanted, but I was going to stay around for Liepard and Purrloin, so she chose to stay for a while, too. This resulted in her talking about a slew of random things from movies she wanted to see, to how different her life was now, to her days in school, to the games her parents would play with her, to her favorite cereals, to the kinds of leaves she used to love eating until she accidentally ate a poisonous leaf and got really sick, influencing her to not eat leaves anymore…  
I only went downstairs for dinner with Trixa because Nurse Joy had told me that the two Pokemon were going to be okay, but I still had no appetite. My main concern was Purrloin and Liepard and making sure I was around for them both, available for anything Nurse Joy had to tell me about them. I didn’t eat. I just sat with Trixa while she ate and talked, trying to ignore the pain of my arm where I’d been attacked by Purrloin.  
We had gone back upstairs and were sitting together on a long bench against the wall, the lobby occupying only two other people who were sitting apart from each other, seeming to be waiting for something as they looked around, bored.  
Nurse Joy and her Audino were in the back, still taking care of the Pokemon, including Trixa’s and my new Pokemon, which we gave to Nurse Joy when she came out earlier to tell me that Purrloin and Liepard would be fine.  
Hours passed by as I began to dwell on what I had been through so far. My escape from Pallet. Leaving Charizard behind. My Porygon-Z going missing. Meeting Ella and Trixa...  
Ella… Beautiful, gorgeous, perfect… I ran out of words as I thought about her, remembering her smile, her outfit, her shape, her eyes... There were only but so many words that I knew to describe her, but whatever other words there were out there that fit her, I longed to know them just because they defined her. My eyes began to close as my thoughts focused on Ella. Where is she right now? Is she thinking about me at all? Has she thought of me even once? Would she even remember my name if we meet again? Would she even recognize me?  
“I wish me and my boyfriend could travel around the world like you two do,” Ella’s words repeated in my mind, and I sighed, reflecting on them.  
Suddenly, Trixa popped into my head wearing a blue jeans skirt and matching button up jacket, standing next to Ella, smiling her friendly smile, her eyes twinkling, brushing back her long, dark hair as she fluttered her eyes at me.  
The three of us stood in a strange area of complete blackness all around us.  
Trixa stepped up to me and handed me a Poke Ball. “Here you go, Gary. This is your Pokemon! Think nothing of it. Just take it!” She pulled me into a hug, and I gratefully hugged her as well, the sweet, sugary, fruit filled aroma of her hair surrounding me. After a long while, Trixa released me and took a step back, still smiling. “Go ahead! Send her out!”  
“Huh?” I held out the Poke Ball and a white beam sent out the Pokemon inside.  
“Puuuuurrrrrloin!” The Pokemon happily wagged her tail.  
“Purrloin! You’re okay!” I ran up to her and picked her up.   
All of her bruises and injuries were gone. There was no blood anywhere. She was in perfect health! Purrloin licked my face repeatedly.  
I looked over to Trixa. “This is… for me?”  
Trixa nodded happily. “You deserve her! You stuck by her side and made sure she was alright and got the help she needed. She’s yours.”  
“Trixa, thank you so much for this! I don’t know what to say!” My eyes teared up and I felt drops run down my cheeks.  
“Just say that you’ll travel with me and Ella together through Unova!” Trixa said eagerly. “Travel with us, and let’s be the best of friends! Forever!”  
“Okay! I agree!” I said with excitement, turning to Ella.  
Ella walked over to me, her black shorts above her knees, tight on her, a gray T-shirt reaching down to her hips. Her wrapped me in a hug and whispered in my ear, “I’m so glad to finally have a boyfriend who actually wants to travel with me.”  
I felt my legs getting weak to her words, quaking as her breath blew against my ear, my entire body quivering badly, my heart feeling like it had just exploded in my chest.  
Ella’s lips got closer to my cheek as they puckered towards them.  
Something grabbed my shoulder roughly and shook me hard. “Gary! Come on!”  
“Huh?” I gasped and turned to see June desperately shaking me. “June!”  
“Gary!” she said, rocking me roughly.  
BANG! BANG! BANG!  
“WHOA!” I opened my eyes and looked up into the eyes of June. “What the…?” That’s when I turned and noticed that I was laying down on the bench in the Pokemon Center, my head in the lap of Trixa! “YYYAAAAAHHHH!!!!” I sat up and moved away from her.  
“Good morning, Gary,” Trixa smiled. “Sleep well?”  
“What the hell was I doing in your lap?!” I moved away from her even further.  
Trixa smiled at me, but she didn’t seem to be aware of what was going on, a creepy, lost gaze in her twinkling eyes. “I don’t know! I just woke up and you were there! So I pet your hair like a little puppy and watched you sleep so peacefully. I told June and Nurse Joy not to wake you up, but June insisted that you had to find out what happened to your Town Map, and she woke you up rather rudely. Naughty, naughty, Juni.” Trixa scowled and waved her pointer finger at June as if she were scolding a child.  
“Wait, my Town Map?” I asked, patting my pockets. “Hey!” I stood up and pulled my pockets inside out, but it wasn’t there. Moving my injured arm so strongly caused it to sting badly, but I ignored it and grabbed my backpack and emptied it on the floor. I pushed the contents around, flipped around my clothes, unfolded them and shook them, but the Town Map wasn’t in my bag, either.  
“Gary, it’s not there,” June said, her voice shaking.  
I turned to her. “What are you talking about?” I yelled at her, standing up and taking a step towards her.  
June stepped back, swallowing with a grunt, fearfully, . “Th-th-they took it.”  
“Speak so I know what you’re talking about, June! What’s going on here??”  
“Purrloin. Liepard.” June paused. “They’re gone. They took your Town Map with them.”  
I stared at June with a mix of anger and confusion. “What do you mean they took my Town Map…?” I asked slowly.  
“Liepard and Purrloin ran off early this morning at around four,” Nurse Joy said from behind me.  
I turned around to face her, my glare softening. “What? I don’t understand,” I spoke with more concern and confusion than rage.  
“They took both of our Town Maps, although the video only shows them taking yours,” Trixa said, running her hand through her hair.  
“I can show you the video,” Nurse Joy offered, two of her Audino by her side with worried looks on their faces. “Although, to be honest, it doesn’t show very much at all other than them breaking out and running off with your Town Map.”  
I shook my head in disbelief. “That doesn’t make any sense! Purrloin was hurt badly! Liepard was hurt, too! There’s no way they could just run off like that!”  
“I told you, Gary!” June burst out angrily. “I told you they weren’t to be trusted! They were obviously faking! Total liars! They fooled you and ended up robbing you, just like I said!”  
I stared at June in shock, unable to reply.  
“No,” Nurse Joy spoke up. She shook her head. “Purrloin was very badly injured and could have died. Her skull was fractured, tail trampled on and mangled, her fur ripped out. There was no faking those injuries. Liepard’s back paw was also broken. How they got out, and more importantly, why, is unknown. They were in too much pain. I don’t understand what happened at all.”  
“Show me the video, please!” I demanded.  
Nurse Joy nodded. “This way.”  
I scooped all of my stuff back into my backpack quickly, and then June, Trixa, and I followed Nurse Joy through the doors in the back.

*

Liepard stood up from the counter he was on, a large white blanket underneath him, his right back leg wrapped up in white gauze. He stretched for a couple of seconds, arching his back, and then looked over at Purrloin, who was in a large capsule that looked identical to several others in the room they were in.  
An individual Pokemon laid in each one of these capsules which sat on a metal column which held a white blanket in it where the Pokemon rested comfortably, a clear, curved top covering them, keeping them inside. All of the Pokemon were asleep.  
Purrloin’s capsule top was open, her head wrapped in several rounds of gauze, her tail wrapped up completely, bandages across her body making ‘X’ signs all over her.  
Liepard leaped to the ground, landing near Purrloin’s capsule. He flinched in pain, baring his teeth as he stood up on his hind legs, his front paws on the blanket Purrloin was sleeping on, and he nuzzled her with his nose, immediately waking her up.  
Purrloin stood up and stretched, seeming to cry out in pain, though it couldn’t be heard since there was no sound on the video. She leaped quickly to the floor to join her dad. They both quickly ran from the room.  
Nurse Joy typed on the keyboard several times and the video shrunk to join numerous small screens, each one containing a video from one of several of the cameras throughout the Pokemon Center that was recording at that time. One of the screens increased and took over the screen as Nurse Joy typed feverishly.  
Liepard and Purrloin were now in the lobby.  
It was just me and Trixa there, the both of us sleeping, my head in her lap for some reason while she had her head tilted back against the wall, her mouth wide open.  
Purrloin watched as Liepard leaped onto the bench Trixa and I were sleeping on and dug through my jeans with her head, finally pulling something out with his teeth.  
My Town Map!  
Liepard leaped from the bench and ran swiftly for the doors. The doors opened, and Liepard looked back at Purrloin, nudging his head, urging her to follow him.  
Purrloin looked over to me and slowly crept over to the bench. She leaped on top of it and gently, carefully, crawled over to my sleeping face. Her paw gently touched my cheek and she gave it a small lick before turning to Liepard and leaped from the bench before running outside.  
Liepard took a look around the Pokemon Center, my Town Map still in his mouth, his eyes landing on the bench where Trixa and I were sleeping, and he froze for a moment. In the blink of an eye, he was gone.  
The doors closed shortly after.  
Nurse Joy pressed a button on the keyboard, pausing the video.  
Silence filled the room for the longest time. No one seemed to know what to say, or didn’t want to say what was on their mind.  
I had no idea how to interpret this video.  
“I wish there was more to it, but we have no idea where they went or why,” Nurse Joy finally spoke up. “The surveillance cameras in the city don’t cover the entire city. The ones that show any signs of Purrloin and Liepard aren’t very helpful. They just move too quickly. They are known for their speed. Trixa’s Town Map is also missing, so I think either Liepard or Purrloin may have snatched Trixa’s Town Map at a speed the camera couldn’t catch. You saw how quickly it vanished from the front door.”  
“They stole your valuable items, like I said,” June said quietly. “That’s what this was all about all along.”  
I turned to June angrily. “Oh, just shut it, will you?” I shouted. “They took a couple of Town Maps! They didn’t take my bag, or any of Trixa’s food! They only took our Town Maps! What the hell are they gonna do with Town Maps? They can’t read!”  
“They’re valuable items, Gary!” June argued, insisting on her point. “They could sell them to someone!”  
“To WHO?! And then what? Go to Vegas? Buy freaking catnip?? What the hell are a couple of animals gonna do with money, June??!”  
“Come on, you guys, please!” Trixa begged. “Don’t fight again.” Trixa grabbed my unharmed arm. “June came back. Please, I don’t want her to leave again. Let’s all just be friends, alright? Please? You can even lay in my lap again!” She smiled brightly.  
I yanked my arm away from her grip and shot her a dirty look. “No, thanks. I’ll pass,” I said grudgingly.  
Trixa looked down sadly.  
I turned back to June. “She licked me. Even Liepard seemed to be troubled by what he was doing. I can’t read Pokemon or anything, but it sure looked like they were showing some signs of remorse for what they were doing.”  
“But why were they doing it?” was the question June brought up.  
Why?  
That was the question we all wondered as the four of us looked at each other with not one idea as to the answer between us.


	9. A Recilant Cresst To Vicchili

I sighed, staring down in disappointment at my Town Map.  
Trixa, June, me, and Pidove, the Pokemon sitting on my left shoulder, walked under the sun.  
It wasn’t hot today, just sunny and windless. Striaton City was very calm. People walked by us, smiling and chatting with each other, enjoying the peaceful afternoon.  
Pidove cooed and turned his head around, looking at his surroundings.  
“I think that must be the Striaton Gym right there!” June said suddenly, pointing to the left of us.  
We all turned and saw the very wide, very tall, brown building with a curved roof across the street. Several arches were lined up in front of the building, made of gray concrete.  
I looked down at the Town Map and then squinted back up to the building. “Weren’t we just here the other day?” I asked.  
After what had occurred with Purrloin and Liepard a couple of days ago, June and I had managed to reconcile our problem with each other and she was once again traveling with us.  
Trixa was delighted by this and suggested we spend the day together and explore Striaton City. I tried to suggest we just continue going for our Badges, but Trixa vehemently disagreed, practically demanding we have a nice day out instead.  
June had gotten her credit card at the Pokemon Center and offered to take us all out to eat lunch and then later, dinner, all at her expense.  
I agreed to go, but I absolutely refused to eat on her dollar.  
Trixa surprised me by getting extremely angry and screaming that I was ruining the day by acting like that, so I agreed in order to calm her down.  
We then got through lunch at an amazing restaurant, explored the city, had a friendly introduction of June’s, Trixa’s, and my Pokemon, where June revealed that both Pidove and Pansear were both male, and we ended the day with a really delicious dinner at the same lunch spot. When we finally went back to the Pokemon Center that night, Nurse Joy had been kind enough to give me a paper Town Map she had lying around.   
I took it in dismay, but showed an appreciative face, though I couldn’t hold back the sigh that escaped my throat. A paper Town Map was better than no Town Map, but that electronic one was incredible! I wasn’t going to get the weather, time, and every last detail about every place in Unova from a piece of paper. The electronic one did things I hadn’t even figured out yet!  
The restaurant we ate at was definitely the building the four of us were staring at right now.   
“Yeah, we were,” June responded to my question. “But this is where it says it is.” She pointed at the Town Map.  
“Yeah, yeah, I see it,” I grumbled. “But it can’t be here.”  
“Well, where else could it be?” she asked.  
“Maybe the people in the restaurant know!” Trixa said. “Those three guys with the funny hair seemed pretty informative! And they had goofy names, too!” She laughed.  
“Oh, yeah,” I remembered. “What were their names again?” For some reason, their names seemed awfully familiar to me when they had introduced themselves to us, but I couldn’t figure out why.  
“I only remember the guy with the red hair,” Trixa giggled. “He was my favorite. I forgot the other two.”  
“One had blue hair, and the other one had green!” June smiled. “But, yeah, I forgot their names, too.”  
“Well, I’m not wasting their time with stupid questions,” I said. “Those three work really hard. They don’t have time for stupid inquires about Gyms.”  
“I’ll bet they’ll enjoy seeing us a third time, though,” Trixa said. “They were so friendly to us!”  
“Let’s just keep looking.” I was getting irritated and looked at the Town Map before scanning the area, looking at the buildings closest to us.  
None of them looked like Gyms. There were food stores, clothing stores, furniture stores, a bar, and a corner deli store, but nothing resembled a Gym.  
“Maybe this map is old or something,” I said in a low voice. “We should maybe walk around a bit. Do either of you remember seeing a Gym when we were exploring the-?” I stopped talking as I realized Trixa and June were gone. “Hey!” I called out when I saw they were both across the street, heading towards the restaurant. “Oh, come on!” I ran after them impatiently.  
Trixa and June were up to the doors by the time I had caught up with them, and they both pushed them open, stepping inside of the golden carpeted floor.  
I stepped in behind them and gazed around the familiar room.  
The walls were also gold, though a lighter shade, and had red lines near the top. A fireplace sat against the wall. Several tables occupied by a few people were covered in a large, white cloth, plates of food and cups of drinks on them, the people speaking in quiet tones amongst each other as they enjoyed their meals.   
I spotted the blue haired waiter first, across the room, a white cloth on his left arm. He looked up at us, his smile widening.   
“Welcome once again!” an urgent voice came from the left of us, making us all gasp in surprise.  
“Chili!” Trixa squealed.  
“It seems you just cannot stay away from the delectable pallet of food we have to offer here,” the green haired young man said with delight, appearing to our right, a white cloth on his right arm, taking us by surprise. “I insist that you all have a seat and make yourselves comfortable. We have quite the special on the menu today which we promise will leave you refreshed without the bloated feeling of a meal with too much to offer, and at a price that will leave you without fear of taking a second glance at the menu for seconds.”  
The three of us were ushered over to a table, and it seemed that we were practically forced to sit down.  
“Welcome back, friends,” the blue haired water suddenly appeared, placing a menu before each of us. He smoke in a much deeper, calmer tone. “What a delight to see you all here. I’m glad our food is satisfactory for your tastes. Might I start things off with a bottle of fresh water and a plate of soft biscuits, fresh from the oven? Or are you ready to order already? We have a special today in our lunch menu. We have a vegan based special, a southern based special, and a uniquely flavored seafood dish, specifically seasoned, that tends to appease to the ladies.” The man winked at Trixa and June.  
June giggled, lowering her eyes.  
Trixa smiled brightly, her eyes glued to Chili.  
I noticed the blue haired man staring at me, his hair covering one of his sea-blue eyes.  
“Huh?” Something about what he said, and how he was eyeing me, perplexed me.  
The man smiled and looked away.  
“If spice is geared more towards your desire, we also have a dish I’ll be making myself that is as flamboyant as it is filling,” Chili said to us, his red hair evidently not brushed, pointing up in the air. “It is a bit pricier, but once you try it, you’re challenged to say that the price and taste are not equal!”  
“I want that!” Trixa cried out loudly.  
“Wait!” I shouted.  
Everyone in the restaurant turned around to stare at us as complete silence filled the building.  
“If it sounds too pricey, we have plenty of other dishes to suggest,” Chili laughed lightly.  
I shook my head. “No, no, it’s not that! It’s just that, we didn’t come here to eat.”  
“Really?” Chili asked, his red eyes matching the other waiters’ as they widened.  
“I’m sorry,” I told them. “We loved your food, but today, we were trying to locate the Striaton Gym. The Town Map said it was in this area, but we can’t locate it. We were hoping that maybe you guys knew where it was. Well, actually…” I shot June and Trixa a dirty look. “Those two were wondering if you guys knew.”  
June looked away from me, a slightly bitter look on her face.  
Trixa looked up at Chili, nodding her head quickly, smiling eagerly.  
“Striaton Gym?” the blue haired man asked, staring at me.  
“Yeah. Me and Trixa were looking to battle the Gym Leaders.”  
The guests in the restaurant gasped and stared at us with eager smiles.  
My eyes widened in surprise. “What the…?”  
Chili snickered.  
The green haired man smiled, closing his green eyes. With a snap of his fingers, the lights dimmed drastically.  
The three men walked with their hands on their hips towards a fireplace against the wall, walking very professionally, specifically, haughtily.  
“Well, then, my guests, I shall happily grant your very wish!” the green haired man said as a light shined down on him from above and he swiftly turned around to us, pointing, and gave a wink.  
A few of the girls in the restaurant stood up and cried out as if their favorite celebrity had just walked in.  
Chili turned around as a light shined down on him from out of nowhere, winking. “I’m sure you’ll appreciate a battle as raw and intense, unforgiving and hot, as the sun in its afternoon peak.”  
A few more girls screamed out for Chili, a couple of guys in the back clapping and hooting eagerly.  
A light shined on the blue haired gentleman as he turned around and shrugged casually, his hands up in the air. “Their taste seems more geared towards a much more relaxed battle. One with a gentler flow and a cool, crisp, refreshing linger, like that of fresh water over ice in the middle of a summer day.”  
“This is incredible! Today, we get to watch a Gym battle!” a girl yelled over several cheers from a large group of girls. “I can’t believe my luck!”  
Suddenly, a light went off in my head! “HEEEEY! Chili! Your name was one of the names from the Town Map I had that told me about Striaton City’s Gym! You’re a Gym Leader! And that must mean…”  
“That’s right! We three are all the Gym Leaders of Striaton City! We are triplets, know as Cilan!” the green haired waiter introduced himself.  
“Cress!” the blue haired waiter bowed.  
“And of course, Chili!” Chili winked, raising a shaky fist.  
The entire restaurant erupted in the shrill shrieks from the girls, the hooting of the few guys here, and the gleeful applause of Trixa and June.   
“And now, it is show time!” the three brothers exclaimed, Cress opening his arms wide, Cilan with both hands in the air, and Chili down on one knee, his fists raised towards the fireplace as the light shining on them went away.  
The walls behind them suddenly spread apart from behind the fireplace, and the fireplace began to sink into the ground, taking June, me, Trixa, and Pidove by surprise. A white light shined from the new opening until the walls were far apart, and I gasped at the sight before me.  
“It’s a battlefield! You three really are the Gym Leaders! This is the Gym!” I exclaimed.  
“We tell no lies,” Cilan laughed lightly. “This is indeed the Striaton Gym, and we welcome you!”  
“Come on, let’s go get changed!” one of the girls gushed, and the entire crowd of diners ran down separate hallways in the back.  
“So, which of you will be challenging us?” Cilan asked with a gentle smile.  
I noticed Cress was staring at me again, his smile gone, his eye staring intently at me. His eye widened as he caught my stare and his smile returned.  
I kept my eyes on him, squinting at him in confusion.  
“Well, I won’t be battling,” June spoke.  
“Uh, yeah,” I said, looking away from Cress, facing Cilan. “It will just be me and Trixa. I guess if Trixa wants to goes first, she can.”  
“Yeah! I wanna battle Chili!” Trixa said, bumping me aside and jumping eagerly in front of him.  
Chili laughed happily. “Well, that will depend on who your Starter Pokemon was from the Unova region.”  
“Huh?” Trixa asked. “Oh, yeah. I remember now. You guys cheat and use the Pokemon type that has the advantage! Why is that?”  
The three brothers laughed.  
“It’s not that we are cheating,” Cress, who laughed the calmest and quietest, explained. “You see, we seek to teach, as is the duty of a Gym Leader. Our approach is perhaps just slightly different than some Gym Leaders. Usually, a Gym Leader is expected to be able to overcome their weakness in battle, so if a challenger brings Pokemon with a type advantage, the Gym Leader should still be able to combat that and give the opponent a good challenge. Our approach switches that role, so that the challenger must work his or her way around a disadvantage in type. We use this advantage to show that type is not a deciding factor in a battle. What’s more, we try to connect the bonds between Pokemon and Trainer by allowing them the chance to face a situation that can only be overcome by a close relationship and teamwork.”  
“Hmmm,” Trixa crossed her arms. “Sounds like an excuse to cheat, but I don’t mind. I’m here to win my second Badge with my Tepig! So does that mean I have to battle you?” A sad look came over her face.  
Cress nodded, maintaining his smile. “Yes, young lady. You’ll have to battle against me.”  
“Fine,” Trixa said with disappointment. “I’m sorry, Chili! I wanted to battle you!”  
Chili laughed heartily. “I’m sorry, too.”  
Hmm, I thought. How will I challenge these guys? I didn’t choose a Starter from Unova. I don’t even have my Kanto Starter! All I have is this little Pidove. I turned to Pidove, who looked back at me.  
Cilan turned to me. “If you’d like, you and June can watch from above with the others through the hallway! Perhaps June should take the hallway path to the left, where the girls are changing in the locker room, and Gary can take the one on the right, where the boys change. A set of stairs will lead you both upstairs and you can watch safely from there. Or, you’re welcome to a massage in the back, courtesy of myself and Chili, while Trixa has her match.”  
“I’ll pass,” I waved at them.  
“Oooooh, well…” June’s hands clasped together down by her legs as she slowly walked over to Cilan, her face as red as Chili’s hair. “Will it be you who’s administering that massage?”  
I raised an eyebrow in surprise at June.  
Cilan chuckled lightly. “Well, sure. I suppose so.”  
“In that case, just tell me where to go, and I’ll gladly do as you say,” June went on in what I clearly must have mistaken for a seductive tone of voice.  
Cilan’s face showed he was extremely flustered by June’s words and actions as he managed a smile on his now red, sweaty face and led the way to a door in the back and disappeared behind it with June.  
“Hm,” I muttered, staring at the door they disappeared through.  
“A glass of wine, perhaps?” A small wine glass with a little bit of dark wine in it appeared in front of me as Chili held it up.  
Cress also had a small glass of lighter wine in front of Trixa’s face. “Perhaps a light drink to loosen up before the battle?” Cress offered.  
“No, thank you,” Trixa shook her head, a disgusted look on her face. “Let’s battle!”  
“Um,” I looked over at Trixa.   
Trixa turned back to me, tilting her head to the side.  
“I guess not,” I mumbled, though I was curious to have a sip, the strong, yet mysteriously curious aroma testing me.  
Chili and Cress bowed and stuck out their pinky fingers as they drank down the wine before sitting their glasses on a table.  
“Perhaps a treat for your lovely Pidove, then,” Cress offered, and opened his palm, a small, red nugget in it, and raised it to Pidove.  
Pidove pecked at it for a second, and then eagerly devoured the entire treat.  
“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” Cress bowed. “Well then, please, Trixa. I insist that you join me on the battlefield.”  
“Gary, you’re encouraged to watch from upstairs,” Chili reminded me.  
“Oh, yeah,” I nodded. “Good luck, Trixa.” I turned and ran to the hallway, taking the path to the right. Almost immediately, I spotted the stairs, leading away from a path leading further into the hallway. I ran up one long flight of stairs, hearing cheers and cries ahead, and saw an opening at the top. I reached it and turned to see cheerleaders!  
Male cheerleaders in blue shirts with a couple of black stripes across them with matching sweatpants. Female cheerleaders in the same colored outfit, but with shorter shirts and skirts and red pom-poms in their hands. They were all cheering and clapping and making a huge racket.  
I walked over to the metal barricade and stared down at the rocky battlefield where Trixa and Cress were entering, taking their positions.   
“This is a Gym battle, Pidove,” I explained to him.  
Pidove cooed on my shoulder, keeping his eyes on the field below.  
“This is the first battle today at the Striaton City Gym! This will be a one-on-one match between Striaton City Gym Leader Cress, and Mistralton City’s Trixa!” Chili announced, taking his role as referee, standing just outside of the battlefield, an eager smile on his face, his fists balled up near his chest. “This match will officially end when one side is unable to fight! There is no time limit!”  
“Let’s go Cress!! Let’s go Cress!! Prove to us that you’re the best!! YAAAAAY!!” the cheerleaders next to me chanted.  
Weren’t these people just eating in the restaurant? I wondered suspiciously.  
“Now, let’s begin the match!” Chili swung a fist high into the air as he leaped high.  
“With a wave of power, let’s win this one, Ducklett!” Cress tossed his Poke Ball.  
“Duck Duck Ducklett!” a light blue duck uttered.  
I pulled out my Pokedex and listened to it as I watched Trixa do the same with her Pokedex.  
Ducklett. The Water Bird Pokemon. This Pokemon lives around ponds or rivers. Its favorite food is peat moss.  
“Tepig, I believe in you! Let’s win this!” Trixa threw her Poke Ball.  
“Tepig!” Tepig grunted.  
“Tepig, use Tail Whip, now!” Trixa ordered.  
Tepig ran towards Ducklett.  
“Such a daring rush of a move shall be responded to justly,” Cress said snottily. “Water Gun, now!”  
“Duck Duck!” Ducklett opened its beak and sprayed a stream of water at Tepig, forcing it back, slamming it into a rock.  
“She’s at a type disadvantage,” I muttered angrily. “She can’t be so reckless.”  
Tepig shook off the hit and got back to his feet with a grunt.   
“Then let’s just go straight for a Tackle!” Trixa continued.  
“Tepig! Tepig! Tepig!” Tepig charged at Ducklett again.  
“Déjà vu, if I do say so myself!” Cress said calmly, waving an open palm in front of his face. “Another Water Gun!”  
Tepig was hit with a second Water Gun and thrown back, rolling along the ground before coming to a stop, groaning.  
“This looks to be over by now,” Cress said, his eye closed, shrugging his shoulders, his open palms up in the air.  
“This isn’t over!” Trixa inisisted. “Tepig, let’s show these cheaters that we can win this battle! We can’t just lose that easily!”  
“Tepig…” Tepig groaned, glaring at Ducklett.  
“Ducklett!” Ducklett pointed at Tepig with one of its wings.  
“Do it, Ducklett.” Cress lowered his hands to his sides.  
A spray of water blasted from Ducklett’s wing towards Tepig.  
“Get away, Tepig!” Trixa screamed.  
“Tepiiiiiig!” Tepig screamed out as he stumbled onto his feet and took a strong leap into the air, over the Water Gun attack!  
I gasped. “Whoa! Look at Tepig!”  
Tepig’s eyes were completely red, and his body was giving a red glow.  
“Could that possibly be…?” I wondered out loud.  
The cheerleaders near me stared at Tepig, stunned by what was happening.  
Chili looked up in awe at Tepig.  
“Tepig!” Trixa looked up at her Pokemon, her mouth wide open, eyes wide at the sight of Tepig.   
“Tepiiiig!” Tepig smiled determinedly.  
Cress’ only eye that wasn’t blocked by his hair was wide open now over Tepig.  
“Tepig, let’s use Ember attack!” Trixa told her Pokemon.  
“Teeeeep! TEPIG!” With a loud grunt, while still in the air, Tepig sent out a spiral of flames at Ducklett.  
“It is!” I pointed as I saw the noticeably stronger, brighter flames than Tepig would normally send out, surround Ducklett.  
Ducklett screamed out and backed up from the impact of the attack.  
“Now, slam right into it! Tackle attack, Tepig!”  
Tepig came down to the ground and landed, running once he connected with the floor, and tackled Ducklett.  
Ducklett stumbled back, flapping its wings frantically, its eyes closed. It shook its head and pointed at Tepig, screaming angrily at him.  
“Another Water Gun will end this, Ducklett! Attack right away!” Cress said swiftly.  
“Duck Duck!” Ducklett got ready to attack, but suddenly, its body erupted into flames. “DUUUUUUUCK!!!” Ducklett fell to the ground, flinching from the Burn.  
“Hey, wait! I know that one! It’s a Burn!” Trixa squealed.  
“Ducklett!” Cress gasped. “The tables shall not be turned around so easily, young lady. Your Tepig has Blaze Ability activated, which may very well boost its Fire type attacks, but that also means your Tepig is low in health. We end this with Bubblebeam!”  
“Do it, do it, Cress, Cress, Cress!! Will he win it? Yes!! Yes!! Yes!!” his squad of cheerleaders supported him, leaping around in excitement.  
Who are these people? I wondered, staring at them before turning back to the match.   
“Blaze?” Trixa said, pulling out her Pokedex.  
Ducklett attacked with Bubblebeam, spraying a barrage of bubbles from its beak, while Trixa focused on her Pokedex, leaving Tepig to jump around the powerful attack that was threatening whether he’d be able to battle any longer.  
Trixa’s eyes remained glued to her Pokedex.  
“Catch that Tepig!” Cress said strongly. “One hit and it’s over, Ducklett!”  
Tepig kept up the dodging, leaping around the attacks and just barely managing to stay on his feet.  
Ducklett stopped attacking as it was covered in flames again from the Burn. Once it ended, Ducklett was still standing but exhausted, glaring at Tepig.  
Tepig is good, I thought. He’s really nimble. But he can’t keep this up. What is Trixa doing?  
“Again, Ducklett! Catch it this time!” Cress kept a calm though hardened demeanor on his face.  
Trixa didn’t look up from her Pokedex as Ducklett opened its beak to attack once more.  
I grabbed the bars of the barricade in front of me, feeling the anger inside of me build. What is wrong with her??!! I was losing it! “TRI-!!!!!”  
Before I could finish my yell, Trixa looked up and smiled. “In the air, Tepig! Jump!”  
Tepig leaped over the stream of bubbles, high.  
“Now we’ve got it,” Cress smiled. “Follow it! It has nowhere to run.”  
Ducklett used Bubblebeam to the air, aiming for Tepig.  
“Rollout attack!” Trixa said confidently.  
“Rollout?” I couldn’t believe my ears.  
Tepig curled up into a ball and started spinning in midair. He zipped through the air, away from the bubbles, and landed on the ground, immediately flying at Ducklett, dirt kicking up behind him.  
Cress uttered a horrified gasp, his hair in front of his eye leaping up to reveal his other eye briefly before covering it again.  
Tepig rolled right into Ducklett with the super effective Rock type move, sending the duck Pokemon flying through the air and crashing into a rock.  
Ducklett slid to the ground, groaning wearily.  
“Ducklett! Watch out!” Cress called.  
Ducklett opened its eyes and screamed as fire surrounded its body. It moaned weakly as the flames died, and before it could move, Tepig slammed right into it again! Ducklett crumbled on the ground and laid out flat on its back.  
“Ducklett has been defeated!” Chili declared. “Tepig is the winner of this match! This round goes to Trixa!”  
Trixa let out a shrill shriek and ran to her Tepig. “Tepig!! You won!! You won!! I can’t believe this! Wait!! Yes, I can! I knew all along that you would win this! YAY! YAY! YAAAAAY!!!” She lifted up the joyful pig and spun around in happy circles.  
The cheerleaders let out sad groans of disappointment.  
“Ha! She won it, Pidove!” I took off downstairs and stopped near the battlefield, several feet away from Trixa. I was happy for her, and at the same time, eager to begin my battle. “Congratulations, Trixa!”  
Trixa spun around in a happy daze around the battlefield before tripping over one of the large rocks and landing on her back.  
“Oh, my,” Cress said as he returned his Pokemon to its Poke Ball and took a step towards Trixa.  
Trixa wrapped Tepig up in her arms and rolled around on the ground, dirtying her blue jean shorts and light blue jacket.  
Everyone got quiet and stared at her.  
I sighed and shook my head. “Anyway, I think I’m up next!” I called, ignoring Trixa.  
Cress looked up at me, and then back to Trixa. “Uh…”  
I growled and walked over to Trixa. “Trixa!!” I said loudly.  
Trixa stopped rolling around and looked up at me from the ground. “OH!! Heya, Gary! Guess what? I won!”  
“That’s great!” I said with feigned surprise. “Now, it’s my turn!”  
“Awesome!” Trixa got to her feet.  
“You can wait upstairs if you’d like and watch from above!” I offered with a forced smile.  
“Or, you’re welcome to receive a massage from one of us who Gary will not be battling, which includes a foot rub, as well as a luxurious hair wash with the finest, most gentlest, alluringly scented shampoo,” Cress suggested.  
“Is Chili going to be doing that??” Trixa questioned hopefully.  
Chili laughed nervously.  
“Well, let’s find out,” Cress said, turning to me warmly. “What Pokemon did you choose in the Unova region as your Starter?”  
“Unova region Starter?” I asked.  
“Yes. Tepig, Snivy, or Oshawott. You chose one of these, yes?”  
“Gary’s from Kanto,” Trixa said before I could speak. “He only has a Pidove. Does that mean he can’t battle you guys?”  
A gasp came from Chili’s throat as Cress’ eye widened in silent surprise.   
I sighed and looked at the ground. “She’s right. I’m from Kanto,” I acknowledged. “My Starter was a Charmander, who’s now a Charizard. I’m no beginner. I competed in the Pokemon League a couple of years ago. But now, I’m in Unova, and I don’t have any of my Pokemon with me. All I have is a Pidove right now.”  
Chili smiled at me, but Cress didn’t.   
Cress nodded, still eyeing me in disbelief. “I knew it!”  
“Huh?” I said, staring back at him.  
“Gary! I knew when you came into my restaurant the first time that I recognized you! You’re the boy who survived the attack two years ago at the Pokemon League in Kanto! You were involved in that incident in Saffron City that shut down Silph Co. for so long! You-!”  
“Uh,” I interrupted, feeling uncomfortable as I ignored Chili’s horrified face. “How do you know all of this?”  
“How could I not? It was worldwide news!” Cress replied.  
“No way!” Chili’s hands were in shaking, tight fists at his sides. “Impossible! It’s really him?”  
“Yes, it is,” I muttered, nodding my head, my eyes to the ground. I really didn’t want to talk about this.  
“What an honor to have you as a Gym challenger!” Cress bowed with his brother as he spoke. “To see you here in Unova is humbling and we appreciate your trip. Good to see you looking so well.”  
“Thank you, thank you,” I said quickly. “But I really didn’t come for the fanfare. I just want to put that behind me now and focus on competing in the Unova League. So, is there some kind of problem with me not having a Unova Starter?”  
“No, not at all,” Cress replied immediately. “You can choose which of us you would like to battle. You’ve already met my Ducklett.”  
“And this is my flaming star right here!” Chili said with balled fists before throwing his Poke Ball and sending out his Pokemon.  
A tiny little bug looking creature cried out at me.  
“Eww,” I muttered, pulling out my Pokedex.  
Larvesta. The Torch Pokemon. This Bug type Pokemon is also part Fire, giving it protection against predators. This Pokemon can be found at the foot of volcanoes.  
“Our brother, Cilan, who is still catering to your friend, has a Deerling,” Cress informed me.  
“Deerling?” I checked my Pokedex.  
Deerling. The Season Pokemon. When conflict arrives in the area, they hide. They are usually found in herds due to their timid personalities.  
I recognized the Pokemon from my ride with Virgil, nodding at the rotating, moving 4D image of the brown fawn. I noted in my mind that it looked different than the orange Deerling I had seen when traveling with Virgil, but then I recalled that their evolved form, Sawsbuck, change their color depending on the season. Deerling probably operate the same way, I considered. Does that mean that it’s already Winter? Does the Pokedex picture change or is it always the same colored one?  
“For a truly inspiring battle, you’re best to go with the hottest match you can get, which is from me, Chili!” Chili shouted, waving a fist at me challengingly.  
“You’re free to battle against me, Cress, if that’s what you so desire, for a battle as collected and moving as flowing streams.” Cress waved his open palms through the air.  
I stared at Larvesta and thought about battling a Deerling for a moment before looking up at Cress.  
Cress looked back at me expectantly.   
“I want to battle against you!”  
“Oh? How delightful,” Cress smiled.  
Pidove cooed happily on my shoulder.  
I pet his head and smiled. “Sounds like he’s ready for that, too!” Turning back to Cress, I said, “I did choose a Fire type as my Starter, and while I don’t have him right this moment, I want to battle your Ducklett!” I smiled.  
“Sound like an engaging battle. I can’t wait. Of course, we’ll have to wait until tomorrow when my Ducklett has recovered from its battle today.”  
“Right!” I nodded.  
Chili laughed. “A Charizard, you say?”  
“Yeah. What’s so funny about that?”  
Chili laughed even harder. “Well, you must be quite the experienced Trainer! Had you had your Charizard with you, you could have had a more interesting battle!”  
“How so?”  
“Take a look for yourself!” Chili took a second Poke Ball from his waist and sent out a Pokemon.  
A tall, red monkey resembling Pansear appearing, greeting us all sharply. I immediately guessed that it must be Pansear’s evolved form.  
“Please, see mine as well,” Cress said, and sent out a blue monkey from a Poke Ball.  
“Hey! What are these?” Trixa asked, pulling out her Pokedex.  
Simisear. The Ember Pokemon and Pansear’s evolved stage. It can attack by scattering flames that are inside of its body, out of its head and tail. 

Simipour. The Geyser Pokemon and Panpour’s evolved form. It stores water in its hair, and when it is low on water, it siphons water from its tail. Because of this, it requires living in a place where clean water is accessible.  
“Ooooooo! Evolved forms!” Trixa knelt down, staring at the two Pokemon.  
Simipour and Simisear smiled back at her patiently.  
“You see, we have these Pokemon that we’ve raised for years,” Cress said gently as he gazed down at his Simipour. What appeared to be sadness came over his face as he spoke. “Cilan has a Simisage, as well, which evolved from a Pansage. A while back, we closed down the Gym and restaurant. We wanted recognition as powerful Gym Leaders, and we didn’t really feel we had that respect. So, we trained for a long time to better ourselves and our Pokemon. We returned some time later and reopened the restaurant, rebuilding the Gym in our spare time. The final step was the hardest, because we weren’t comfortable doing it. In fact, if not for the encouragement from our three closest friends, we wouldn’t have done it in the first place. We would have continued to raise them without the need for evolution, but they insisted. They wanted to be stronger, and knew that we wanted to be stronger, ourselves. We all had a dream to be great Pokemon Trainers since we were children, and we would stop at nothing to achieve that goal. We evolved our Pokemon, and it brought a new life, love, and pain, between the six of us. Indeed, our Pokemon did get stronger, and actually, haven’t lost a battle since evolving.”  
Chili’s head had lowered sadly as he listened to his brother’s story.  
“Wow…” I whispered, my eyes widening. I couldn’t help but realize how similar this was to June’s story about her Electivire. I was reminded of her warning to Ike, and how her warning came from a place of understanding. I had a newfound appreciation and respect for how difficult it must be to have a career where just about everything is based on winning. The life of a Gym Leader.   
The life of an Elite Four member.   
The life of a Pokemon Champion.  
The life of a Pokemon Master.  
“Soon, we realized we were just winning, but not teaching,” Cress continued. “Our Pokemon were too strong. We don’t use them for beginning Trainers anymore. We save them for more experienced battlers. As Gym Leaders, our goal is to teach, not defeat. So, we captured new Pokemon to use against newer Trainers. We’d gladly use these Pokemon if you had your more experienced battlers with you.”  
“Teach, not defeat,” I repeated. “Wow. That’s really thoughtful of you guys. I can tell that your perspective on being a Gym Leader is really from the heart.” I paused as a memory resurfaced in my mind.  
“Thank you, Gary,” Cress replied. “I like to think that all Gym Leaders are about as concerned as we are with guiding Pokemon Trainers as opposed to just beating them.”  
“Ha. Well, I wish Pewter City’s Gym Leader, back in Kanto, was as concerned as you guys are,” I laughed. “Her name is Aurora. She was the first Gym Leader I ever faced. Her Pokemon were monstrously strong. I faced her with my Charmander, and we weren’t all that strong at the time. We were just beginners. She tore through us easily, without mercy. Her Kabutops was unstoppable and one of the reasons she hadn’t been defeated in so long. I challenged her Gym again after earning... more Badges and finally beat her, but even in victory, we only just barely won.”  
Cress shook his head sadly as he gazed at me, Chili frowning at me.   
“Well, at this Gym, we find that kind of battling inappropriate of a Gym Leader,” Cress told me.  
I nodded. “Yeah, but I’m grateful for the experience. I feel like I learned a lot from her and I’m glad me and my Pokemon went through that difficult time and came out even stronger and wiser.”  
“I suppose that’s a way to look at it,” Cress said uncertainly, his open palm underneath his chin.  
I smiled, but then looked down for a moment as I thought of all of my Pokemon back in Kanto, and I sighed. Charizard. Porygon-Z. I wonder where those guys are, I thought, my heart beating a little faster, tears starting to build up behind my eyes.  
“But, anyway, Trixa.” Cress turned to her, a small black box in his hands now. “We certainly must insist on handing this to you.” He bowed before her and then stood up straight, opening the box. “This is for you, young lady.”  
Chili raised a fist eagerly. “This Badge is proof of your win at the Striaton Gym! It’s called the Trio Badge!”  
I looked over at the box containing the Badge. Its design was three golden triangles stacked on top of each other, each triangle containing a jewel, the top one colored blue, the second one colored red, and the bottom one was green.  
Trixa took the Badge from the box and held it up in the air, her Tepig in her other arm. “Yes! The Trio Badge is mine! Badge number two! I’m really doing it!”  
I laughed as she hugged her Tepig even closer to her face and laughed joyously.   
Trixa now had two Badges.   
I felt a sense of pride, having helped this new Trainer become an even better Trainer and earn two Badges.  
But first thing tomorrow, it was my turn to battle Cress’ Ducklett with my Pidove and earn my first Badge in the Unova League. I pet Pidove’s head again and laughed happily, excited for tomorrow to arrive for our first ever battle together.   
It would be the beginning of a relationship like nothing I’d ever had before.   
For better.  
And for worse.


	10. The Cilant, Chiling Secress Of A Fowl Battler

“Ah, what a pleasant surprise,” Cress said as he finished setting down a few plates full of delicious food on the table in front of a family and stood, turning to my group.  
Cilan and Chili were nowhere in sight.  
“Hey, Cress!” I greeted.   
Everyone in the restaurant turned to look at me, their eyes wide. Excited murmurs rose up from the groups of people who had been eating beforehand, eager looks now on their faces.  
Cress walked up to me, June, and Trixa, and bowed, a white cloth on his left arm. “It’s a pleasure to see you three here once again. Chili and Cilan will be pleased. Are you here to dine?”  
I shook my head. “No way. You know why I’m here today. It’s my turn to battle you, Cress.”  
Thrilled shrieks from the ladies in the restaurant rang out, followed by the hooting of eager men. Kids erupted happily.  
Cress smiled at the commotion behind him before turning back to me. “Very well then, Gary,” he nodded with a wave of his hand.  
“Oh, my! How delightful!” a voice cried out.  
“Alright! Our three good friends are back!” another voice added.  
We turned to see Chili and Cilan appear from a door in the back. They wore warm smiles on their faces as they approached us.  
“Gary! Trixa! And of course, June!” Cilan bowed to us, a white cloth on his right arm.  
“I anticipated your return!” Chili said eagerly, raising a fist.   
“Chili!!” Trixa cheered, jumping in the air in front of Chili like the little girl she was.  
“That’s right!” I nodded. “This time, it’s my turn to win that Badge!”  
“Cress informed me that it was actually you who survived the attack at the Kanto Pokemon League two years ago!” Cilan suddenly brought up. “Is this true? Are you really that Gary?”  
Louder murmurs came from the people in the restaurant around me.  
“Yes,” I said grumpily. “But I’m not here for that, please. I came to challenge the Unova League and defeat the Gym Leaders here. I just ask that that be our main objective today. Please.”  
“Of course!” Cilan nodded happily. “Forgive me! I’m sure that experience was a most bitter taste for you to have endured. Whatever will dilute the sourness of that dish, allow us to cater to your very whim and deliver that which is necessary to sweeten the tart ending of your travels in Kanto!”  
“Uh…” I uttered. “Okay…?”  
“Have you decided whom you’d like to battle?” Cilan questioned.  
“I have. I’m sticking with my decision to battle Cress!”  
Cress waved his hand gracefully. “It’s an honor to battle you, Gary. I’m sure we’ll learn quite a lot from each other during this round.”  
The lights in the building dimmed, like last time.  
“And on that note…” Chili started.  
“Allow us, the Striaton City Gym Leaders…” Cilan continued.  
“To lead you towards the battlefield for the battle,” Cress finished. He opened his hands, his fingers held together, and held them out towards the fireplace, a spotlight shining upon him.  
Cilan’s fingers spread wide apart as his arm extended to the fireplace and he was illuminated by light.  
Chili, in between them, knelt down on one knee and raised two fists at the fireplace, a beam focusing on him, too.  
Like the last time, the walls split from the fireplace, the fireplace sinking into the ground, revealing the battlefield.  
“I can’t believe this! A battle today! We got to see one just yesterday, and now, today is another one!” a girl screamed as the diners all ran towards the hallway in the back.  
The boys ran behind the girls, taking the opposite path down the hallway to run through, making a ton of noise.  
“Well then, I’m ready to battle!” I declared. “Let’s go!”  
Cress nodded calmly. “Of course, Gary. Please, follow me.”  
Chili and Cilan followed Cress towards the battlefield.  
“HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYY!!!!!!!!” June shrieked in my ear.  
I yelled out and stumbled back, staring at June with wide, stunned eyes and narrowed eyebrows.  
The three brothers stopped and turned around to face us, a surprised look on their faces.  
June vanished from beside me and reappeared in the next instant in front of Cilan.  
“Whoa!” Cilan stumbled back, but June moved in perfect timing to remain right in his face.  
“You wouldn’t be happening to be offering another one of those massages again, would you?” June fluttered her eyes.  
Cilan’s face turned beet red and a nervous look came over his face. “Well, I suppose we still do offer that…” he replied hesitantly. “But…”  
“YAAAY!” June screeched and grabbed his arm, forcing him towards the door in the back, Cilan’s feet not once touching the ground.  
The door slammed hard behind them.  
“What goes on back there…?” I muttered.  
“I’d say June has a crush on Cilan,” Trixa giggled. “Silly. Chili is much cuter.”  
Chili laughed loudly, rubbing the back of his head as he began to blush.  
I followed the remaining brothers to the battlefield, Chili walking outside of the field and standing at attention.  
Cress took his position on the opposite end of the field.  
“This is a Gym match between Cress, the Gym Leader of Striaton City, and Gary from Kanto’s Pallet Town!” Chili stated. “This will be a one-on-one battle. The battle ends when one Trainer’s Pokemon is no longer able to battle! There will be no time limit! Begin!”  
“Cress! Cress! Win this round! There’s no challenge, win this now!” the eager audience above cheered, dressed in their cheerleader uniforms, not only men and women, but young children included up there as well, this time.  
I glared at them, wishing I had some form of support on my side, too. That was when I saw Trixa.  
She smiled down at me and waved, her Tepig in her arms, held tight.  
I smiled back and waved, my heart beating a little bit faster at the sight of her. It’s only one person, but at least it’s someone, I told myself.  
“Ducklett, with a splash of beauty, make your arrival!” Cress threw his Poke Ball.  
“Duuucklett!” Ducklett announced upon being freed.  
“Pidove, go!” I extended my arm with his Poke Ball in my hand rather than throwing it. It still hurt from the Purrloin incident but it was a lot better.  
Pidove let out a cry and flapped his wings, hovering in the air.  
“Alright! Flying on Flying!” I noted.  
Cress didn’t seem as excited as me as he smiled slightly, his visible eye closed without concern as he waved his open palm. “I insist. Go ahead.”  
I nodded. “Pidove, use Gust!”  
Pidove flapped his wings and blew Ducklett back with a strong gust of wind.  
Ducklett squawked out and tumbled on the ground.  
“Ducklett, get up and fight back with your Water Gun,” Cress said with ease.  
“Ducklett!” Ducklett fired a stream of water from its open beak at Pidove.  
Pidove was knocked down to the ground, shouting out.  
“Pidove, use Leer!”  
Pidove flapped his wings and got back into the air. His eyes glowed red.  
Ducklett quacked loudly and took a step back, a determined look on its face.  
“Now, use Quick Attack!” I continued.  
Pidove flapped his wings for a second and then moved like lightning, slamming into Ducklett.  
Ducklett was knocked onto its back.  
“YAY! Gary, go! Go get that Ducklett!” I heard Trixa call for me.  
I smiled, boosted by the support.  
“Another Quick Attack, Pidove!”  
“Ducklett, use your Aerial Ace,” Cress countered.  
Both Pokemon flew at one another urgently, slamming into each other, forcing each other back.  
Yeah, I thought excitedly. This is just what I wanted all along. Bird against bird. Flying against Flying. Pidove can do this. This battle is just perfect! Even and fair.  
“Quick Attack again!” I insisted.  
“Use Aerial Ace to counter it!” Cress said quickly.  
Both Pokemon continuously charged at each other, forcing the other back and going back for more. After several more turns of their attacks, both Pokemon stopped flying at each other, tired and breathing heavily, glaring at each other. Ducklett stood on the ground, eyeing my Pidove who also was standing.  
“Pidove, another Leer!”  
Pidove used Leer on Ducklett, his eyes flashing red once more.  
“Ducklett, avoid it with Aerial Ace,” Cress responded cooly.  
But it was too late.   
Ducklett was held back from attacking by the intimidating Leer attack.  
“Alright! Badge number one is ours! Quick Attack! Finish it!” I yelled happily, pointing at Ducklett.  
Ducklett gaped in shock at Pidove, awaiting the hit.  
Cress stared at Pidove, smirking expectantly.  
Pidove... sat down?  
Nobody moved.  
I finally caught on to the fact that Pidove was not attacking and I let out a “Huh?” of confusion. “Pidove?”  
Pidove pecked at the ground quietly, but didn’t deliver the finishing blow.  
“Pidove???” What was going on??  
Pidove lifted his head and turned to me. “Dove?” he said, cocking his head.  
“I said to finish this with-!”  
“Aerial Ace!” Cress ordered.  
Ducklett flew through the air and vanished, reappearing only a few inches from Pidove, tackling him down.  
Pidove slid into one of the many boulders on the field, his head slamming into it.  
I inhaled sharply, loudly. “Pidove!!” I began to panic over this battle.  
“Now, Water Gun!” Cress pushed on.  
Ducklett opened its beak and blasted Pidove with its attack.  
Pidove wailed out helplessly as the water held him against the boulder. Ducklett’s attack ended and Pidove laid out, breathing hard.  
“Pidove, you can do this! Gust attack!” I begged my Pokemon.  
Pidove shook his head and flew into the air. He began to flap his wings strongly, a gust of wind starting to push Ducklett back. And then, Pidove simply stopped attacking, his wings flapping just enough to keep him afloat. He stared at Ducklett calmly.  
“Pidove!!” I was now getting really upset! “What are you doing??”  
“Pidoooove?” Pidove answered in confusion, turning his head to me.   
“Attaaaack!!” I raged.  
Pidove purred quietly, looking at me.  
“What’s wrooooong??!” I screamed frantically, throwing my arms up. “Attack that thing!!”  
Pidove turned back to Ducklett, but didn’t attack.  
Why isn’t he listening to me?? Is he really disobeying me??  
“Bubblebeam attack,” Cress said with a wave of his hand.  
Ducklett’s beak opened and a stream of bubbles flew out, popping upon contact with my Pidove.  
Pidove flapped his wings desperately as he was forced back and finally slammed into the ground.  
“Pidove is unable to battle!” Chili said, a fist raised near his face. “Ducklett and Cress are the winners!”  
I let out my breath loudly in disappointment, the cheerleaders cheering and clapping, screaming their heads off.  
“No!” I stared at my defeated Pidove.  
Cress calmly returned Ducklett to its Poke Ball and stared down at my Pidove, shaking his head sadly. “You and Pidove are certainly not the greatest combination. I’d suggest you use a different Pokemon. This poor thing’s disobedience cost you the match. Tomorrow, you’re more than welcome to try again for your Badge against any of us, but I do hope you’ll be better prepared.”  
I felt close to tears. Cress’ words weren’t too harsh, but they stung nonetheless. I returned Pidove to his Poke Ball. “I’m sorry,” I said weakly. “I didn’t expect that to happen.” Embarrassed, I turned around, my head down, and slowly exited the battlefield amongst the cheers of Cress’ squad of supporters.  
“Hey! Hold on, Gary!” I heard Trixa call out to me.  
I dragged my feet to the front doors of the restaurant and opened one, lugging with me a wave of disappointment and concern.   
Footsteps ran towards me as I left, and a hand grabbed my shoulder. “Hey! Hold on there!”  
I turned to Trixa for a moment and glanced weakly at her positive face before turning back around and continued walking to the Pokemon Center.  
Trixa was silent as we entered the building and didn’t say a word as I handed Pidove’s Poke Ball to Nurse Joy.  
I wearily took my seat and let out an exhausted sigh. “Well, that was interesting, huh?” I looked over at the young Trainer blankly.  
“I was sure you’d win.” Trixa’s Tepig sat in her lap. She had two fingers up his snout and pulled them out only to put them back in seconds later, Tepig looking up at her in confusion. “I mean, even I won! I have two Badges already! You were in the Pokemon League a few years back. This Gym battling thing is awfully easy.”  
I sighed again. “I had different Pokemon with me back then, and they obeyed me. I don’t get what Pidove’s problem is. He just stopped listening for some reason.”  
“Maybe he doesn’t like you,” Trixa suggested, keeping her fingers in Tepig’s nostrils.  
Tepig shook his head hard, freeing his snout from her fingers, and backed up from Trixa a little bit until he was on the edge of her knees.  
“Hmm. Maybe he’s still mad over how we met him. Remember? I smacked him by accident. Maybe that’s the problem.”   
“I don’t know,” I said in a low voice. “But as Pidove’s Trainer, I have to figure it out and get us to sync.”  
Trixa pulled Tepig’s snout back and forth, Tepig visibly getting upset as he grunted.  
“Maybe you should stop doing that,” I warned her.  
Trixa let go of Tepig, her eyes stuck on me. “I said I smacked him by accident…”  
“Not that. I mean, messing with Tepig’s face.”  
“Huh?” She looked at her Pokemon and back to me. “I wasn’t messing with Tepig’s face!”  
Before I could respond, someone walked into the Pokemon Center.  
“June!” Trixa and I stood up.  
“Piig!” Tepig dropped from Trixa’s lap.  
June looked at us with disappointment. “I’m not surprised Gary left me, but to think that you would leave me, too, Trixa.”  
I shook my head and looked around the Pokemon Center, several people in the building preoccupied with their Pokemon and other people happily conversing.  
“Sorry! After Gary lost, I just kind of followed him,” Trixa informed June. “I was so surprised. I’m still surprised I even won. I guess I’m gonna make quick work of these Gyms, huh?”  
June squinted hard at Trixa. “Trixa, you’re going to learn before long just how difficult these Gyms are gonna be.” She was getting offended by Trixa’s words, having been a Gym Leader herself. “I’m sure you did well against Cress, and your match with Ike was simple enough, but Gym Leaders are usually very experienced and they do know what they’re doing. Don’t get lazy. Training is important. Understanding your Pokemon is important.”  
“I know that,” Trixa said, staring back at June firmly. “I’m just saying, I expected a challenge, and I haven’t received one so far.”  
“Maybe you and Gary should have a battle, then,” June responded.  
“But I’ve already beaten Cress, who Gary hasn’t. My Pokemon listen to me, unlike his.”  
“What do you mean?” June asked.  
“His Pidove-” Trixa started.  
“I can speak for myself,” I snapped at Trixa.  
She stared back at me with wide eyes.  
“Pidove stopped listening to me during the battle for some reason,” I told June impatiently. “I have no idea why.”  
“Well, I do,” Trixa said moodily. “I think it’s because I slapped him when we first ran into him.”  
June’s eyes were glued to mine. “You say, it stopped? Like, it listened for a while, and then just stopped?”  
I nodded. “Exactly.”  
“Excuse me, Gary?” a voice called out.  
I turned and approached the counter where Nurse Joy stood next to, an Audino by her side, holding up a Poke Ball.  
“Your Pidove is fully healed,” Nurse Joy told me with a warm smile.  
“Thanks a lot!” I took the Poke Ball from the smiling Audino and then beamed at Nurse Joy. I couldn’t get over how young the Nurse Joys in the Unova region looked. I found myself missing Kanto a lot, now. Turning away from Nurse Joy and her Pokemon, I led the way out of the building, June and Trixa keeping close to me. Once outside, I looked around at the sunny city, lively with people.  
Something suddenly scurried past my feet, stepping on my sneakers lightly as it ran down the sidewalk.  
“What was that?” I pointed.  
“I’ve never seen that Pokemon before,” Trixa smiled.  
“Did he even have a Trainer? Where’s he going?” June questioned.  
It was gone from sight in seconds.  
I shrugged. “Anyway.” I lighty tossed Pidove’s Poke Ball into the air.  
It opened and with a beam of light, sent out my Pidove.  
I caught the Poke Ball and looked up at Pidove. “Hey!” I grinned at him.  
“Pidove!” He came down and landed on my left shoulder.  
“How ya feeling?” I asked him.  
Pidove cooed and rubbed his head against my cheek.  
I petted his head down to his back and kissed his little beak. “Glad to see you’re alright.”  
“Awww! How cute!” Trixa squealed, squeezing her Tepig in her arms, making him grunt.  
That was when I noticed June’s hard glare. She was staring right at Pidove.  
“June?” I began.  
She stepped up to Pidove and lightened her face, smiling now. “Hello, Pidove!”   
Pidove flapped his wings and greeted June.  
“Hiiiii!” Trixa stepped up to Pidove eagerly.  
Pidove let out a surprised caw at Trixa’s enthusiasm but acknowledged her warmly.  
“He sure is cute!” Trixa proclaimed.  
June extended her arm suddenly. “Gary, tell your Pokemon to come to me.”  
“Huh? Why?”  
“Because I’m sure your Pidove isn’t disobedient. Now, help me out here, will ya?”  
“Pidove, fly over to June,” I ordered him.  
“Pidove!” Pidove fluttered his way over to June’s arm and walked up it towards her shoulder.  
“Now, call him back,” June told me.  
“Pidove, come back to me, now.”  
Pidove flapped over to me, landing on my shoulder.  
“Now order him back to me,” June repeated.  
I sighed. “Okay… Pidove, back to June.”  
Pidove flew over to June’s wrist and walked up her arm. Suddenly, halfway up her arm, he stopped and looked around. He looked up into the sky, down at the ground, and seemed kind of unsure.  
“There it is,” June smiled.  
“There what is?” I asked.  
“Pidove, what’s wrong?” June asked my Pokemon expectantly.  
Pidove looked up at June and cocked his head. “Piii?”  
“Okay, call him back,” June nodded at me.  
“Pidove, come here now.”  
Pidove flew from June and landed on my shoulder.  
“Are we done, yet?” I asked, getting tired of this repetitive game.  
“Yes! I know exactly what’s wrong with your Pokemon.”  
“What?!” Trixa and I demanded.  
“It’s rather simple, actually. Your Pidove has a rather poor memory.”  
“A poor memory?!”  
My loud tone caused Pidove to scream out and fly into the sky, circling above me.  
June nodded. “Your Pidove has some kind of problem remembering things. He listens, but after a while, he forgets his orders and just won’t do anything.”  
I gasped. “Wait a minute!” I pulled out my Pokedex as a memory resurfaced.  
Pidove. The Tiny Pigeon Pokemon. A beginning Pokemon for the beginner Trainer, this Pokemon may not always understand commands from its Trainer. This species of Pokemon is often forgetful.  
“Yeah! I remember it saying that when we first met him!” Worry filled my body. “So does this mean that it will always be like this? Like how Slowpoke and Slowbro are pretty dim?”  
“Maybe not,” June spoke hopefully. “Can it evolve?”  
“I dunno,” I replied, checking the Pokedex.  
Tranquill. The Wild Pigeon Pokemon. This Pokemon has a great tracking system and is able to always locate its nest, as well as being able to return back to its Trainer, no matter the distance.  
“Phew!” I said gratefully. “It loses that memory loss when it evolves. That’s something to look forward to. Well, Pidove, I guess we have to wait until tomorrow to battle Cress. I hope you’ll be ready by then.”  
Pidove happily flapped above, calling to me softly.  
“Since tomorrow’s a bit away, you and Trixa should have a battle,” June tried again.  
I turned to Trixa. “What do you say? I’m game.”  
“Yes!” Trixa looked at me brightly. “That sounds fine to me.”  
A man in a suit walked by us as I took several steps back from Trixa.  
June stepped off to the side. “This will be a one-on-one battle between Trixa and Gary. No time limit. Go!”  
“Tepig, I choose you!” Trixa said, tossing her Tepig in front of her.  
“Tepiiiiiiig!!” Tepig squealed in shock, his feet flailing, but he landed on them.  
“Pidove, I choose you!” I pointed in front of me.  
Pidove flew towards Tepig.  
“I’ll go first! Quick Attack!” I instructed.  
Pidove flew at Tepig in a flash of light, tackling him down.  
Tepig rolled on the ground but hopped strongly to his feet.  
“Tepig, Flame Charge!”  
“Dodge that!” I responded.  
Tepig stomped his feet repeatedly until his body was surrounded by flames, and then he soared at Pidove.  
Pidove hovered above the attack.  
Tepig hit the ground and the flames around his body faded as he glared at Pidove.  
“Now, use your Gust attack!” I said happily.  
Pidove descended calmly to the ground and looked around, but he didn’t attack.  
“Pidove! No! Focus!” I insisted.  
“Dove?” Pidove turned his head back to me.  
“Smog attack!” Trixa commanded.  
Tepig’s cheeks puffed out a little bit and then his mouth opened, a dark smoke flowing from it.  
Pidove called out as the smoke reached him.  
“Pidove! Gust attack!” I begged him.  
When the smoke cleared, Pidove’s face was flushed purple as he choked. My Pokemon was Poisoned!  
“Now, Flame Charge!” Trixa said confidently.  
Tepig attacked once again with Flame Charge, slamming into Pidove, tossing him back with ease.  
Pidove landed on his back, coughing out.  
“Rollout!” Trixa continued quickly.  
Tepig curled into a ball and rolled at Pidove.  
“Pidove!” I called out helplessly.  
Tepig slammed into Pidove.  
Pidove soared into the air, heading straight for me.  
I caught him, stumbling back several feet from the force and growling as I tried to hold back the pain as my Pokemon landed on my sore arm.  
“Pidove…” Pidove moaned weakly.  
I heard June sigh. “Pidove is unable to battle,” June admitted. “Trixa and Tepig win.”  
Trixa giggled with excitement. “I knew I’d win that one!”   
“Tepig! Tepig!” Tepig jumped in celebration.  
A surge of anger flowed through my body at Trixa and Tepig’s joy, but I didn’t look up from my Pokemon’s exhausted body. With a painful feeling in my chest, I carried the only Pokemon I had, the only Pokemon I could depend on and use in Unova at the moment, back to the Pokemon Center, a scowl on my face.

*

As we stared at the doors of the restaurant the next day of a cool, breezy afternoon, my heart was in my throat, practically suffocating me.  
“Gary, I just had a thought,” Trixa brought up. “How about you use one my Pokemon? I actually beat Cress already, as well as you, with Tepig. I think it’s a good decision to use my Tepig.”  
“I do not use other people’s Pokemon,” I growled through gritted teeth. I refused to even look at her, feeling so disrespected in that moment. “I’ll win or lose, on my own.”  
“You can do it all on your own, Gary,” June said, grabbing my right shoulder.  
Pidove stirred on my left shoulder.  
I nodded and opened the doors.  
The four of us entered a familiar scene. The restaurant was packed today with people of all ages, from babies to the elderly, enjoying meals. As we entered, everyone got quiet, staring at us.  
I spotted Chili, Cilan, and Cress in the back, watching the customers with warm smiles, a white cloth over one of their arms, but they looked up as we entered.  
Chili raised an eager fist.  
Cress was the first to step towards us, gliding smoothly.  
Cilan was the last to move, a nervous look on his suddenly red face.  
“It’s good to see you three again,” Cress bowed.  
“I assume you’re here for another battle, Gary?” Chili raised a shaking fist.  
“I assume you’re wanting another massage…?” Cilan blushed, looking at the ground uncomfortably, avoiding June’s eyes.  
June giggled. “I see we’re skipping the small talk today and going right for the goods.” She looked up innocently at the ceiling and fluttered her eyes.  
“June!” I barked at her. “Will you stick around for a battle of mine for once?”  
June was speechless as she looked down at me.  
“I assumed you were still traveling with me to learn about Pokemon battles. You’re abandoning your original claims. If you’re not here for that, then what are you here for?”  
“I-I-I-I’m still here for that,” June stammered.  
“Well, you haven’t seen one battle here at this Gym. How about, for a change, you stick around for the match? I would think you’d want to see something like this, especially considering the circumstances I’ll have in my battle, and also, to have seen how a newer Trainer like Trixa would do.”  
June lowered her head and nodded. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”  
Uncomfortable silence filled the room.  
“Well, how about we all calm down,” Cilan suggested with a chuckle. “This is becoming a very unpleasant flavor. You two seem to be displaying a rather peculiar taste today, with a dash of spice and a barely there hint of brown sugar, coated in a rather bland, weak, sweet and tangy sauce.”  
Everyone was staring at Cilan now.  
“Huh?!” I scratched my head.  
“Is that a new meal?” Trixa asked. “It doesn’t sound too appetizing. I think it needs work.”  
A shrill shriek rang out in the restaurant from the ladies, while the men nodded their approval. A few babies began to cry from the sudden yells.  
“Cilan did his evaluation!” one girl screamed with excitement amongst the screams.  
“His what?” I asked.  
Cilan laughed. “You see, I’m an S Class Pokemon Connoisseur. You’re from the Kanto Region, and are probably not aware of this art. It’s a profession where the compatibility of a Trainer and their Pokemon are rated. I also rate food in this manner, and the two often mesh into one due to their similar traits, making for a rather fantastic viewing of the entire world from my perspective!”  
“Um, okay,” was all I could come up with.  
“I haven’t had the pleasure to view Cress’ matches against you two properly, but judging from what I’ve heard, Trixa’s was truly inspiring, bringing about flavors unexpected and an ending result that had to be experienced to fully be appreciated for its volume of splendid appeal and allure,” Cilan adored, two fingers spread apart on his chin. “Gary’s match, on the other hand, sounded more like a meal that started off with a rather lush flavor, but resulted in missing key ingredients and was a meal even the most unrefined of diners would not have been able to finish.” His hands flailed out at his sides and collapsed.  
“Dove?” Pidove twisted his head to the side.  
I glared at Cilan, suddenly wanting to battle him. But, no. I was here to beat Cress.  
Cress smiled. “I appreciate your appearance today, brother. You’ll be able to witness what scents and flavors are brought out in this pallet to judge.” With a snap of his fingers, the lighting was dimmed and the walls by the fireplace spread apart once more, the fireplace descending into the floor.  
The battlefield was revealed once again.  
The diners ran to get changed into their cheerleader outfits in the back.  
“Good luck, Gary,” Trixa nodded with a smile.  
“I believe in you and Pidove,” June said, giving me a nod.  
Trixa led the way to the hallway which would lead to the stairs to watch the battle from above.  
June watched her before turning to me briefly and then running after Trixa.  
Chili, Cilan, and Cress smiled at me, and then led the way to the place of battle.  
“Good luck in your match, Gary!” Chili said with an eager raise of his fist, and then he walked over to the corner, away from the battlefield.  
“Yes, I hope this battle will have a pleasant taste,” Cilan winked, and walked just outside of the battlefield.  
Cress walked to his position as I took mine. “Well then, Gary. Shall we begin?”  
Loud cries from above grabbed my attention as I saw the cheerleaders at the top of the balcony. “Cress will win! Cress will win! He did it once, and now again! YAAAAAAAY!!!”  
“GO GARY!”  
I looked up and saw June on the opposite end of the balcony from where the cheerleaders were cheering, next to Trixa, who was clapping and whistling and jumping up and down.   
“Come on, Gary! Get your Badge!” Trixa screamed out.  
I smiled at them and nodded, and then I turned to Cress. “Let’s begin!”  
“Ducklett, let’s do our best to douse the competition once again!” Cress threw his Poke Ball.  
“Ducklett!” Ducklett appeared strongly.  
“Pidove, go!” I pointed, and Pidove flew from my shoulder, staying in the air, facing Ducklett.  
“This is a one-on-one battle between Striaton City Gym Leader, Cress, and Gary from the Kanto region’s Pallet Town!” Cilan stated. “There is no time limit on this match. The match will be over when one of the Trainer’s Pokemon is unable to battle. Let this battle begin!”  
“I insist,” Cress said with a wave. “You attack first.”  
“Right! Pidove, use Quick Attack!” I started.  
“Piiiidove!” Pidove flew at Ducklett.  
“Ducklett, Aerial Ace,” Cress responded.  
Both Pokemon slammed into each other repeatedly, forcing each other back. They kept flying at each other with their fast moves, neither one backing down.   
“Ducklett, Water Gun!”  
“Pidove, Gust attack!”  
Ducklett raised a wing and sprayed water at Pidove.  
Pidove flapped his wings strongly.  
The Water Gun flew at Pidove, but was suddenly halted against the Gust attack, unable to reach Pidove. The attack just barely reached Pidove before it came splashing down.  
Ducklett quacked angrily at this, Pidove crying back determinedly.  
“Not bad,” Cress nodded. “Then let’s try Wing Attack.”  
Ducklett flew at Pidove, its wings glowing white.  
“Gust again! Keep it back!”  
Pidove used Gust again.  
Ducklett let out a cry as it was held back by Pidove’s Gust.  
“Ducklett, you can do it!” Cress urged his Pokemon. “Full force. Go!”  
Ducklett shouted out hard and flew into the Gust, forcing itself forward, and smacked Pidove in the stomach with Wing Attack.  
Pidove was forced down from the powerful move.  
“Pidove, get up!” I demanded.  
“Now catch it with Water Pulse!”  
Ducklett landed on the ground near Pidove and reached its wings out in front of it. A blue orb appeared, which Ducklett tossed at Pidove.  
“Dove?” Pidove sat up and saw the approaching attack. “Dove!” Pidove was hit and held captive inside of the blue orb, waves of water slamming on him until the orb finally popped. Pidove groaned from the ground weakly.  
“Pidove, come on! Don’t give up!” I encouraged him. “We can win this! You’re doing great! Get up!”  
Pidove managed to his feet and shook his head.  
“Quick Attack!”  
Pidove flew at Ducklett quickly, knocking it back.  
“Ducklett!” Ducklett growled, shaking its head.  
“Another Quick Attack!”  
Pidove attacked again, forcing Ducklett onto its back.  
Ducklett was looking weak now.   
Alright, I thought excitedly. We’re almost home. “Quick Attack once more! Give it all you’ve got!”  
Pidove pecked at the ground quietly and then looked up, walking away from Ducklett!!  
“PIDOOVE!!!” I raged. “OF ALL TIMES, NOT NOOOOW!!!”  
Cress chuckled. “Aqua Ring,” Cress said with a calm wave and a simple smile.  
Ducklett got to its feet and its body was outlined in blue. Rings of water surrounded its body, and after a few moments, its body looked refreshed and the water rings disappeared. “Ducklett!”  
“No!” I screamed angrily, snatching up my Pokedex.  
Aqua Ring. The user regains energy by using this attack.  
“Now, let’s start wrapping this up, Ducklett. Use Feather Dance.”  
Ducklett flew over Pidove as Pidove continued to peck peacefully at the ground, unaware of the battle he was in the middle of.  
“Pidove, Quick Attack! Watch out!” I called to my Pokemon.  
The tiny pigeon looked up, and then side to side, but not above where the opponent was.  
Ducklett’s body was outlined in gold as it flapped its wings over my Pokemon, white feathers flying out from its wings and pummeling Pidove.  
Pidove stumbled back, his body shivering, his feathers puffed out.  
Ducklett’s attack ended and it flew to the ground, its eyes on Pidove.  
Pidove glared back at it, but didn’t seem hurt by the attack. His feathers flattened against his body, making his appearance normal again.  
“What happened?” I asked, raising my Pokedex again.  
Feather Dance. This move lowers the opponent’s Attack.  
“Just great,” I muttered. “Now Quick Attack won’t be as effective anymore. Then we have no choice. Pidove, use Gust!”  
Pidove took a step forward, and then froze, cocking its head sideways at Ducklett. “Pii?”  
My shoulders slumped. This isn’t fair, I thought, feeling my eyes beginning to water with frustration and a feeling of lack of control over the situation. He’s forgetting his moves! How can I win like this? This just isn’t fair!!  
“This ends here,” Cress said. “Bubblebeam!”  
Ducklett opened its beak to attack.  
“DOVE!” Pidove’s eyes widened, and in a flash, he flew at Ducklett, knocking it down with Quick Attack!  
Ducklett’s Bubblebeam came out from its beak as it slid on the ground on its back, and the bubbles crashed into the ceiling.  
“What?!” Cress exclaimed.  
“Whoa!” I let out.  
“Ducklett, get back up!” Cress called to his duck.  
As Ducklett shook its head and started to get up, Pidove knocked it right back down with Gust attack, forcing it to crash into a boulder on the field.  
“Duuuuuck!” Ducklett groaned.  
“My Ducklett!” Cress gasped. “Aerial Ace!”  
“Quick Attack!” I told Pidove.  
Both birds were gone in an instant, reappearing as they slammed into each other at a blinding speed.  
Ducklett overpowered Pidove and Pidove flew back hard into a boulder.  
“There’s no competition anymore,” Cress said easily. “Feather Dance has your Pidove’s Attack down to a trickling stream compared to my Ducklett’s crashing waves.”  
“Not a chance!!” I insisted.  
“Pidove!!” Pidove seemed infuriated. He stood up and glared at Ducklett, breathing heavily, looking exhausted.  
“There’s no challenge, no contest! Who will win this? Cress!! Cress!! Cress!!” Cress’ groupies were sure.  
“Gary! Gary! Um…” Trixa called to me, thinking to herself. “Uh… Look more happy!” She beamed proudly at her attempt at rhyming.  
June covered her face with both of her hands and shook her head.  
Better than nothing, I thought. I immediately had second thoughts about that.  
Pidove flew into the air, circling above Ducklett, an angry determination coming from his throat.  
“Pidove, what’s going on?” I called up to him. “What are you doing?”  
“Piiidove!!” Pidove flapped his wings and then closed them around his body. His wings spread open and several light blue, ‘X’ shaped streams of energy flew out at Ducklett!  
Ducklett’s body glowed white where the attacks hit and it was thrown back, screaming.  
“Ducklett!” Cress gasped.  
Cilan’s eyes widened as he watched Pidove’s attack.  
Air Cutter. This attack has a higher chance of damaging the opponent with Critical Hits.  
“Hey, you just learned this move!” I realized, looking at Pidove’s new level on my Pokedex. “This is great! And it’s a Special move, not a Physical one! Feather Dance has no effect on the damage!”  
Pidove abruptly stopped attacking and landed gently. He began to peck at the floor and calmly walk around the field.  
“WHAT?!?” My heart was beating hard now as I watched my Pokemon casually stroll around the battlefield, no longer fighting.  
“Ducklett is unable to battle. Pidove is the winner!” Cilan ruled. “This match goes to Gary and Pidove!”  
“Whaaaaaat?!?!?” I couldn’t believe my ears.  
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!” the cheerleaders all exploded at once.  
“YES!” June cheered happily.  
“Gary did it! He won!” Trixa let out.  
Both girls turned to hug each other, jumping up and down.  
Pidove cried out at the loud noises filling the Gym and flew into the air in fright, unaware of what was going on.  
Ducklett was on its back, knocked out.  
Cress had one eye wide open, staring down at Ducklett.  
Chili’s mouth was wide, looking at Ducklett.  
Cilan smiled and shrugged. “Well, that certainly had a less than desired taste, but it was entertaining, to put it mildly, and it does appear that Ducklett is beaten, so my hands are kind of tied, here.”  
“We… we…” I stammered. “We… WON!!!” I ran onto the battlefield towards Pidove. “Pidove, you did it!! You won it!!”  
“Pidove?” Pidove looked around and saw the defeated Ducklett. “Pidove! Pidove!!”  
He flew towards me and I grabbed him in my hands gently. “We did it! Pidove, you won!” My excitement became a more relaxed, complacent sigh while maintaining my smile. “That was way too close for comfort, Pidove. We really need to work on that memory of yours.”  
Pidove nodded and smiled, cooing happily.   
“But, for now, we won our first Badge in Unova!” I celebrated.  
Cress returned his Ducklett to its Poke Ball and was joined by his brothers as they approached me.  
I set Pidove on my left shoulder.  
Chili handed Cress a small, black box containing the Trio Badge.  
Cilan stood on the other side of Cress. “However strange and unfulfilling that match was...” he commented, his smile fading slightly, raising one finger to his cheek.  
“...you still won it and kept things heated!” Chili continued.  
“And I proudly hand to you your first Badge here in Unova,” Cress bowed, opening the box.  
“Wow,” I whispered. “I can’t believe it!” I took my Badge and held it up high. “Look, Pidove! Our first Badge! The Trio Badge!”  
“Pidoooove!” Pidove happily sang.  
“I must say, though, as a Pokemon Connoisseur, you and Pidove do not seem to contain the best blend of Pokemon and Trainer,” Cilan mentioned. “I think you two make a rather undesirably sour concoction and I’d recommend you seeking a different kind of Pokemon, instead.”  
I opened my mouth to snap at Cilan, sick of his stupid evaluations, ready to let him hear my own opinion about him as anger flowed steadily through me.  
“Garyyy…” I heard a voice sing gently behind me as a hand landed on my shoulder.  
I turned around to see June and Trixa smiling at me, June’s hand on me. She nodded.  
Squinting at her, I took a couple of deep breaths before turning around to face Cilan. “I respect and understand your feelings,” I told him calmly. “However, I recommend you wait until the Pokemon League begins and watch me there. Then you can tell me what you think of me and my Pokemon after we’ve had time to work together and establish a true bond with one another.”  
Cilan’s eyes widened at my words. With a light chuckle, he nodded. “Well then, we shall see!” He extended his hand, and I grasped it tightly, shaking it.   
I shook Chili’s strong hand, and lastly, Cress’ gentler grasp.  
“It was an honor to have met you, Gary. Thank you for visiting Striaton Gym,” Cress said. “Might we treat you to one last meal? A special dinner before you head off to your next destination.”  
I turned to June and Trixa’s eager faces before looking back at Cress. “It’d be an honor.”  
“Free food!” Trixa cheered.  
“Yes, indeed…” June said slyly. “But it’s still only the afternoon. ‘Dinner’ won’t be for a few more hours.” She smoothly crept up to Cilan. “And that battle was awfully strenuous to watch…”  
Cilan’s face turned a dark red and he avoided contact with June’s eyes. “I see…”  
“I have an idea,” Cress suggested. “How about all three of you enjoy a special massage from us as well? Chili will specially cater to you.” Cress turned to Trixa with a nod.  
Trixa let out a shrill squeal of joy.  
“I can pass on the massage,” I said flatly. “Honest.”  
The three brothers laughed at my statement.  
Pidove cooed on my shoulder, rubbing his head against my cheek.  
I pet his head and smiled. “Let’s get back to the Pokemon Center while the girls enjoy themselves here. We’ll come back later for dinner.”  
Pidove nodded in agreement.  
At that, we separated.  
Trixa talked to Chili rapidly as he led her to the back.  
Cilan was June’s property and she grabbed him by the arm and pulled him through the back door, flying past Chili and Trixa.  
Pidove and I left the building, heading to the Pokemon Center.  
We were all so happy and carefree, feeling good after my win at the Striaton Gym.  
None of us knew of the changes that were soon to come.


	11. The Mole Among Us

“My mom and dad are so proud of me,” Trixa said proudly. “They said I’ll be a Pokemon Master in no time with the way things are going for me so far. And my little brother is just, too, cute!! He really misses me! It was heartbreaking seeing him cry. He wants to travel with me.”  
“Awwwww! That’s so precious!” June gushed.  
“He’s the sweetest, cutest little guy in the world,” Trixa smiled lovingly at her. “Sometimes, I just wanna run back home and stay with him instead of traveling.”  
There’s an idea, I thought to myself, looking at Trixa from the corner of my eye.  
“But I want to really be something big in life and make my mom and dad proud,” Trixa continued.   
Like a big time mental case? I thought as I gazed down at the Town Map I had open in my hands. I dunno how proud that’ll make your parents but you definitely are there already.  
“And Prof. Juniper was so happy to hear about my second Badge win, too!” Trixa added.  
June and I gazed at her silently, our eyes wide.  
“Is that all she said…?” June asked hesitantly.  
Trixa turned to us and looked up at the sky thoughtfully, her finger on her chin. “Hmmm. She said I’m doing really well and she’s really happy I caught a Pokemon, but she wants me to try harder to capture more. Then she had to leave to take care of some stuff. She was very busy when I called. I was just about to mention your win, too, Gary.” Her finger fell to her side and her eyes turned to me as she smiled. “Next time I call her, you’ll be the first thing I mention to her. Promise! Me and my silly memory.” She giggled.  
“Don’t worry about it,” I mumbled. Prof. Juniper still hasn’t asked about us, I thought as my eyes returned to the Town Map. Has she forgotten about us? Did she not talk to Prof. Oak that day we ran away from her? Maybe Prof. Oak was hurt really badly when Porygon-Z shocked him, and he’s been in the hospital ever since! He was paralyzed on the ground when I saw him last. I really hope he’s alright. Should I call him? At some point, I’ll have to. I need to know if Charizard and Porygon-Z made it back or not. I also want to see all of my Pokemon again.   
My first Badge in Unova, the Trio Badge, flashed in my mind. Back in Kanto, I called my mom up after I won a Badge, although that usually led to another demand for me to come home, leading to an argument. After a while, I started calling her a lot less. I hope she’s okay, too, I thought, my eyes suddenly filling with tears. I hope Rotom didn’t hurt her. Despite the issues we had with each other, I still love you, mom. And I know you love me, too.  
“Have you found out the location of the next Gym?” June asked.  
I turned to her quickly, surprised. “Huh? Oh.” I closed my eyes and shook my head hard, returning to the map.   
“Are you okay?” June’s eyes squinted with concern.  
“Of course I am!” I said roughly, blinking my vision clear. “It looks like we have a couple of options from here. There’s a Gym in Nacrene City up ahead, and then we have the Steel type Gym in Vancteck City, which is a bit closer than Nacrene City.”  
“I believe Nacrene City is where the Rock Gym is at, run by Diggy,” Trixa said to me. “He’s the son of the owners of a famous museum there. They do a lot of research on fossils.”  
Pidove sat on my left shoulder, looking down at the Town Map with me.  
“A museum sounds nice!” June went on. “I think Nacrene City sounds like an awesome place!”  
“We’re not going to a museum, June,” I said flatly. “Or at least, I’m not.”  
“Grrrr,” June growled, crossing her arms. She turned to Trixa. “Well, I say we should vote on it. What do you think we should do, Trixa? Wouldn’t you like to see a museum that has a lot of information on fossils and stuff?”  
“Not really,” Trixa said with a bored tone. “That Steel Gym sounds good, though. I have Fire types. Steel is weak to Fire, right? I think we should go there.”  
“Pansear!” Pansear cried. He was sitting on top of Trixa’s shoulders, one leg on each shoulder, his feet wrapped around her neck, his hands and head resting lazily atop her head.  
“I think Pansear agrees!” Trixa laughed.  
I smiled, but it faded shortly after. “Well, this isn’t exactly a vote, anyway,” I said seriously. “I want to go to Vancteck City, and that’s pretty much the end of it.”  
“Control freak,” June muttered.  
I turned to her and glared. “Perhaps Trixa and I will go to Vancteck City, and you can go to Nacrene City.”  
June sighed. “I’m sick of arguing with you and your controlling ways,” June said angrily. “It’d be nice to compromise for once, you know? Visit new places together. Enjoy the sights. Have fun! But with you, it’s work, work, work!”  
“Nothing wrong with that,” I said in a low voice. “This is pretty much my journey. It’s all of our journey, but I’m on my own path. I won’t sacrifice where I’m headed for others. We all have to advance in our own ways. That’s what being a Pokemon Trainer is all about.”  
“Making friends and showing a little compromise never hurt anyone,” June said sharply.  
“You’re the one following me,” I shot back. “So, I’m supposed to be leading the way. Trixa, on the other hand, well…” I turned to her.   
Trixa stared back.  
“Well, she’s more than welcome to join us, but going off on her own is also not a bad idea,” I said finally. I looked away from her and focused on the surrounding trees.  
The path was unclear, and as I led the way towards Vancteck City based on the directions of the Town Map, the path got even more crowded with trees. The air was cool, and as we got deeper into the woods, it got a little more chilly. I zipped up my jacket and a breeze immediately blew by, giving me the shivers.  
“I hope we don’t get lost,” Trixa said with concern.  
A strong gust of wind pushed against us, slowing us down a little as we pressed on.  
Winter’s showing itself, I knew. It’s about to get really cold.  
As the five of us pushed on, the wind seemed to get even stronger in response, trying its best to push us backwards.  
“Whoa!” June exclaimed. “This is getting pretty serious, now!”  
We struggled forward, one step at a time, the wind roaring at us.  
I closed my eyes as they teared up.  
It wasn’t long before several loud cries rang out through the area.  
“Huh?” I said, squinting through tears through the wind.  
Several white balls of fluff with green appendages by their sides flew past the five of us.  
“What’s that?” June ducked to her knees.  
I didn’t move, watching as the strange creatures flew by us, resembling balls of cotton with leaves by their sides, crying out.  
“Those are Cottonee!” Trixa said happily.  
“Cottonee?” I pulled out my Pokedex.  
Cottonee. The Cotton Puff Pokemon. They intimidate foes by puffing out their cotton around them. These friendly Pokemon are easily blown around by the wind.  
“A new Pokemon!” I spoke eagerly.  
Several of the Cottonee flew around the trees, escaping deeper into the thick collection of trees, and the wind finally began to die down.  
“Come on! Let’s catch one!” I ran only a couple of steps forward before one of the Cottonee slammed into a tree and fell.   
“Coooottoneeee!” it wailed out, its voice light and reminiscent of a sheep.  
“Pidove, Quick Attack!” I yelled as I came to a stop several feet away from the cottony Pokemon.  
“Piiiii!” Pidove flew out at Cottonee at lightning speed and tackled it.  
Cottonee screamed out and sat still on the ground.  
“Now, wrap this up with Gust!”  
Pidove’s wings flapped gently, keeping himself in the air, and he stared quietly at Cottonee. He didn’t attack.  
“Pidove? Pidove!!” I screamed angrily as I realized what was happening.  
Cottonee got up and faced Pidove with a strong glare.  
“Pidove! This is no time to be getting forgetful! Quick Attack!”  
Cottonee’s body started to glow a light green.  
Pidove shook his head and flew at Cottonee quickly, knocking it over and causing the glow to disappear.  
“Alright! Now, like I said before, use Gust attack!” I repeated.  
Cottonee suddenly leaped high into the air above Pidove at a blinding speed and began to shiver its body. A golden powder came off of it and surrounded my Pidove as he looked around in shock.  
“How did it move that fast?” I gasped.  
Pidove fell to the ground, cawing out in pain.  
“That’s Stun Spore!” June noted.  
He’s Paralyzed, I growled silently to myself. “Pidove! Fight it! Use Gust attack!”  
Pidove remained, trembling against the Paralysis.  
Cottonee fell to the ground and started glowing again, a beam firing out at Pidove.  
Pidove uttered out sharply in pain from the hit.  
Cottonee began to look visibly healthier.  
“It’s one of the draining moves!” I said loudly. “Absorb, or maybe Mega Drain or Giga Drain! It’s sapping Pidove’s health!”  
Cottonee’s attack ended, and Pidove was left breathing hard. Cottonee looked a lot better and eager for more.  
“Pidove, get up and use that Gust!” I ordered.  
The two leaves on the sides of Cottonee’s body glowed light green and began to wave. Multiple leaves fired from them and hit Pidove, knocking him over as he was starting to get back up.  
Pidove shook his head and climbed back onto his talons, but then he twitched painfully, falling over.  
“Pidove! Come on!” I urged as he struggled to fight through the Paralysis he was suffering from. “Quick Attack!”  
Cottonee floated over, closer to Pidove, ready to attack again, when a sudden gust of wind blew through the area. Cottonee was taken in surprise, easily blown through the air.  
“Pidove!” Pidove flew at Cottonee with Quick Attack. His attack hit, forcing Cottonee back, slamming it into a tree.  
“Now, Gust attack!”  
Pidove attacked with Gust, which, combined with the wind blowing, seemed to form a small tornado that pulled in Cottonee and had it swirling in circles. The wind finally died down again and Pidove dropped as Paralysis took over again.  
Cottonee was released from the tornado as it dissipated. It fell, a dizzy look on its face as it groaned weakly.  
I grabbed my Poke Ball and made it larger. “Here we go! Poke Ball!” I threw it hard at Cottonee.  
The Poke Ball bounced off of Cottonee’s head, opened, and sucked it inside with a red beam before landing, the button in the middle glowing red, shaking hard.  
Pidove managed to stand up and he stared at the shaking Poke Ball.  
The Poke Ball shook hard some more.  
PING!  
The light on the Poke Ball faded away.  
“Yes! Cottonee is mine!” I cheered, running towards it and picking it up. “We did it, Pidove! We caught a Cottonee!”  
Pidove seemed thrilled and flew into the air, circling over my head.  
I turned to June and Trixa joyously.  
June smiled back. “Congratulations!”  
Trixa had an upset look on her face.  
“What’s wrong?” I asked her.  
“I wanted that Pokemon,” Trixa said, shaking her head. “You just totally took it from me!”  
“Huh? I just…”  
“I really don’t like how you’re always being a control freak. June was right. That wasn’t cool at all.”  
“What? Wait! I wasn’t trying to be a control freak! I just wanted to catch one of the Cottonee!”  
“Yeah? Well, you caught the only one in the area. The others got away! You could have at least asked if I wanted it, first.”  
Pansear shouted out in protest at me, waving his fist.  
My face fell. “I wasn’t trying to be mean or anything. I’m sorry, Trixa.”  
Trixa lowered her head and sighed. “Just forget it.”   
Pansear raged out once more before quieting down, glaring at me, and his Trainer turned around and walked away.  
I felt a little bad, but I hadn’t really done anything wrong. Trixa had more Pokemon than I do! I argued in my head. Now, we’re even! I considered bringing this fact up to her, but decided not to.  
“Piiidove,” Pidove moaned.  
“Pidove!” I turned to him.   
He was moaning weakly from the pain of Paralysis he was suffering from.  
“Hold on!” I knelt down and opened my bag. “We bought some items at the Poke Mart.” Before I could find the item I was looking for, I heard some kind of disturbance near me.  
Trixa stopped and gasped.  
June had been watching me try and heal my Pidove, but turned around at the sound of Trixa’s gasp.  
A strange mole looking Pokemon had dug up through the ground, staring at us.   
Trixa screamed happily and pointed at the little Pokemon.  
It immediately dug its way back down into the hole it appeared from.  
“Nooooooooo!!” Trixa wailed out.  
“Good job, Trixa,” I said, digging through my bag again. “You scared it away. You can’t blame me for that one.”  
“That’s no faaaaaaaiirrrrr!!!” Trixa screeched, stomping her right foot repeatedly.  
Pansear screeched angrily with Trixa.  
I finally found a Full Heal and sprayed Pidove’s body with it.  
Pidove’s eyes closed as I sprayed him, and he finally opened then and flapped his wings, crying out with relief.  
I stood up and smiled at my Pokemon.  
Pidove flew onto my left shoulder and cooed peacefully.  
“So, what was that Pokemon?” I asked a still raging Trixa who was still stomping.  
She stopped her stomping and turned to me, her eyes wide with innocence. “I dunno.”  
I slapped my forehead and sighed. “Well, let’s just get going. Vancteck City isn’t much further from here. Maybe another day or two. Less if we keep up a good pace.”  
“Fine,” Trixa grumbled.  
I led the way once again and looked at the Poke Ball still in my hand, smiling. An excited feeling ran throughout my body. A new Pokemon, I thought cheerfully. This is so cool! A Cottonee. I was having flashbacks to the days when I had captured my first Pokemon. Mankey. Weedle. Hoothoot. Metapod. Such cherished, memorable times for me.  
My walking slowed as I thought about Weedle. I wonder how he’s doing… A wave of sadness splashed over me. Where is he? Whatever the situation is with you and Drock, I hope you’re happy. I hope we’ll meet again, Beedrill. I hope you’re safe. I won’t ever forget you. I hope that, maybe, you think about me on occasion. But most of all, I only care for your happiness. A depressing clutch over my body made my shoulders droop, my body filling with what felt like molasses or glue as everything seemed to come close to a complete stop. My eyes began to refill.  
A sound disrupted my thoughts and emotions, and I tried ignoring it. Curiosity got the best of me though, and I turned around to see that June and Trixa had also stopped walking and were looking behind them.  
It was the mole Pokemon! It had dug up from the ground again, now standing where we had walked away from, and was slashing one of its huge claws at a tree trunk repeatedly.  
Trixa pulled out her Pokedex. “There it is again,” she whispered.  
Drilbur. The Mole Pokemon. This Pokemon is quick at digging and hard to capture for this reason. It lives secluded in caves and underground areas, and will fight if bothered.  
“So it’s a Drilbur,” I noted.  
“Dril?” Drilbur stopped slashing the tree trunk and turned to us.   
Something large fell from the tree branches and dropped on top of Drilbur’s head.   
“Drilbur!” It looked down at the piece of fruit that fell. It smiled and picked it up.  
“That thing is mine!” Trixa ran forward with a Poke Ball in her hand. “Tepig, Flame Charge!” She tossed her Poke Ball.  
“Tepiiiig!” Tepig stomped on the ground repeatedly before becoming engulfed with fire and he flew out at Drilbur, knocking it over.  
Drilbur’s fruit flew from its claws as the Pokemon landed on its back. Growling angrily at Tepig as it got back up, its claws glowed white as it slashed them together, making a sharp noise in the air.  
“Hone Claws!” June called out. “He’s raising his Attack and Accuracy!”  
“Another Flame Charge!” Trixa went on.  
Tepig attacked again, knocking over Drilbur.  
Drilbur jumped to his feet, shaking off the damage, and attacked Tepig rapidly with Fury Swipes, his claws glowing white, cutting into Tepig’s body. Before Tepig could recover from the hit, Drilbur dug underground.  
“It got away!” Trixa said with disappointment. “Why didn’t it stick around? That’s so unfair!!”  
“Trixa, wait!” I warned her.  
The ground shook hard and Drilbur appeared from under it, right underneath Tepig, delivering a powerful blow to the little pig.  
“Teeeepig!” Tepig soared through the air and landed hard.  
“Tepig! Oh, no!” Trixa complained.  
Tepig got to his feet, shaking his head hard.  
Drilbur did Hone Claws again, raising his Attack and Accuracy even further. He ran at Tepig and raised one large, glowing claw, hitting Tepig with Slash attack.  
Tepig flashed white where the attack landed, indicating a Critical Hit, suffering Tepig even more damage than normal. He rolled along the ground and then remained still.  
Drilbur dug through the ground and didn’t come back.  
“Tepig!” Trixa ran to her Pokemon and knelt down by him, rubbing his head. “Come back! Get some rest! Poor thing!” She returned him to his Poke Ball and sighed, looking ready to cry.  
“Pansear! Pan!” Pansear rubbed the top of Trixa’s head with both of his hands, smiling.  
Trixa smiled, trying to stare up at Pansear, and giggled. “I guess next time it’ll be you and me battling that thing, huh?”  
“Pansear!” Pansear nodded.  
“We were lucky to see him twice...” June said hesitantly.“Seeing him a third time seems a little unlikely. Why would he come back here again? He has no reason.”  
I looked over to where Drilbur had escaped. “June’s right. Let’s keep going.” I was ready to walk away, but I froze.  
June and Trixa stared at me as I focused on something.  
“What’s wrong, Gary?” June asked.  
I turned to Trixa with a smirk. “You really want that Drilbur, huh?”  
“Yeah!!”  
I turned to June. “I have a feeling we can get that thing to come back, at least one more time.”  
“How?!” June and Trixa questioned with surprise.

*

June, Trixa, Pansear, Pidove, and I huddled close together by a large bush, several feet away from where I had explained my plan to them to catch the Drilbur a couple of hours or so ago. We could see a bunch of fruit underneath a tree, gathered there by us after we had repeatedly kicked and otherwise attacked the tree trunk Drilbur had been hitting, and we gathered the fallen spoils. We ran off deeper into the woods to hide and wait for Drilbur’s arrival.  
“Well, this is d-” Trixa started as she stood up, ending up mumbling against my hand I clasped over her mouth as I pulled her back down, hard.  
“Shut up, you idiot,” I whispered.  
“Gary, I think she’s right,” June said, a weary look on her face.   
“Will you both be quiet?” I whispered louder, getting impatient.  
“Gary, I’m sorry, but he’s not-” June tried.  
I waved my hand angrily and pointed ahead as a movement grabbed my attention.  
June, Trixa, Pidove and Pansear turned to see a rustling in the grass as a Pokemon came out.  
“That’s a Patrat,” Trixa said lowly in disappointment.   
I sighed, no longer holding up any hope myself.  
“Well, she’s cute,” June smiled.  
Patrat sniffed the ground and got closer to the fruit. She grabbed a little yellow berry and nibbled on it, her tail wagging rapidly.  
“I guess a Patrat is better than nothing,” Trixa stated.  
Suddenly, Patrat froze and turned around in our direction, her eyes wide in fear. Her attention was then grabbed as she looked away from us, behind her.  
The ground broke apart and Drilbur popped his head out from the ground!  
“Yes!” I whispered excitedly. “He’s back!”  
Drilbur looked happily at the fruit pile and then looked pleasantly at Patrat.  
Patrat turned in our direction again, and then back to Drilbur.  
Drilbur smiled and walked over to the fruit and grabbed a blue one, saying something happily to Patrat.  
Patrat said something to Drilbur and then looked back to us before scurrying away into the woods.  
Drilbur looked at Patrat in confusion, his smile fading, before smiling again and happily ate the fruit he had in a couple of bites.  
“No escape this time!” Trixa shouted, and ran at Drilbur, Pansear running alongside her, screeching his name determinedly.  
“Drilbur!” Drilbur dropped his fruit in a start and dug into the ground.  
“Go after it!” Trixa commanded.  
Pansear dug underground after Drilbur.  
Neither Pokemon reappeared for a while.   
The four of us were watching quietly.  
The ground shook and Pansear burst from the underground, Drilbur right underneath him, forcing him up with a Super Effective punch to his stomach!  
Pansear landed on the ground hard.  
Drilbur came back down and used Slash attack on Pansear, throwing Pansear back, and he landed near Trixa.  
“Pansear!” Trixa called out to him. “Let’s win this one! I know we can do it! Get up and use Yawn attack!”  
Pansear got up and opened his mouth wide, sending out multiple bubbles at Drilbur.  
“Driiiiiilbur!” Drilbur spun rapidly and charged into the bubbles, popping them and tackling Pansear down.  
“Paaaannn…” Pansear groaned.  
Drilbur took the opportunity to use Hone Claws again.  
“Pansear, please! You have to get up! We can’t lose like this! Use your Bite attack!” Trixa pleaded.  
Pansear got to his feet, wobbling a little, and jumped at Drilbur, sinking his teeth into Drilbur’s arm.  
Drilbur cried out, trying hard to shake off Pansear, finally tossing the monkey back.  
“Flame Burst!”  
Pansear let out a ball of fire from his mouth, into the air, and it exploded and showered Drilbur in flames.  
Drilbur dug underground before being touched by any of the dowsing flames, and appeared within seconds underneath Pansear, knocking him over.   
“Pansear, nooo!” Trixa said sadly.  
Pansear pushed himself up, but Drilbur attacked with Fury Swipes and Pansear stumbled back, colliding with a tree, which he finally leaned against wearily and collapsed.  
Trixa let out a hurt grunt and ran past Drilbur, towards her Pansear, and picked him up, pressing her head to his body.  
Drilbur smiled and turned back to me and June. “Drilbur!” He raised his claws high and looked down at the ground, ready to dig away.  
“NO!” I shouted, and threw a Poke Ball at Drilbur. “Cottonee, I choose you!”   
“Coooottoneee!” Cottonee sang out, looking a little tired, hovering in the air.  
“We’re not done with you, yet!” I told Drilbur as I pulled out my Pokedex to check out Cottonee’s moves. “Okay, Mega Drain!”  
Before Cottonee could attack, Drilbur leaped at Cottonee and swiped at it repeatedly.  
Cottonee hit the ground hard but managed to get back up, hovering.  
“Try again, one more time!” I insisted.  
Cottonee used Mega Drain, a green, star shaped leaf on the back of its body glowing white. Its body glowed light green, and a beam of light green light reached from each glowing leaf and headed for Drilbur.  
Drilbur dug underground, escaping the attack, and appeared again in seconds by attacking Cottonee with Dig attack.  
Cottonee hit the ground, squirming desperately.  
“Cottonee!” I said loudly. This Drilbur is damn well tough, I admitted. And Cottonee is weak from the battle with Pidove. Both Pidove and Cottonee are weakened, but they both have an advantage over Drilbur. “Cottonee, do you need to return?”   
Cottonee shook its head hard and got back into the air, shaking weakly as it struggled to keep on going.  
Drilbur is so fast, I realized. If only we could get one little hit in and get some energy back with Mega Drain!  
“Move as fast as you can, Cottonee! Mega Drain!” I pushed it.  
Drilbur took a strong leap at Cottonee, his claws clawing white, and Cottonee tried to attack with Mega Drain. Drilbur slashed at Cottonee repeatedly, dropping my Pokemon easily.  
“Gary, use another Pokemon or something!” June begged. “Drilbur is just too quick! Cottonee won’t get a hit in! He’s just too slow!”  
I gripped Cottonee’s Poke Ball, knowing I couldn’t just let him continue to get beat up like this. Shaking my head, I took a deep breath and gathered all of the energy and determination inside of me to scream out, “Cottonee, Stun Spore!! NOW!!”  
Drilbur once again ran at my weakened Cottonee, his claws gleaming like metal.  
“Gary, it’s Metal Claw!” June informed me.  
Suddenly, Cottonee moved with stunning speed, actually getting back into the air, and his body shook hard as a golden powder fell from his body. It was like watching him move in fast forward!  
Drilbur, leaping into the air, was hit by the powder and called out helplessly he fell, the metal sheen to his claws disappearing instantly.  
“Hey!” I screamed happily. “You did it! Cottonee, you got him!”  
Cottonee sang out happily, weakly.  
“This is our chance! Mega Drain!” I commanded.  
Cottonee attacked once again, and he caught Drilbur as he was squirming on the floor. Drilbur was sapped from the powerful attack as Cottonee regained health.  
When the attack ended, Drilbur managed to his feet, but then he bent over, twitching from Paralysis.  
“Again! Mega Drain!”  
Cottonee sapped Drilbur once again, dropping Drilbur to his knees as his pleas tore through the skies. He was holding himself up by his claws after Mega Drain ended, heaving heavily.  
“Now, Leech Seed!”   
A seed sprouted from the top of Cottonee’s white fluff on his head, and it soared at Drilbur, landing on his head, and vines sprouted from the seed, wrapping around him, draining his energy.  
Drilbur fell, remaining still on the ground, Leech Seed absorbing his health, and I grabbed my Poke Ball. “Oh!” I turned to Trixa.  
She was still holding her Pansear, her eyes gleaming with tears, looking right at me.  
I looked back into her eyes.   
The only sound was from Drilbur suffering from the Leech Seed attack.  
“Trixa,” I nodded. “Go ahead.”  
Trixa turned to Drilbur, who was now getting to his feet, still struggling from the Leech Seed that was draining his energy. She turned back to me and shook her head. “You earned it, Gary. You should capture it.”  
I shook my head. “We went through all of this for you, Trixa. You caught Pidove for me. I owe you one. This is your capture. Go on.”  
“Cottoneeeeeee!” Cottonee’s voice grabbed everyone’s attention.  
We all turned to see Cottonee on the ground, Drilbur’s claws gleaming with metal, showing he had just used Metal Claw on my Pokemon.  
Cottonee still got back up.  
I turned back to Trixa. “Come on! Do it!!” I yelled at her.  
“I’m not going to!” Trixa yelled back. “It’d be gone if I were alone. You weakened it, not me! You beat it! Now, catch it!”  
“Coooooottoneeeee!” Cottonee screamed out again.  
We all looked at Drilbur as he swiped at Cottonee with Slash attack, Cottonee’s body shaking harshly as he struggled to stay afloat and not give in.  
“Gary, do something!” Fear was on June’s face.  
I turned from June to Trixa. “Trixa!! Please!”  
“Catch that Drilbur, Gary!” Trixa begged, hugging her Pansear in her arms.   
Cottonee slid on the ground, in between Trixa and I, and we both gasped, turning to Drilbur.  
“DRIIIIILBURRRRR!!”He raised his arms into the air and dug through the ground.  
“It’s getting away!!!” Trixa shrieked.  
Half of Drilbur’s body got underground before he rose his body out of the hole and fell onto his back, twitching from Paralysis, still being sapped by the Leech Seed.  
I growled angrily and stared at the Poke Ball in my hand.  
Groaning hard, Drilbur slowly got to his feet and stumbled towards the hole to escape.  
“Gary!!!” June’s hands were held out helplessly.  
“Poke Ball!” I threw it at Drilbur.  
Drilbur leaped for the hole desperately.  
The Poke Ball hit him in the stomach and it opened, a red beam sucking him inside. The button glowed red as it shook on the ground.  
Nobody spoke as we watched the Poke Ball shake vigorously.  
The Poke Ball seemed to stop suddenly.  
We all gasped happily.  
The red glow is still on the Poke Ball button, I realized in shock.  
The Poke Ball suddenly shook again, even harder, making us all let out our breaths with disappointment.  
And it continued to shake.  
The Poke Ball suddenly stopped shaking and the red light vanished with a PING!  
I let out my breath loudly. “Ha!” I gasped. “I did it! YES!” I ran to the Poke Ball and picked it up. “I caught a Drilbur! I caught him!”   
Pidove flew from my shoulder, fluttering joyfully.  
Cottonee happily cheered, floating only a couple of feet in the air, visibly tired. With a sigh, it finally rested on the ground.  
“Cottonee! Thank you so much!” I hugged him and felt his soft body in my arms, against my face, feeling like the softest object I’d ever touched. I breathed into his body and didn’t want to let go. “You were just fantastic, Cottonee!”  
“Cottoneeeee!” he replied.  
“Good job, Gary,” Trixa told me.  
I let go of Cottonee and turned to her. “Trixa.”  
She had a smile on her face as she walked over to me, her Pansear still in her arms. “When I earn a capture, I’ll make a capture. You earned that.” Her smile faded as she shook her head. “You almost let that thing get away, and got your Cottonee hurt unnecessarily in the process. I really should have caught that Cottonee myself. I wouldn’t have let it get hurt like that.”  
“You’re right.” I turned to Cottonee. “I’m really sorry, Cottonee.”  
“Cooootttonee!” He waved his leaves at me, not seeming upset at me at all.  
“You got lucky with it,” Trixa spoke. “That Drilbur was fast, but you motivated Cottonee to move quicker and got that Stun Spore out before Drilbur could land another hit!”  
“You’re right!” I acknowledged. “Thanks for that, Cottonee. I knew you could do it.”  
“Cottonee! Coooottoneee!”  
“Huh?” June stepped towards us, a stunned look on her face, her eyes on Cottonee. “Really?”  
“Cottonee?” Cottonee turned to June.  
“Is that really what happened?” June asked him, smiling.  
“Cottonee!” Cottonee said, bobbing in my arms softly.  
“What?” I asked June.  
“Is June reading Pokemon again?” Trixa bounced in place.  
June smiled and turned to Trixa, and then faced me. “You know what, Gary? I think Cottonee has an Ability that allowed him to move first! You should check your Pokedex!”  
“Whoa! Really?” I pulled out my Pokedex.  
Prankster. This Ability allows the user to usually go first if it uses a Status move.  
“Prankster Ability!” I said in disbelief. “Well, that explains something!”  
June giggled and Trixa beamed in delight, looking around.  
There was still so much for me to learn about the Pokemon world, and my goal was to approach everything I possibly could that was out there for me to learn, one day at a time, and become a true Pokemon Master.  
“Hey! A Pokemon!” Trixa immediately took off through the woods.  
“Huh? Where? What is it?!” I looked after her and moved a few steps.  
“This one’s mine, Gary!” Trixa disappeared into the trees.  
“Don’t get lost!” I returned Cottonee to his Poke Ball while running after Trixa.  
Pidove flew after me with a sharp call.  
“Don’t lose me, either! Wait up!” June followed.  
Trixa.  
Pansear.  
Pidove.  
June.  
And myself.  
Running deeper into a strange forest we had no business running through so haphazardly, chasing after a Pokemon Trixa was determined to capture.  
On our way to Vancteck City.


	12. Back For The Future

Trixa led the way, June and I following behind her.  
Pidove flew above my head, keeping up to us desperately, which should have been easy for the Flying type except he’d forget what he was doing and fly to the ground before remembering and call out as he flew to us.  
Trixa held her beaten Pansear in her arms as she ran forth.  
June followed closely behind me.  
I still couldn’t see what Pokemon Trixa was chasing after, but I ran after her, eager to find out which one she was so interested in.  
Trixa moved sharply, accurately, directly on target, her feet stomping the ground to track down this mystery Pokemon.  
Our little group ran through the woods, gasping for air from exhaustion but not daring to slow down.  
I had captured two brand new Pokemon, now owning three on my team.  
Trixa had two. This was Trixa’s turn to capture a Pokemon, and we wouldn’t give up on catching it.  
On that inspiration, we ran together.  
I wonder what Trixa found, I thought. I wanted to stop running, my legs tiring out. Glancing down at the Town Map, I tried to keep track of where we were as we ran blindly through the trees.   
Trixa finally stopped running and bent over, holding onto her knees, needing to catch her breath.  
I ran past Trixa a few feet before stopping, turning back to her, June stopping just past me and turning back, holding her stomach, breathing hoarsely.  
“Trixa?” I choked out.  
Trixa fell down onto her backside. “I give up.” She lowered her head and continued to breathe hard.  
I fell onto my knees and stared at Trixa in disappointment. “That’s it?”   
I heard June cry out and collapse.  
“We ran after whatever it was, forever!” I complained, trying not to get too angry.  
Trixa sprawled out on the ground on her back. “I’m done. I’ll just capture the next Pokemon. I can’t keep going.”  
“You’ve got be kidding me,” I sighed and fell onto my back, my throat sore and dry, desperate for water.  
June sighed. “Well, that was a waste of my energy.”  
“It got away. The thing was fast,” Trixa heaved. “I don’t even know where it went.”  
“How long after it got away did you stop chasing it?” I asked slowly, frowning, my eyes on the leaves blocking most of the gray, late afternoon sky.  
“I don’t know. How long were we chasing it?” Trixa asked.  
“At least fifteen minutes,” I responded.  
“About that long. I couldn’t see it for a long time, but I kept on running, hoping I’d find it.”  
I sat up instantly, leering hard. “Excuse me?!” My hand tightened around the Town Map, crunching it up.  
“About that long. I couldn’t see it for a long time, but I kept on running, hoping I’d find it,” Trixa repeated. Trixa had the nerve to keep smiling at me despite my flaring face.  
“You mean to say we’ve been chasing nothing all this time?!” I asked, hoping she’d tell me I was wrong so that I wouldn’t flip out on her.  
“Yep!” Trixa beamed.  
“TRIXA!!!” I bellowed.  
“Gary!” Trixa sang happily.  
“You idiot! What is going on through your head?!?!”  
Trixa’s smile faded. “Huh?”  
I jumped to my feet, suddenly full of energy and not the least bit tired. “You led us through all of this even after you lost the freaking Pokemon you were chasing after?” I was shaking my fist that held the Town Map at Trixa as I barked.  
“I thought I could find it,” Trixa replied, her voice displaying her sadness.  
“You cannot just go around running through wooded areas like this chasing Pokemon!! Who knows where we are now?!”  
“I just wanted another Pokemon…” Trixa lowered her head, her voice breaking.  
“And how exactly did you intend on battling it, huh?” I snapped in a continuously building rage. “Your Pansear and Tepig can’t battle. They’re still pretty weak from fighting my Drilbur!”  
“Oh, are you going to rub that in all day?” Trixa suddenly had fight in her, glaring now. “I get it! You caught Drilbur!”  
“I’m just stating a fact! Don’t give me that attitude. I told you to capture him! You insisted I should catch him!”  
“You earned it! I lost! If you really wanted to be so sincere and generous, you could have leant me one of your Pokemon to weaken it with.”  
“What’s the difference if I leant you my Pokemon or not if it’s still my Pokemon weakening it?!”  
“You used your Pokemon! If you had said I could use them, then that would have been different! You used them and weakened Drilbur by yourself!”  
“There’s no difference!! It’s still my Pokemon! What the hell??”  
“Now, now, let’s all relax,” June smiled as she set her bag on the ground. She dug through it and pulled out several Poke Balls. “Come on out, everybody!” She threw her Poke Balls into the air and they opened, sending out her Pokemon in several flashes of white light.  
“Vwwweeeeee!” Eevee gushed happily.  
“Galvantula!” Galvantula appeared.  
“Maaagneton!” Magneton sparked.  
Rotom cried out at us all.  
“Electiviiiiiire!” Electivire flexed his muscles.   
“How about we all take a break and relax and have us a nice mealtime?” June suggested brightly. She pulled out three bowls and three bags of food and set a bowl in front of Electivire, Eevee, and Galvantula. Right after that, she filled the bowls with separate food and stepped back as her Pokemon went for the bowls, chowing down on the contents.  
Magneton and Rotom returned Electric shocks to each other’s bodies repeatedly.  
“It has been several hours since we last ate,” Trixa agreed. “Pansear, Tepig, let’s eat!”  
“Pansear!” Pansear happily leaped from Trixa’s arms and landed a few feet away.  
Trixa threw Tepig’s Poke Ball and Tepig came out. “Tepig!” he said upon his arrival.  
Trixa set down bowls in front of her two Pokemon from her bag.  
I was still angry at Trixa, but I took a deep breath to try and calm down, stuffing the Town Map in my pocket. “Okay! Cottonee! Drilbur! GO!”  
Their Poke Balls popped in midair.  
“Drilbur!” Drilbur stretched out.  
“Coooottoneeee!” Cottonee sang out.   
I removed my bag from my back and pulled out three bowls. “Here you guys go.” I shook out food from a single bag.  
Pidove flew from my shoulder and happily pecked at his food.  
Drilbur and Cottonee moved over to their bowls and started eating.  
“Dril??” Drilbur stopped eating almost instantly and looked down at his bowl in disgust and confusion, his mouth full of seeds.  
“Coooottonee?” Cottonee immediately spit his food back into his bowl.  
Drilbur turned to Cottonee and then spit his food out at him.  
“Cooooooottonee!!” Cottonee cried angrily, his eyes closed tight.  
“Hey! Stop that!” I told Drilbur.  
Drilbur looked down at his food in disgust, his tongue hanging out. “Driiiiil!” He looked up at me.  
“I guess they don’t like that bird food, Gary,” June noted. “When we get to Vancteck City, we should grab some Pokemon food that’s a little more versatile.”  
“That would have been smarter,” I agreed, nodding. “I’m sorry, you two. We’ll grab you something a lot better once we reach the next area.”  
“Dril,” Drilbur looked down in disappointment, rubbing his stomach.  
“Drilbur is probably really hungry,” June noted. “Remember, he was hunting for berries when you caught him.”  
“You’re right.” I looked around at the trees surrounding us. “Might some of these trees have some fruit for us, too?”  
“I’m sure they do.” June walked over to one of the nearby trees, looking up into the branches as she stuffed her face with several pieces of chocolate. “There seems to be something up here.”  
“What was that?” Trixa asked June, nibbling on a cracker.  
“I said, I think there’s some fruit in here,” June answered after swallowing her candy.  
“Drilbur!” Drilbur ran to the tree by June and used Slash attack against the trunk.  
“Aaaaaahhh!!!!” June shrieked as several apples landed on her head, taking her down to the ground.  
Drilbur happily walked over to the pile of apples surrounding June and grabbed one. He took a big bite out of one. “Drilbur!”  
“June!” Trixa called out. “Are you okay? Wait! What’s that thing?” Trixa pulled out her Pokedex and pointed it at the pile of apples.  
“I don’t see anything,” I said, staring hard.  
Panpour. The Spray Pokemon. This Pokemon stores water in its head and is full of nutrients. It must be well taken care of, and the quality of water it holds is a great indicator of its health.  
“A Panpour?” I gasped, still looking around for it. “Wait a minute! I want one of those monkeys!”  
“Hey! No way!” Trixa whined. “You got two Pokemon yesterday! This one belongs to me! No fair!”  
I could finally see Panpour, the side of its face just barely visible underneath the apples my Drilbur had knocked out of the tree. It seemed Drilbur must have knocked a Panpour out as well, and it was now a victim of the apple attack, like June was.  
“Poke Ball, go!” Trixa tossed her ball.  
The Poke Ball hit the unconscious water monkey in the head and absorbed it in the red beam before hitting the ground, the white button glowing red, and it began to shake.  
PING!  
“YES! I caught a Panpour!” Trixa was leaping in the air continuously.  
I managed to smile, feeling a little jealous on the inside, though. At least I caught a cool Drilbur, I grudgingly told myself.  
June groaned on the ground.  
“You alright, June?” I asked nonchalantly.  
“I’m fine, I’m fine…” June told us. She crawled out from the pile of apples and remained still on the ground, seeming in a daze, and let out a sigh.  
“Tivire!!”  
I turned at the sharp cry and saw Electivire eating from his bowl, his body sparking.  
Tepig squealed as a thin beam of electricity from Electivire’s body reached out towards him, shocking him. The piggy collapsed and didn’t move.  
Electivire continued to eat calmly.  
“Hey! My Tepig!” Trixa shouted in a panic.  
“Pansear! Paaaan!” Pansear angrily ran towards Electivire. “Pansear! Pansear! Pansear!! Sear!!”  
Electivire took another handful of food and shoved it in his mouth, ignoring Pansear.  
“Pansear!” Pansear went on in a rage.  
June’s other Pokemon had began to back away carefully, fear in their eyes.  
Pidove and Cottonee stared at June’s other Pokemon and then turned to Electivire, not moving, concern in their eyes.  
Drilbur continued to happily eat from his pile of apples.  
“Pansear! Pansear! Pansear!” Pansear went at Electivire.  
Electivire’s body sparked as he reached for another handful of food. He zapped Pansear with a thin shock and shoved food into his mouth.  
“Paaaaaaaaaaan!!!” Pansear screamed out before dropping.  
“What is this? I didn’t say I wanted to battle!” Trixa ran to her Pokemon, scooping up Tepig and looking down at Pansear. “Why are you attacking my Pokemon?” Trixa complained to June, staring at her in shock.  
“Huh?” June shook her head and managed to her feet. “Wait! This isn’t my doing! Please! I’m sorry!” She stumbled over to her Electivire, rubbing her head. “Electivire!” she scolded him. “You apologize to-!”  
“VIRE!!” Electivire hit June with an Electric attack.  
June shrieked loudly and dropped quickly, her hair standing up tall.  
“Oh, my gosh!” Trixa gasped. “June! What happened?”  
June shivered on the ground, her body sparking. “N-n-n-nothing n-n-n-n-new,” she stammered.  
Trixa backed away from Electivire, her eyes wide and wary. “Hey! Why did you attack your Trainer?”  
Electivire scooped up the last of his food and devoured it. His eyes turned to Trixa as he hungrily chewed.  
Trixa gasped, not moving.  
At this point, Cottonee and Pidove had backed up.  
Drilbur was now watching the scene, but still eating.  
June managed to get up to her feet shakily. She stared at Electivire, and her body sparked, causing her to flinch a little bit. She glared at Electivire, Electivire keeping his eyes on Trixa. “That’s enough! Return!” She returned Electivire to his Poke Ball.  
I breathed a sigh of relief, as did Trixa and the rest of our Pokemon, including Pansear and Tepig, who seemed to have regained their consciousness.  
Drilbur was the only one who seemed just fine with everything, snacking away without a concern. Nobody but him moved for a while.  
“June?” Trixa finally spoke up. “Are you okay?”  
June giggled nervously and nodded. “I’m just fine.” She placed Electivire’s Poke Ball in her large bag and reached up to pull down her hair, but it shot right back up.  
“Why did your Pokemon hurt you?” Trixa asked, a fearful tone in her voice.  
“Don’t worry about that,” June replied, smiling at Trixa as she struggled to keep her hair down. “We’re just trying to work out some past issues.”  
“Like what?”  
June sighed, maintaining her smile. She hesitated, looking up at the sky. “Well,” she finally answered, looking at Trixa. “Listen, honey. On your journey to becoming a Pokemon Master, just remember that winning isn’t what makes you a winner. Your bond with your Pokemon, and understanding their true feelings, and never underestimating their fighting abilities and what they already know about you, is what will make you a true master of Pokemon.”  
Trixa stared at June silently, a blank look on her face.  
June stared back, smiling.  
“I don’t get it,” Trixa said after a while.  
June stared at Trixa with disappointment.  
“Pidove, how about you finish up eating?” I smiled, turning to him.  
Pidove hadn’t moved from his spot after backing away from Electivire. At my words, he flew back over to his bowl and happily pecked at his food.  
Cottonee floated over to his bowl, but simply stared at it.  
Eevee and Galvantula moved back to their food and ate quickly.  
Rotom and Magneton were doing their own thing, Magneton hovering oddly while moving slowly from side to side as Rotom floated over to June and watched us all with its cute, huge, and maybe just a little creepy, smile.  
“Don’t worry, Cottonee,” I said, staring at him. “Vancteck City is really close by. We should be there in no time.”  
Cottonee continued to look down at his food sadly.  
“I’m really sorry. Return for now.” I returned him to his Poke Ball and turned to June and Trixa. “Once everyone’s done eating, let’s keep on moving.”  
Trixa and June nodded happily.  
Tepig leaped from Trixa’s arms and towards his bowl of food, digging into it happily with his snout, grunting noisily.  
Pansear slowly walked over to his bowl and ate from it slowly, gradually picking up his pace.  
I walked away from the Pokemon and looked up into the gray sky as best as I could, trying to see past the tree branches and leaves blocking my view. A slight breeze swirled around me as I heard footsteps make their way through the leaves on the ground, crunching down on them, heading towards me.  
A sigh greeted me a few feet away. “Pretty decent weather, huh?”  
I didn’t face June. “For November, it’s not bad, I guess.” I shivered just slightly in the cold air around me.  
We didn’t say another word for a while after that.  
At some point, I turned around to the sound of a loud belch and realized that most of the bowls our Pokemon were eating from were empty, many of our Pokemon sprawled out lazily on the ground with satisfied smiles on their faces.  
Trixa was on her back, grabbing up leaves in her hands and dropping them in bunches on top of herself.  
“Looks like they’ve had their fill,” June spoke.  
“Good. We should get going. It’s not fair that Cottonee hasn’t gotten anything to eat. And it’s getting dark.”   
June and I returned our Pokemon to their Poke Balls, and soon after, Trixa got to her feet and returned Tepig and Pansear.  
“I guess we’re going?” Trixa smiled.  
“Yeah,” I nodded. “Cottonee needs to get to the Pokemon Center. He hasn’t had any food. In fact, all of our Pokemon could use a checkup. Let’s go.”  
The trees seemed to close in around us the deeper we walked. Our unseen path lasted what seemed a couple of hours before June finally said what was also on my mind: “Are you sure we’re on the right path?”  
“Of course we are,” I muttered, taking a shaky breath, and pulled out the Town Map. I squinted hard against it in the darkness, but in the evening, still darkening sky, the trees making everything seem even darker, it was impossible to see clearly. “We’re not far.” I put the Town Map back in my pocket.  
“How could you even tell?” June questioned. “It’s dark as night out here!”  
“Listen, we’re fine!” My voice started rising impatiently. I was afraid on the inside, and I knew it, but I couldn’t let June or Trixa know that. “We’re almost there.”  
“We could use my Tepig to light up the Town Map so we can see it clearly,” Trixa offered.  
“He might end up burning the damn thing,” I countered. “Trust me, will you? We’re almost out of here.”  
“What is it with men never wanting to ask for directions?” June said under her breath.  
“Exactly who are we asking for directions from in the middle of a freaking forest?” I snapped. “Don’t say stupid things. I said we’re on our way out, and we are! I used the Town Map. I’m not just leading us around blindly.”  
“We’ll see,” June said uncertainly.  
We continued following each other. It didn’t feel like either of us was leading the way. We just were moving through the trees, branches scratching at our arms every minute, Trixa and June crying out in pain, the three of us stumbling over things we could barely see, cries from creatures unknown making us jump in surprise or fright every few seconds or so.  
It was, at the very least, another couple of hours of walking before my heart was suddenly kicking down the door of my chest in fear as I began to feel certain that we were lost. I couldn’t even see Trixa and June, and they were right next to me! “Okay, I admit it, I don’t know where we are anymore,” I admitted.  
“Oh, you don’t say!” June said sarcastically.  
“I’m sorry! It’s just hard to see anything!”  
“It was hard to see anything hours ago! I’m sending out Galvantula to light the way!”  
“Don’t send out that damn Bug!” I flipped out. “It’s scary enough in this forest!”  
“Screw you and your damn phobia!”  
“June, don’t!” I begged.  
“Galvantula, I choose-!”  
“Hey, what’s that?” Trixa asked.  
I didn’t look away, keeping my eyes on where June was, though I couldn’t see anything.  
June gasped. “What’s that light?”  
At her question, I turned around, too. Squinting, I could see a distance glow through the trees. “Let’s find out!” I was desperate to do anything that wouldn’t require June to send out her gross Bug Pokemon.  
We all moved towards the light at once. It was only a few minutes later until the trees around us got a lot less dense and spread further apart from us, and a short hill displayed a series of lights below.  
I could finally see the sky above, a deep purple, not a star in sight.  
“Is that a city?” Trixa asked in delight.  
“It must be Vancteck City!” I insisted loudly.   
“Are you sure?” June asked excitedly.  
“Come on!” I ran away from them both, towards the lights, pumping my legs down the little hill and making a mad dash on the open path towards the buildings I was beginning to see before us.  
“It’s a city!!” Trixa suddenly appeared right next to me, racing me to the buildings.  
I laughed as I picked up my pace and bolted past her. “AAAAAHHH!!!!” I screamed in pain as I ran directly into something that leaped in front of me.  
It was a large, square object!  
I closed my eyes and fell back to the ground as my entire body radiated in pain and my head throbbed. “What the f-?”  
“Welcome to Vancteck City,” a metallic voice rang out loudly.  
“A robot?” I heard June.  
I opened my eyes and saw several large, transparent gray boxes in front of me, multiplying into more transparent gray boxes. The one box in the middle of the row of boxes was the only one I couldn’t see through. The several other boxes then combined with the one solid box I couldn’t see through, splitting again into more transparent boxes again, and then turning back into a single box I couldn’t see through. I closed my eyes and shook my head, crying out as it throbbed in even more pain. Grabbing my head, I looked up again. “What?”  
“Hello, visitors,” a voice came out from a single gray box in front of me. I couldn’t see through it. It towered tall over us, several buttons down most of its body. The topmost part of it contained three circles, one which flashed red on the far left, the middle flashing green, and the right flashing white. They flashed at seemingly random points in time. This machine was hovering just a few inches above the ground, silently. “What is your purpose for visiting Vancteck City, the most historically technologically sound place open to the public?” the machine asked us.  
“Huh?” I asked, confused.  
The lights on the machine’s square, gray body flashed repeatedly. “What is your purpose for visiting Vancteck City, the most historically technologically sound place open to the public?” the machine repeated.  
“We’re here to find the Gym Leader and battle for a badge!” June called out to the machine.  
The machine’s lights flashed for a few seconds. “Prof. Russell is unable to battle at this time. You are all welcome to battle him tomorrow afternoon. In the meantime, on behalf of Vancteck City, we invite you to stay at our world renowned, Vancteck Mansion, as our guests, since you are challenging the Gym Leader here. Right this way, please.”   
The machine turned its back on us, its back containing several horizontal black lines, white dots appearing and disappearing repeatedly.  
“WHOA!” I screamed as the ground I was still sitting on began to suddenly move!  
June and Trixa screamed with me.  
I looked down and realized that we were on a conveyor belt that looked exactly like the ground surrounding it! It was creating an effect that was making me kind of dizzy and hurting my head, as if the ground weren’t really moving, but instead just us!  
“What is this?” Trixa asked in awe.  
We were all taken in by the sights surrounding us.  
I immediately noticed that it didn’t look like there were many buildings in Vancteck City. In fact, it looked like there were only two buildings in Vancteck City! On either side of the four of us, there sat one glimmering building, seeming to be made of some kind of chrome material. Each building reached high up, beyond my sight, disappearing into the night sky. The buildings seemed to be as wide as they were tall, stretching far out of my range of sight, seemingly having no end! It was just countless chrome stretching out, windows all over, lights shining from each one, illuminating the city brighter than anything I’d ever seen in Kanto. Every several feet, there was a door, but they all sat in front of the same, long building!  
A man and woman, the man’s arms wrapped around the lady lovingly, stepped out of one of the building doors and they walked together, smiling, not on the conveyor belt, free to roam as they pleased. The lady’s face seemed a little red.  
When the conveyor belt stopped, I noticed its look had changed, now camouflaged perfectly with the street.  
To the right of us, we saw a particular square section of the bottom half of the building colored a more pink shade of chrome, an enormous, pink P in the middle. The door to this section was larger than the other doors we had seen. Right next to this was another different colored section of building. It was white and the color stretched high into the sky. It had its own chrome, black door with a pitch black window right above it.  
“Welcome to Vancteck Mansion,” the machine spoke to us. “Please, enjoy your night here.”  
A bright light immediately blinded us, and Trixa, June, and I screamed. The light faded, and we saw that we were no longer outside! We now sat in a large, brown room. The floor was covered in a soft, brown carpet that we were sitting on. Two enormous, polished, brown wooden tables held a deck of cards on each one. Each table was surrounded by several comfortable looking chairs. Two large, white sofas sat in front of a flat screen TV that took up the entire, long wall. A black remote sat on a small wooden table that sat in front of one of the sofas. Next to this cozy setting was the kitchen, a door leading to it, partly open, revealing a sparkling, silver sink and a bright white refrigerator. Six other wooden doors lined the walls. Three large windows at different ends of the room showed different parts of the city clearly.  
None of us spoke as we looked around in disbelief.  
Is this real? I wondered.  
“Is this where we’re staying…?” June whispered, breaking the silence.  
I cleared my throat. “For free???”  
A couple of knocks at the door made us all gasp and leap to our feet.  
“Might I come in?” a foreign voice called from the other side of the door.  
The three of us faced each other, but didn’t answer.  
A few more knocks came from the door. “Hello?” the voice called.  
We looked to each other silently, and then turned back to the door.  
“Wh-wh-who is it?” I stammered weakly.  
“My name is Dyue,” the voice spoke gently. “I am your servant for your stay here at Vancteck City. Might I come in?”  
The three of us turned to each other, stunned looks on our faces.  
“Did he say servant?” June whispered.  
“He did!” Trixa whispered back, a sparkling look all on her face. “Come on in!!” she let out.  
We all turned as the door opened.  
A tall man, his skin seeming to gleam with cleanliness, stepped into our room and bowed. He wore a black suit with a black bowtie. “Hello, sir, madam, madam. Welcome to Vancteck Mansion. I am Dyue, your servant. I have been made aware that you have a battle with Prof. Russell tomorrow at three p.m. sharp. What time would you like to be woken?”  
The three of us stared at Dyue silently, unable to respond.  
He stared at us patiently, smiling.   
“What do you mean?” I finally managed to speak.  
“You’ll need to awaken on time for your match tomorrow,” Dyue explained. “I shall happily ensure you arrive there on time. When would you feel most comfortable awaking? Or would you like to postpone the match?”  
“Um…” I turned to Trixa and June.  
They turned to me with wide eyes and shrugged.  
“Wait,” I said, turning back to Dyue. “We can’t afford to stay in a place like this! There has to be some mistake, sir!”  
“You are challenging Prof. Russell, correct?” Dyue smiled wider.  
“...That’s the Gym Leader?” I asked hesitantly.  
“Yes. The Steel type Gym Leader of Vancteck City,” Dyue informed us.  
“Yes, me and Trixa are,” I pointed at Trixa. “And, um, June is accompanying us.”  
“That’s quite fine,” Dyue acknowledged, nodding to her. “Your stay here is free while you attempt your mission of defeating the Gym Leader. Should you defeat Prof. Russell, or decide to give up, or are seen as not attempting your best while battling, you will have to leave.”  
“Wait. What do you mean by that last part of not attempting our best?” I asked suspiciously.  
“Well, some challengers will lose on purpose in an attempt to stay at Vancteck Mansion,” Dyue explained, his smile fading. “We can’t allow advantage takers like that here. So, we must see a sincere attempt to win.”  
“Oh. I see,” I nodded.  
Dyue’s warm smile returned. “Vancteck Mansion also doubles as a Pokemon Center, located in the lobby, where all of your Pokemon currently are.”  
“What?” I looked down to my belt. “Hey!”  
“Hey! Where are my Pokemon?” Trixa uttered.  
“My Pokemon are gone!” June dug through her large bag.  
“When you were transferred here, your Pokemon were reported as injured or otherwise in need of rest and food, so they were left with Nurse Joy,” Dyue bowed.  
The three of us looked at him with our own take on amazement.  
“But, how?” I asked weakly.  
“This is indeed the most technologically advanced place open to the public, on the face of the planet, at this time,” Dyue said in a gentle voice. “We have everything taken care of.”  
I couldn’t believe my ears. This was unheard of!  
“We have a plethora of activities at Vancteck Mansion for you all to partake in,” Dyue informed us. “Enjoy the all you can eat buffet, the pool table, the swimming lounge, sauna, video game lounge, diner where we will be serving our world class, five-star, full-course dinner, perfumery, workout gym, and a special training room for Pokemon Trainers. You can also explore Vancteck City to see what this city of ours has to offer, including five-star restaurants, massage therapy, shopping malls, martial arts courses, the arts on nearly all levels, and much, much more.”  
“BUFFET!!!!” Trixa ran up to Dyue, leaping in the air repeatedly. “Wake me up at twelve! I don’t care! Just take me to the buffet!!!!”   
“MALL!! MALL!! MALL!!” June joined Trixa, jumping in front of Dyue.  
This is unbelievable, I thought to myself, my eyes rolling over everything I could see, my brain mulling over everything I could remember. No way is this real. This is just way too good to be true. This city is a dream come true! I turned back to Dyue and walked up next to June and Trixa.  
They stopped bouncing at my arrival.  
“Twelve sounds fine for me, too.”  
“Which of you would like to battle first?” Dyue asked.  
“Let him go!! I don’t care!! BUFFET! BUFFET! BUFFET!!!” Trixa demanded.  
Dyue laughed. “Right away, madam. Please, follow me.”  
“Yaay!” Trixa squealed, and June and Trixa followed as Dyue went down a hallway that glimmered with golden, carpeted floors and a golden ceiling and walls.  
I looked back at our room before closing the door and followed them towards a creamy white elevator door at the end of the hallway. “This place is unbelievable.”  
We stopped in front of the elevator, a single red button on the wall.  
Dyue turned his head to me and his teeth gleamed in a bright smile. “This entire city is the desire of Prof. Russell himself. I, the city, and Prof. Russell himself, personally hope that you enjoy your stay.” He turned back around and pressed the button.  
We all stared at the door patiently as a gentle chime rang out every second, the low hum of the approaching elevator nearing us. Finally, the door opened with one more chime.  
Dyue took a step into the presumably empty elevator, and then stopped, took a large step back, and bowed. “Oh, excuse me, please, madam.”  
“That’s okay,” a friendly voice said from inside of the elevator, and a girl stepped out.  
My eyes widened as I stared at her. Hm, she’s kind of pretty, I thought to myself, squinting. But... Wait… I gasped. “Hey!” My heart instantly jumped onto my tongue as I stared in complete shock.  
“Whoa!” June took a couple of steps back, staring in horror.  
The girl squinted from behind her pink, thick-framed glasses at me and her eyes widened, and then further enlarging, her mouth dropping open as she turned to June. She looked at Trixa and squinted with unfamiliarity for a moment, but then looked back at me, frowning.  
I focused on her blonde hair for a moment before returning my gaze to her eyes sitting behind her glasses. No way, I said to myself, my mouth just slightly open. What is she doing here?


	13. Busting Pipes

Courtney squinted at me in disbelief from behind her pink, thick-framed glasses. “G-Gary?!” she gasped.  
I closed my eyes and shook my head hard before staring at her again, wide-eyed. Her hair is blonde, now, I noted. And she has glasses?   
Courtney looked cuter than ever in glasses, somehow. She was wearing a bright yellow jacket, zipped up, a thin hood at her back, and a long, baby blue skirt that ended at her ankles, her feet in a pair of matching blue shoes. She looked me up and down a couple of times, her eyes blinking repeatedly.  
No one spoke a word.  
My heart was beating hard out of some level of fear of seeing Courtney again after all this time.  
Courtney turned to June and looked her over, a sneer coming over her face, and then she glanced at Trixa, cocking her head in confusion for a second before she looked back to me and straightened up with a serious look. “What do you think you’re doing here?”  
“Me? ME?! What am I doing here?” I exclaimed. “What do you mean??”  
“I can’t say that any clearer to you.” Courtney crossed her arms and frowned.  
“No! What are you doing here?” I shot back frantically. “In Unova!! Why??”  
“I’m here to compete in the Unova League,” Courtney said snottily. “Now, answer my question.”  
“I’m here to compete in the Unova League, too!” I said in shock.  
Her eyes tightened. “I can’t believe this! This is so unbelievable! You can’t be here! You just can’t!”  
“It’s been so long…” I said in a low voice, staring at her, confused by all of this. “I can’t believe you’re here, in Unova of all places.”  
She swallowed hard, sitting on her next words. “I heard about you.”  
Confused by her statement, I just stared but didn’t say anything.  
“At the Pokemon League in Kanto. Back then...” Courtney continued. “I read about it, and I saw your pic-“  
“Please,” I interrupted, raising my hand. “I don’t want to talk about that.”  
“But,” Courtney said, a hint of desperation in her voice, “they say you ran into those terrorists before! They said you saw them in Cloud City! They mentioned something about that Team S-”  
“Shut up!!” I shouted at her furiously, startling her. “I said I don’t want to talk about it!”  
Courtney lowered her eyes sadly. “Sorry.” She looked up at me. “I’m glad to see you’re okay.”  
“Thanks,” I nodded solemnly. “You’re okay, too.”  
“Well, I left after my loss at the League, and went back to Hoenn to be with my family. Things were really bad during that time. Even though those terrorists had been stopped, the world was completely shaken up by it, so I stayed home to be with my mom and dad. When things started to get bad at home with my parents, I had decided to run away. Far, far away from the arguing and stress. That’s why I left to be a Pokemon Trainer in the first place; my parents and their constant fighting. So, I fly all the way out here to Unova, to put the past behind me and move forward in my life, only to find one of my previous headaches.” A disgusted look came over her face as she spoke, and she turned to June. “And not only are you accompanied by the red head…” Her face fixed itself into a smirk as she turned to Trixa. “…but you also have a new girlfriend?”  
Trixa smiled at Courtney. “Hi! I’m Trixa. Who are you?”  
“She isn’t my girlfriend! NEITHER OF THEM ARE!!!” I barked.  
Trixa turned to me and smiled heart meltingly.  
“She has a look of adoration on her face. No question about it,” Courtney said lovingly at Trixa. “I’m Courtney. It’s nice to meet you.”  
Trixa didn’t take her eyes off of me.  
“What??” I yelled her. “Stop looking at me like that!!”  
Trixa scowled and looked at the ground, grumbling.  
Courtney sighed and rolled her eyes. “Still an ass, as always, I see. Not much has changed.”  
I leered at her.   
“What are you doing here, though?” June spoke up, brushing aside her hair with her hands, a suspicious look on her face. “In Vancteck Mansion, I mean?”  
“I was on my way out,” Courtney said, not taking her eyes off of me. “I have my Badge from here. I’m ready to leave.”  
“How many Badges do you have?” I asked.  
Courtney snickered. “You guys are in my way. Excuse me, please.”  
Dyue politely bowed. “We hope you enjoyed your stay at Vancteck Mansion. We’d be humbled to serve you again.”  
Trixa moved over, out of Courtney’s way.  
June and I kept our position, glaring at Courtney.  
She stared at me before turning to June, and then walked past her, bumping her shoulder hard into June’s.  
“Hey!” June cried out angrily as she took a step backwards and turned to glare at Courtney.  
Courtney didn’t stop, making a right turn from the elevator and walking away from us smoothly, slowly, swaying her hips.  
June growled and balled up her fists.  
“Bye, Courtney!” Trixa waved happily.  
Courtney looked back and smiled, gave us a wave, and turned back, continuing down a long hallway, disappearing as she made a turn to the right.  
“So, she’s in Unova, now,” I muttered. “What are the odds?”

*

“I think we should go to Hoenn. Or Kalos. Or even back to Kanto. Or something! I don’t like Unova anymore,” June complained like a little kid, her arms crossed, pouting her lip, not looking at me as we rode the elevator down, our new servant, Maley, accompanying us.  
Trixa was poking the walls of the elevator which were lined with a red, plush fabric.  
Ever since last night, while Trixa had run off to enjoy the buffet, June had changed her mind about the mall and decided to follow me all night, complaining about the Unova region and how desperate she was to leave it all of a sudden.  
I had found my way into an arcade with all kinds of games, all for my free use since I was a Pokemon Trainer about to challenge the Gym Leader here, but I couldn’t concentrate with June in my ear, venting. Telling her that we weren’t leaving wasn’t shutting her up, so I tried ignoring her, at one point even running away from her.  
June refused to lose me, following me every which way I went, no matter how deep into Vancteck City I ran, nor how fast.  
Eventually, I gave up and walked back to our room, exhausted.  
June seemed to have a limitless level of energy as she talked, and talked, and talked, and talked, about the exact same things, literally repeating herself several times, speaking disgustedly of Courtney, her newfound hate for Unova, and how we should try to go to another region instead. I’m certain I fell asleep to her jabbering, and when Maley entered our room to wake us up for our Gym battle today, June was already sitting up in her bed in our room, complaining to Trixa who was on her own bed, her head hanging to the floor, her legs in the air, spinning and kicking rapidly. Even when June was in the shower, I could hear her yelling her complaints. Even when I was in the shower, she shouted from outside of the locked door about this and that.  
We were in the lobby now, Maley leading the way, walking on the clear, marble floor that sparkled like a million diamonds, making our walk seem surreal.  
A man sat behind a large desk seemingly made of glimmering gold, a plain white wall with several, practically glowing white shelves behind him, though nothing sat on them. He wore a brown suit and smiled at us, his bushy mustache covering his entire top lip. “Good luck to you both during your battle against Prof. Russell,” he nodded.  
“Thank you very much!” I smiled back.  
“I can’t wait!” Trixa cheered.  
June just grumbled.  
We were led outside into a chilly wind that blew against us.  
I was poorly dressed, wearing a thin, black button up shirt.   
Trixa and June at least were wearing jackets, Trixa also wearing a white beanie hat.   
Maley made a left, leading us over to the chrome, white colored section of the building with the chrome black door with the small, black window above it.   
I couldn’t see anything through the window.  
Maley turned to us and bowed. “I wish you all good luck.” Maley’s body glowed white and, in the next instant, vanished!  
“Whoa!” we all let out at once.  
Before we could finish our surprised reaction, the black door swung open wide, slamming hard against the building with a loud CLAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNGGGGGG!!!!!!!  
I covered my ears, along with June and Trixa, who both cried out loud. Once the ringing ended, we all lowered our hands and stared into the darkness of the building before us.   
“I can’t see anything,” June said softly. “It’s too dark.”  
“Is he here?” Trixa asked curiously.  
“He has to be.” Taking a deep breath, I stepped towards the Gym cautiously, one step at a time, pausing for a brief couple of seconds after each step. My breath was snatched away from me, and everything around me went black. Before I could even begin to panic, my breath returned to me and I could see again. “Wait a minute!” I gasped as I looked around my new surroundings.  
June, Trixa and I seemed to be inside of a transparent bubble! A large, white machine sat in front of us, a black screen on the right of it, and a microphone beneath the screen, a small, blue button right next to the microphone. A small plastic stick sat in a groove in the machine.  
Outside of the bubble we were in, on the ground several feet below us, sat a large, gray rectangle, a humongous circular pattern on one end, and the same pattern on the opposite side. The circular patterns held a series of two-sided, white arrows within them, following the shape of the circle.  
“Where are we?” June whispered, looking around.  
I wasn’t able to reply with my heart blocking the air from escaping my throat.  
Far away, on the other side of the room we were all in, was a transparent bubble resembling the one the three of us were in. I could just barely make out a human shape in that bubble, standing still.  
My heart thumped powerfully, fear and panic flowing throughout my veins.  
“Who’s that?” Trixa asked me, a wide smile showing no signs of concern for our strange situation.  
“Whoever it is is too far away to even see him or her clearly,” I told my group.   
Suddenly, the figure in the bubble moved slightly.  
An electronic crackle rang throughout the bubble we were, combined with a little bit of static noise before we heard a voice greet us clearly. “Hello, my friends and current challengers! I am Prof. Russell! How are you?”  
The three of us stared ahead silently.  
“Prof. Russell?” June repeated.  
“Is that him?” Trixa squinted at the strange person so far from us.  
“It must be!” I said.  
“Please, come closer to the mic, and hold the blue button to respond!” Prof. Russell’s light, eager voice came out inside of the bubble again.  
“Oh!” I moved towards the microphone on shaky legs and reached out to the blue button. Holding it down, I cleared my throat. “Hello?” I released the button.  
“Hello!” Prof. Russell’s voice reached us. “Welcome to my Gym! I’m Prof. Russell. Greetings to you, June. Trixa and Gary, you both shall be battling for the Iron Badge, correct?”   
Shocked at his words, Trixa and June letting out their surprise in utterances near me, I spoke again, holding the button. “You know our names?”  
Prof. Russell laughed lightly. “I received all of the data needed when you arrived in my city. I must say, it’s good to see you in such good shape, Gary. June, as well. It’s good to see that the attack during the Kanto League hasn’t deterred you from returning to the life of a Pokemon Trainer.”  
“Hey!” June sounded angry, now.  
“How do you know that?” I yelled, slamming my palm down on the blue button.  
“As I said, I received all of the information needed when you arrived at Vancteck City,” Prof. Russell told us calmly.  
I didn’t know how to respond to that, glaring ahead at the silhouette of Mr. Russell.  
“This is getting scary, now,” June whispered.  
“Where are my Poke Balls?” Trixa let out.  
“Huh?” I turned to Trixa, who was digging through her pockets, her Poke Balls no longer on her belt.  
June dropped to her knees and dug through her bag. “One, two, three, four, and five,” June counted, grabbing her Poke Balls from her bag, and then she turned to Trixa before glancing at me.  
“My Pokemon!!” I roared as I looked at my belt where my three Poke Balls should have been, but weren’t. I dug through the pockets of my jeans, but I only bumped into my Pokedex. My bag and jacket were back at the Vancteck Mansion. “Where did our Poke Balls go??” I asked Trixa frantically.  
Trixa turned to Prof. Russell in the bubble.  
The machine in front of us grabbed our attention as the black screen turned on, displaying something.  
Trixa joined me at the machine.  
The black screen now showed a spinning, chrome, red and white Poke Ball.  
“This Gym will be holding a Rotation Battle,” Prof. Russell explained. “Three-on-three.”  
Trixa gasped. “No way!”  
“What kind of battle did he just say?” I asked her, not feeling too comfortable with the look of horror on her face.  
“A Rotation Battle!” Trixa repeated. “I’ve only ever heard of these as a rumor! They never happen. Ever! I’ve always assumed they were just a myth!”  
“Is this okay with everyone?” Prof. Russell asked.  
“Um, I’ve never heard of this kind of match, Prof. Russell,” I told him nervously. “Can you explain it?”  
“Oh, it’s quite simple, ” Prof. Russell responded. “Three of your Pokemon will be on the field at once, but only one will be able to battle at a time. You can rotate between each Pokemon whenever you would like to. This is done with rapid speed as opposed to retreating a Pokemon, and can be used tactically! Only the main Pokemon in the forefront will be hit by attacks and can attack, until it is rotated out and replaced with another Pokemon who assumes that role. Once all three of one team’s Pokemon are defeated, the round ends. Of course, this is better demonstrated through example!”  
I faced Trixa, who had a nervous look on her face.  
“I was informed that Gary would be battling first. Is this still true?” Prof. Russell asked.  
“No! No! I wanna go first!” Trixa begged with determination, pressing the blue button.  
“But, where are our Poke Balls?” I called to him.  
“They are all in the Assets Hold,” Prof. Russell explained. “Don’t worry. After the battle is over, they shall be returned to you all. To use them in this battle, just pay attention to the screen. Trixa, you are welcome to go first if that’s what’s agreed upon.”  
“Great!” Trixa insisted.  
“Very well, then,” Prof. Russell responded. “The current screen applies to Trixa, and Trixa only, though you’re encouraged to watch and learn, Gary.”  
I took a step back as Trixa stared at the machine.  
The Poke Ball onscreen disappeared and was replaced with three circles, one showing the face of a Tepig, the next one showing the face of a Pansear, and the final one showing Panpour.  
“Choose your three Pokemon in the order you like, the first one being who will come out first,” Prof. Russell told her.  
Trixa picked up the black stylus and stared at the screen. “Well, he’s a Steel Gym, so, obviously, we shall sweep with Tepig!” She tapped Tepig, and his face turned into a silhouette. “And then, Pansear and Panpour, I suppose.” Trixa touched their faces, too, turning them into silhouettes as well. She laughed a little.  
“Trixa, you need to be more careful than to just go by types,” June warned.  
“I won my first Badge with a type advantage, and my second Badge with a type disadvantage,” Trixa smiled at June. “I can do this.”  
“Just be careful,” June said gently. “And, this is a Rotation Battle. This won’t be like anything you’ve done before.”  
“Don’t sweat the small stuff,” Trixa winked.  
A motion on the battlefield below grabbed our attention. Three Poke Balls hit the ground on the side closest to Prof. Russell and opened, sending out three Pokemon, all of them standing on the circular platform, one in front, the other two standing towards the back. The Poke Balls then vanished into darkness!  
“What are those?” I wondered out loud as I pointed my Pokedex at them.  
Ferroseed. The Thorn Seed Pokemon. Ferroseed shoots spikes at threats and then rolls away to safety. This Pokemon lives off of minerals from rocks.

Pawniard. The Sharp Blade Pokemon. In the wild, they are governed by their evolved form, Bisharp. When they attack their prey, the leader is the one to deliver the final, fatal blow.

Klang. The Gear Pokemon. Klink’s evolved form. By spinning their gears in different directions, they can communicate with one another. When its minigears spin at a fast speed, such as for attacks like Gear Grind and Shift Gear, the gears usually return back to the Pokemon. If they do not, the results are deadly for Klang.  
Three Poke Balls flew out and landed on the opposite side of the field, closer to me, June and Trixa.  
“Tepig!” Tepig cried out as he stood in the lead position.  
Pansear and Panpour were next to silently land, behind Tepig.  
Like the first time, these Poke Balls also disappeared after turning black!  
A digital timer appeared on the screen, reading: 5:00. A pair of two-sided arrows circled each other on the bottom left hand side of the screen, and a second pair circled each other in the opposite direction, sitting on the bottom right hand side.  
“Touch the arrows on the lower half of the screen whenever you want to rotate,” Prof. Russell informed Trixa. “This battle will feature a five minute long limit. Order your attacks through the microphone. You’ll no longer need to hold the blue button down to speak while the battle takes place. Now, this match begins!”  
“What?!” Trixa stared at the microphone in a panic.  
“Your move first, please,” Prof. Russell said, his voice now echoing strongly through the entire room we were in.  
“Um-AAAHH!!!” She laughed at her voice, hearing it echo throughout the room now. “Okay, let’s make this quick! Use your Flame Charge!”  
“Tepig! Tepig! Tepiiiiig!” Tepig ran at Ferroseed, covered in flames.  
“Protect!” Prof. Russell countered.  
A turquoise energy shield appeared in front of Ferroseed, and Tepig slammed into it, bouncing back hard.  
“Thunder Wave!” Prof. Russell went on.  
Ferroseed’s body was outlined in blue electricity, and with a cry, it zapped Tepig.  
Tepig cried out and dropped to the ground, twitching from Paralysis, unable to move.  
“Curse attack!” Prof. Russell ordered.  
“Flame Charge! Fight, Tepig! Come on!” Trixa urged.  
Tepig continued twitching, stuck to the ground, as Ferroseed’s body turned a dark flush of purple for a few seconds and then glowed with a healthy, deep sea blue.  
It suddenly caught my eye that Trixa’s Pansear and Panpour weren’t moving! They were still, like paper cutouts of themselves, staring straight ahead!  
Prof. Russell's Klang and Pawniard were in the same condition! They were both still as stone, watching the fight, not even seeming to be breathing!  
He said only the front Pokemon would be able to attack and be hit, I remembered. But what happened to the other two Pokemon? They don’t even look real!  
“Again!” Prof. Russell called out.  
“Tepig, come on! I know you can do this!”  
Tepig was still stuck while Ferroseed used Curse attack once again.  
What is that? I wondered.  
Curse. While lowering its Speed, the user also raises its Attack and Defense Stat.  
“TEPIIIIIIIG!!” Tepig finally leaped from the ground and flew fast towards Ferroseed.  
“Meet it with Metal Claw!” Prof. Russell told his Pokemon.  
Ferroseed’s spikes on its body flashed with the gleam of metal and it leaped into the air, headed right for Tepig. Both Pokemon collided and were forced back.  
Tepig landed strongly, confidently, shaking his head.  
Ferroseed had a hard landing but steadily got back up, his body flashing with a blue color momentarily.  
“Once more! Flame Charge! End this!”   
Tepig ran, faster than before, consumed in flames, headed for Ferroseed.  
Ferroseed froze as its circular platform suddenly turned on its own, Ferroseed moving towards the back, where Klang and Pawniard stood, Klang moving to where Pawniard was, Pawniard taking Ferroseed’s position, and Ferroseed moving into Klang’s space!  
Pawniard now stood as the central Pokemon and took the Flame Charge hit.  
Trixa gasped. “Hey! NO! We were about to beat Ferroseed!” Trixa complained, growling.  
Pawniard was tossed back but slid gracefully, now moving, bending down onto one knee before getting back up.  
It was now Ferroseed and Klang who were frozen in place!  
Tepig growled at Pawniard.  
“Dig!” Prof. Russell demanded.  
“Flame Charge it!”  
Tepig ran rapidly at Pawniard, knocking it down.  
Pawniard got up shakily, and in the next instant, tore through the ground.  
Tepig looked around in confusion.  
“Oh, no! Where did it go?” Trixa said with fear.  
“Pawniaaaaard!” Pawniard burst from underneath Tepig and the pig was forced high into the air.   
Tepig landed on his back, groaning, sounding very weakened by that hit he took.  
“Now use Torment!” Prof. Russell told Pawniard.  
“Pawniard! Pawniard! Pawniard! Pawwwwwwniard! Pawniard!” Pawniard stomped on the ground repeatedly, making a loud fuss, getting very angry.  
“Flame Charge! We can win this battle, Tepig!” Trixa screamed into the microphone, her voice echoing strongly throughout the entire room.  
Tepig struggled to move, but didn’t. Instead, he stood still, growling at Pawniard.  
“Tepig! You have to use Flame Charge!” Trixa begged her Pokemon.  
“Torment is a move that prevents you from using the same move two times in a row,” Prof. Russell’s voice chuckled softly.  
“Is that what it did?” Trixa frowned, crossing her arms.  
Pawniard’s circular platform started to move again, replacing it with Ferroseed.   
“Rollout!” Prof. Russell commanded.  
Ferroseed rolled at Tepig.  
“Oh, no! Wait! Okay, Tepig!” Trixa began to panic. “We can’t use Flame Charge, so let’s-!”  
It was too late.  
Ferroseed slammed into Tepig with the Super Effective move.  
Tepig bounced painfully across the floor, sliding to a stop.  
A loud BUUUUZZZ!!! rang throughout the room and Tepig’s silhouette on the machine turned into a black and white picture of him, a red X covering it.  
Tepig started to glow red, and it appeared that he was returned to his Poke Ball, although nobody had returned him!  
“My Tepig! Where did he go?!” Trixa screeched.  
“Don’t worry, Trixa,” Prof. Russell responded. “You will get back all of your Pokemon once this battle is over.”  
The platform rotated to the right, and Pansear was now the main Pokemon to focus on.  
“Pansear!” Pansear could now move and focused his attention on Ferroseed.  
“Pansear, let’s go! Flame Burst!”  
“Get it, Ferroseed!”  
Prof. Russell’s Pokemon rolled at Pansear.  
Pansear sent a flaming ball into the air, which exploded, showering the field in flames.  
Ferroseed leaped into the air and screamed out as a fireball hit it.  
Pansear also screamed out as Ferroseed slammed into him, knocking him down.  
Beep! Beep! Beep!  
The three of us looked down at the machine. The screen was blinking: 0:00.   
With a gasp, we all looked to the battlefield to see that Ferroseed was laying on top of Pansear, both Pokemon exhausted and defeated. They both glowed red and vanished, like Tepig, as if they had been retreated by their Trainers.   
Panpour, and then Pawniard and Klang, also vanished afterwards in a red flash.  
The beeping from the machine stopped, and the machine in front of us showed Panpour and Pansear were both now black and white with a red X over their faces.  
“What happened?” Trixa asked slowly.  
A noise behind us made us all turn around.  
“Poke Balls?” Trixa walked over to the three items on the floor. “Are they mine?” She threw them to the ground, sending out her Pokemon.  
“Panpour…” Panpour looked up at Trixa, cocking its head to the side.  
Pansear and Tepig were both laid out on the floor, looking in terrible shape.  
“My Pokemon!” Trixa ran to them and pulled them all into a big hug, a distressed look on her face.  
“Time is up.” Prof. Russell’s voice came out in our bubble this time instead of echoing loudly. “I’m afraid there didn’t seem to be any way you would win, and I had defeated more Pokemon than you did, so, I fairly determine that you have lost.”  
“Wait a minute!” Trixa released her Pokemon from her arms and stomped over to the microphone.  
The machine’s screen now red: YOU LOSE! in bold, red letters.   
Trixa slammed her palm down on the button. “Now you listen to me, Mister Professor! I have won matches with and without a type advantage! I could have won! You can’t judge me like that! That’s not fair! Give me a chance! Knock out all of my Pokemon! Don’t put me on a stupid time limit! It’s not fair!”  
“I personally find that when a Trainer can truly appreciate that they are on limited time, they battle much more differently than in a battle without a timer,” Prof. Russell told us. “I enjoy timed battles, and Rotation Battles, because they are not the norm, and force you to think outside of the box. It’s truly the most advanced form of battling, if I do say so myself.” He chuckled again.  
“I battle against a Gym I had a type advantage over and I win!” Trixa was now flipping out at the Professor. “I battle a Gym I had a type disadvantage in, and I win!! I battle you, who I had a type advantage over, and I lose?!! This is crap!! I’ve never been so disrespected in my life!!”  
“I mean no disrespect,” Prof. Russell’s voice was getting lower, sorrow in his voice. “This is the way I battle.”  
“I told you this, Trixa,” June added. “I told you that you can’t just run into Gyms like that. Gym Leaders are really good and they know what they’re doing.”  
“But, a timed match isn’t FAIR! And a Rotation Battle at that?!” Trixa whined to June.  
“A Gym Leader’s job is to test you,” June explained. “You’re supposed to go through a lot of different experiences and take those experiences with you to grow as a Trainer, with your Pokemon.”  
“CHEATERRRRRRR!!!!!!” Trixa shrieked into the microphone, and then stomped off to the side. She returned her Pokemon and then grumbled, staring at the floor.  
“I guess it’s my turn,” I said into the microphone.  
“Ah, right then, ha ha. Well, the same rules apply for you, too, Gary. Please select your Pokemon.”  
I picked up the black stylus and stared at the screen where a picture of Pidove, Cottonee, and Drilbur sat. For starters, I’ll go with Cottonee, I suppose, I thought. And then the other two will be in the back.  
The three Pokemon turned to silhouettes.  
I turned my eyes to the battlefield to see three Poke Balls fly from Prof. Russell’s side. “Hey, who are those two?” I asked, pulling out my Pokedex.   
One of the three Pokemon sent out was a Ferroseed, though I wasn’t sure if it was the one Trixa had battled or not. It looked healthy, so it must have been a second one, but the other two Pokemon were new to me, although one looked like Klang.  
Klink. The Gear Pokemon. The two Pokemon connect with each other and are bonded for life. They provide each other with required life energy by spinning.

Ferroseed. The Thorn Seed Pokemon. The thorns around their bodies, as well as their hard bodies, protect them from opponents. They are found in caves, clinging to the ceiling, absorbing iron.

Escavalier. The Cavalry Pokemon. The evolved form of Karrablast. It is now inside of the shell of a Shelmet, which triggered the evolution while both Pokemon were in the presence of a strong, electric encounter, and has maintained its nasty attitude, now boosted, and will face any opponent without hesitation.  
Well, that’s interesting, I thought as my Pokemon were sent out.  
The machine screen now read 5:00.  
“You may have the first move, Gary,” Prof. Russell offered. “Let us begin!”  
“Okay! Whoa!” Hearing my voice so loud all over the room was indeed weird. I could hear my lisp so clearly like this. It was embarrassing. I cleared my throat and shouted, “Stun Spore!”  
“Thunder Wave!” Prof. Russell called out, his voice now echoing as well.  
Cottonee moved fast, spraying Ferroseed with a golden powder.  
Ferroseed closed its eyes painfully, twitching, but then, its body sparked with blue electricity and it shocked Cottonee.  
Both Pokemon were now Paralyzed.  
“Hmm.” I was okay with this. At least both Pokemon were Paralyzed.  
“Pin Missile!” Prof. Russell went on.  
Ferroseed’s spikes glowed white and it fired multiple white shots at Cottonee.  
Cottonee screamed out and was moved back by the hit.  
“Cottonee, hold on!” I urged him as I tried to think of a way to fight back.   
“Pin Missile!”   
“Of course!” I touched the swirling arrows on the bottom left of the screen, and Cottonee was swiftly moved on the circular platform, switching places with Drilbur, who switched with Pidove, who took the center stage, and the not very effective Pin Missile.  
Pidove cried out but flapped his wings strongly after the move ended, showing his strength.  
Cottonee was now frozen in the back with Drilbur.  
“Pidove, Gust attack!”   
Ferroseed was maneuvered on its platform, moving into Escavalier’s spot, who moved into Klink’s spot, who was now in the front, and took the Gust attack, which didn’t do very much to the Steel type.  
“Nice one,” I muttered. “Alright, then.”  
“Gear Grind!” Prof. Russell ordered his Pokemon.  
Pidove was swapped around, replacing Cottonee, who switched with Drilbur, who was now in the front.  
Klink’s two spinning bodies spun in place, fast, making a loud klink noise, and sparks started to fly. The klink noise picked up in speed as it repeatedly rang out through the battlefield.  
“Driiiiiil!!” Drilbur was struck in the head by a gear that flew from Klink’s body. The hard to spot gear flew back to Klink, and a second gear flew out from Klink’s body and smacked Drilbur in the face, dropping him weakly before it returned back to Klink.  
“Drilbur, fight back with-!” It was then that I realized just how complex this battle was going to be. I can’t just attack with a Ground move, I realized. He could switch out for Ferroseed or Escavalier. Klink is Steel, so Ground type moves would be powerful against it, but the other two are part Steel, part another type that can make the damage a lot less serious. But I also have an advantage. I have a lot of types with me. He can’t hit Drilbur with an Electric move, and they won’t hurt Cottonee too bad. “Hone Claws!”  
Drilbur’s claws glowed white as he slashed them against each other, boosting his Attack and Accuracy.  
I stared at the battlefield silently as I dwelled on all of the possibilities of a Rotation Battle. Our Attack is boosted now, I told myself. Just attack. Even if the Grass typing on Ferroseed, or the Bug typing on Escavalier, weakens the blow, you’re still gonna send some big time damage.  
2:57 was on the timer.  
“Earthquake!”  
Drilbur leaped into the air.  
Klink was swapped for Escavalier and Drilbur landed on the ground one good time and hit Escavalier with Earthquake.   
Escavalier flinched in pain from the strong hit.  
“Attack back with Toxic!” Prof. Russell instructed.  
Escavalier sprayed a purple toxin at Drilbur’s face.  
Drilbur collapsed, swiping at his face in pain as the poison set in and his face flushed purple. He shook his head, stumbling around as he got back on his feet.  
“Drilbur!” I called out helplessly.  
I switched Drilbur around for Cottonee. “Stun Spore attack!”  
Cottonee immediately surrounded Escavalier with the golden powder, causing it to back up, shivering as it was stunned.  
“Swords Dance!” Prof. Russell said.  
Escavalier crossed its arms and they glowed a deep, dark purple as they then uncrossed and it began maneuvering them in quick, dangerous patterns, increasing its Attack greatly.  
I decided to switch out Cottonee for Pidove.  
Escavalier was switched out for Klink.  
“I knew it! Thunderbolt!” Prof. Russell shouted.  
“Pidove!” was all I could shout.  
My pigeon was zapped by the powerful move and he dropped like a deflated basketball, a lump on the ground.  
“Pidove! Get up!!” I pleaded  
Pidove’s head lifted weakly as he glared up at Klink.  
“That’s the spirit, Pidove!! Don’t you give in! Use Roost to regain your energy!” I encouraged him.  
Pidove got up to his feet and focused hard on Klink.  
“Yes! With Roost, we have a chance, even against Electric moves if we can just keep getting up!” I cheered happily.  
“And when you use Roost, Pidove will no longer be a Flying type for a short time, so Electric moves won’t hurt so bad,” June mentioned.  
Trixa was still angry, but she looked over at the battlefield on occasion before looking away with a grunt.  
“Okay, now that you’re feeling better after Roost, let’s fight with Quick Attack! Get it!” I smiled brightly.  
“Roost?” June asked me in confusion.  
Pidove flew like a bolt at Klink.  
The opponent took the hit well, as expected, since Normal attacks like Quick Attack do very little against Steel type Pokemon like Klink.  
I was just trying to chip away at Klink’s health.  
“Yeah, June,” I said, not turning to her. “Roost.”  
“But, Pidove didn’t use it,” June said slowly.  
I turned to her sharply. “What do you mean? He did use it!” My heart began to beat even quicker. “Right?”  
June shook her head fast, her eyes wide. “He just stood there, Gary!”  
“Thunderbolt!”   
I whipped around. “Pidove! Detect!”  
Klink’s body sparked and it attacked Pidove.  
Pidove flapped his wings and squawked out in fright, flying away from the multiple bolts of electricity that were filling the field.  
“Pidove! Stop running and just use Detect!” I screamed into the microphone.  
“Pidoooooooove!!!” Pidove was hit by Thunderbolt and then dropped instantly. A few seconds later, his body flashed red and he was removed from the field.  
The circular platform turned to the right, and Drilbur was now in front, still looking sick from the Poison.  
“What happened out there?!” I yelled angrily, tossing my hands up as Pidove’s silhouette was replaced with a black and white image of him, a big red X over it.  
“He forgot…” June whispered.  
“Really...?” I knew that fear was evident on my face. “At a time like this? Seriously??”  
“Focus, Gary.” June grabbed my shoulders and turned me around.  
I stared at Drilbur and Cottonee, wondering if I should switch them, wondering what Prof. Russell had planned.   
0:58  
“Okay, let’s just go for Earthquake!” I tried.  
Drilbur leaped into the air and landed, rocking the battlefield, and Klink yelled out as it was brought down to the ground.  
Klink remained still, its eyes closed. A few seconds later, its body glowed red and it was removed from the battle.  
The Bug in armor was put in Klink’s place and gave Drilbur a death glare.  
“Now, let’s use X-Scissor!” Prof. Russell said confidently.  
Escavalier soared at Drilbur, its arms crossed and glowing light blue, and it slammed into Drilbur.  
Drilbur groaned painfully, forced to his back and sliding on his side to a stop. He was breathing hard, looking ready to give in.  
“Drilbur!! Hang in there!! Please! Just hang in there! I’m counting on you, Drilbur! Get to your feet! UP!! Right now! I’m only telling you what I know you can do! You can do it!!”  
Drilbur looked up and tried to find me, but he couldn’t see me.  
“Drilbur! I’m here! Believe me! You can’t see me right now, but just listen to me and trust my voice! We will win this one! Hang in there!!”  
“Drilbur!” Drilbur managed a smile and turned determinedly to Escavalier. “Driiiiiiill!!” Drilbur fell down again, twitching and suffering from the ever increasing damage of Toxic’s Poison.  
“Drilbur!” I slammed my hands down on the machine, glaring at the battlefield. If I swap, what good will it do? He still has to come out again, either way, if Cottonee can’t win this.  
“Another Swords Dance, and then we’ll end this match,” Prof. Russell insisted.  
Escavalier raised its Attack further with Swords Dance.  
“Hone Claws!” I pushed Drilbur.  
Drilbur’s arms shook as he pushed himself up, but then, he fell down to his face, his teeth gritting hard, his eyes closed tight, trying to will away the pain.  
It hurt me to see my Pokemon in this state. I knew I would hate to be in his position. I almost felt hatred towards myself for allowing this to happen. Was this right? I wondered suddenly, my hands balling tightly into fists. Are Pokemon built for this kind of battling, or is there really no difference between the pain they feel, and the pain I would feel if I were in their shoes? I shook my head, knowing I’ve taken hits from Pokemon before. Pokemon are definitely stronger than any human could hope to be.  
Drilbur’s mouth opened and he let out a pained call as Escavalier finished its Swords Dance.  
But does that make this okay? Is this fair? My eyes watered as Drilbur pushed himself up and got to his feet, bent over, gasping for air.  
A good Pokemon Trainer knows when to stop, I told myself. I blinked repeatedly to clear my vision.  
“Now, end this with X-Scissor!” Prof. Russell decided.  
I grabbed the stylus to switch for Cottonee.  
Just as my hand snatched it up, Escavalier froze and his eyes closed tight as he moaned his name.  
“Paralysis,” I said in a voice just below a whisper, stunned. But now what?  
Both Pokemon looked at each other, heaving heavily.  
I had a feeling Prof. Russell and I were waiting for something to happen.   
Tensions were high, and in a Rotation Battle, anything was bound to happen.  
Do we swap?  
Attack?   
Beep! Beep! Beep!  
Escavalier dropped to the floor.  
I’m not sure which one happened first.  
There was a very spooky silence, the creepiness increased by Prof. Russell’s silhouette in that bubble so far away from us. It didn’t move. It just stared back silently.  
Escavalier was the first to leave the field in a flash of red, followed by Drilbur, who remained on his feet.  
Soon, it was Ferroseed, and then Cottonee who were gone.  
YOU WIN! were the small, simple words on the machine screen in yellow.   
A flash of white light blinded me before I understood what was happening. It was several seconds later, and now, I could hear applause, but I couldn’t see anything. I blinked my eyes hard, trying to get rid of the flash.  
“Huh?” I heard Trixa near me.  
“What’s happening? I can’t see a thing!” June complained.  
It took a few more seconds, but finally, I could see that I was no longer in the bubble I had been in previously, but instead, I sat in a huge room, the ceilings holding several chandeliers that lit up the room immensely.  
June and Trixa sat next to me, squinting at the room we were in. There were large, polished, wooden chairs with a comfy black cushion both on the back and where we sat.  
Several people surrounded us, all wearing black suits, looking like maids and servants. I even recognized Dyue!  
“Welcome back, Gary and Trixa,” one of the people said as he stepped up to me. “Our sincere sorrow goes out to you, Trixa.” He bowed. “But a most delighted congratulations for you, Gary, on earning your Iron Badge. It is my honor.” He held out a white cloth towards me as he bowed once again. It held a tiny, gray, metal item in the shape of a horseshoe.  
“My… Iron Badge?” I looked up at the man in disbelief.  
“Congratulations, sir,” the man told me.  
I smiled and took it carefully. “I won my second Badge! The Iron Badge!!”  
Everyone in the room, June and Trixa included, applauded me loudly.  
“There shall be a special dinner here for you. Perhaps, a party, or a celebration, is the better word,” the man who gave me my Badge informed me with a proud smile. “We hope you’ll join us.”  
I hate parties and huge celebrations, I thought to myself. I have to find a way out of this. But how can I be rude like that? This city is amazing! I can’t just deny them like that. I really didn’t want to, but I put on my best smile, glanced around at everyone, and said, “Well, DUH!” I laughed.  
Everyone laughed and applauded me.

*

The party was horrible, like I knew it would be. The food was the best I’d ever had, period. There was a lot of laughter and joking and me telling my story of my win, at the very least, five thousand times, to everyone. There were a ton of beautiful girls everywhere I looked. I took about a billion photos. The problem was, there were just too many people. In fact, that wasn’t it, so much. It was just how socially awkward I can be, even in small crowds. Sometimes, I can get so uncomfortable around people I know, let alone those I’ve never met a day in my life. All the noise, the commotion, how ugly I felt in the presence of so many beautiful, perfect people, their smiles making me wish I were dead. I could never have as perfect a smile as one person in that room did, the small gap in between my two front teeth making me feel as if I were a leper.   
On occasion, a few people asked me and June about our survival at the Pokemon League in Kanto during the Team Solace attack, and we had to respectfully decline discussing it several times. Those who had asked understood our feelings and apologized, though, every thirty minutes or so, someone new would appear and ask us if we were indeed the kids who had survived.   
It was a pretty horrible night for how much I was laughing and having a pretty good time, though a lot of the laughter and smiles I displayed were forced.  
Trixa seemed to be enjoying herself, but every once in awhile, I caught her scowling at the floor momentarily before smiling broadly and going to the tables lined with food. The girl sure could eat. I rarely caught her without a plate of food, eagerly devouring whatever was on it.   
All of our Pokemon had been sent to the Pokemon Center at the same time that June, Trixa, and I had been teleported out of the Gym, and we were told that they were all in a special room designed for Pokemon to enjoy themselves while the people partied.  
I didn’t see Prof. Russell once the entire night. When I inquired about him to one of the servants, he informed me that Prof. Russell was a hard worker and not the most social man, but is very kind. He said that Prof. Russell works so hard that it is rumored that he gets next to no sleep as he works on ways to improve the city, and his battling skills as a Gym Leader.   
Now, we were all in the bedroom, me on one of the three beds in the room, flipping through the TV channels.  
June was in her bed, staring at the TV I was surfing through, a bored look on her face.  
Trixa was stretching her legs around in all kinds of directions, paying us no mind.  
Suddenly, a thought came to my mind, and I tossed the remote onto June’s bed and sat up, looking at Trixa.  
“Hey!” June sat up in surprise.  
“Trixa!” I called to her.  
Trixa turned very slowly to me, a crazed smile on her face, her eyes wide, her legs frozen in the air. “Mmmm?”  
“Uh… So when do you plan on going back to fight for your Iron Badge?” I asked.  
“I’m not,” she giggled.  
“What do you mean? Why not?”  
She shrugged. “I don’t like it there. I’m gonna just go to the next city or town. They cheat here.”  
I sighed. “Trixa, don’t say that. They don’t cheat. They just battle differently here.”  
“It’s silly!” Trixa insisted, maintaining her smile. “I’ll get my next Badge where they don’t have silly willy rules.” She laughed and started pedaling her legs in the air as if she were on a bicycle.  
“Trixa, don’t be dumb, for once,” I said with a little more attitude than I had intended. “Come on. Let’s head outside right now and have us a battle!” I smiled at her.  
Trixa turned back to me, but her smile was gone, her eyes squinted, a cold look forcing my smile away. She shook her head. “You know, sometimes, Gary, you’re nice. But other times, you are just, like. I don’t even wanna say it. I don’t even care to say it. I really, really think I’m sick of you already.”  
June cut off the TV. “Okay, wait a minute, everyone. Let-”  
“June, no, okay? I’ve been thinking about this for a while.” Trixa stood up and crossed her arms, her eyes glued to me. “I was never well liked at school, or in my neighborhood. My family loved me, but that was about it. I feel like I’ve mentioned this to you before. Well, I left on a journey to find out if I could find real friends. If they couldn’t be human, then Pokemon would be just as good, and I was sure they’d be even better. And guess what? I was right. Pokemon are incredible, loving, cuddly, funny, and they don’t hate me!” Trixa’s eyes were overflowing with tears, running onto her cheeks.  
“Trixa, I never said I hate you!” I said, leaping out of bed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you like this.” I was feeling really bad now. Even if I thought Trixa was out of her mind, she was still a kind girl, and after all this time, she had sort of grown on me, in a way. I guess. She was truly like a friend now. Or something.  
“Trixa, don’t let Gary get to you, honey,” June pleaded as she stood up. “He’s always like that. He’s a good person deep down.”  
“I don’t want that! I want to be with open, honest people. Not people who put you down and look at you crazy! I see those looks, Gary!” Trixa was openly crying as she spoke.   
June walked over to Trixa, her arms open wide to pull her into a hug.   
“No, June!” Trixa sobbed, shaking her head and taking a step back from her. “I don’t want this! This isn’t what I want! Nobody should make anyone cry like this! Ever! It’s not what I believe in! And now, I’m crying. I know it’s my time to go. I always know. I just never know soon enough.” Trixa made her way past June and I and left the bedroom.  
“Trixa!” June called after her. She glared at me. “Do something!”  
I ran out of the room after Trixa.  
She was sniffling by the door she had just walked through, digging through her bag.  
“Trixa, please. Wait,” I said to her softly. “I just want you to hear me out. If you want to leave, you can, but at least allow me to say goodbye. At least hear-wait...” I squinted hard at the object in her hand. “Is that a freaking Town Map? Your electronic one?!”  
“Huh? Yeah,” Trixa said, turning to me with a smile, her eyes puffy and red. “I found it like, last week or something. I guess I didn’t lose it after all! Ha ha!”  
“And you didn’t tell anyone???” I exploded. “What in the name of common sense is wrong with you??”  
“GARY!!” June raged behind me.  
My eyes widened in shock. “Oh…”  
Trixa’s bottom lip quivered, and without another word, she grabbed her bag and bolted from the room, slamming the door behind her.  
I stood there, staring at the door. Did I really just lose it over a freaking map? I asked myself. I know she’s insane, but was I really that fed up with her? Was that much anger built up over her? What is wrong with me? Am I really that bad of a person? Am I that secluded and resistant that I make people feel that way around me? I turned around to see June staring at me, her eyes watering. Why do you stay, then, June? “I’m sorry,” I whispered to her, my own eyes tearing up.  
June nodded, and then she silently turned away from me. She walked into the bedroom and closed the door quietly.  
I stood in the middle of the living room, and I’m pretty sure I didn’t move for nearly an hour.   
One of the servants had come in to check on me and June not long after Trixa had left, and after letting him know we were fine, he left.  
Eventually, I sat down on the floor, and as sleep started to force itself into me, I wrapped my arms around my knees and rested my head on my knees. My eyes closed as I got closer to sleep.   
It had been a good while since I’d taken much needed time to analyze myself and realize what a crappy person I truly can be to the people I care about.


	14. Judgment Day

“We hope that you enjoyed your stay,” Mr. Rui told me from behind the counter in the lobby, standing up in his red suit and taking a short bow. “Vancteck City enjoyed your stay, and again, we congratulate you on your victory.”  
“Thank you very much,” I managed to smile even though I felt like crap today and wasn’t in the best mood.   
June and I had stayed a few more days at Vancteck Mansion at the insistence of Mr. Rui. I didn’t think June was too eager to be traveling with me at the moment, so a few days for us to try to calm down sounded like a fine idea.  
She stayed in the bedroom, coming out rarely, sometimes leaving the room altogether, but she didn’t speak a word to me at first.  
I had been sleeping on the sofa outside of the bedroom and didn’t attempt speaking to June, either. I felt bad and didn’t feel that I deserved to say a word. I even feared June may be the next to leave.  
It took a while, but finally, she began to speak a little. It started with a simple, “Good morning.” It grew into, “I’m heading out for a bit.” Eventually, we were eating together in the bedroom, and even laughed together while watching some cartoon I’d never heard of called Venture Hour.  
“Where might you two be heading off to for your next Badge, if you don’t mind me asking?” Mr. Rui asked.  
“Well, I thought that maybe we could head off to Castelia City,” I said hesitantly. Based on how much of the map Castelia City took up, it seemed to be a huge place, but it wasn’t the ideal place I wanted to go to next. The map informed me that it was the Bug Gym ran by someone named Burgh. Realizing that made me shudder, but it also was the closest Gym.  
“Ah, very well, then,” Mr. Rui nodded slowly. “There’s a train that you can catch that will take you directly there. It’s just outside of this building, to the right. You go straight down and you’ll see a sign directing you to the right and you’ll see the subway.”  
“Oh, wow! That sounds great!” I exclaimed. I hadn’t taken a train in years.  
“We’ll get to Castelia in no time,” June noted.  
“Thanks a lot.”  
“It is my pleasure,” Mr. Rui bowed deeper. “Good luck on your journey.”  
“Bye!” June and I called to him as we walked to the door, held open by a beautiful woman in a blue top and skirt.  
“Come back anytime!” she said cheerfully.  
“Thank you,” I smiled, my eyes stuck on her beauty momentarily before I looked away, and June and I made a right, heading down the path directed to us by Mr. Rui.  
“Good thing I wore my jacket,” I said as I dug my hands into my pockets, a harsh wind blowing against us. I rubbed my arm, which was no longer wrapped up, against my side. It didn’t really hurt anymore and was just itching a bit and was scarring over.  
“I think that’s a little light,” June commented. “You need a real coat.” She adjusted her thicker, baby blue coat.  
“I have one, June,” I said impatiently. “I’m fine for now. It’s only gonna get worse.”   
“Yeah, winter is coming quick. But that also means that New Year’s is also coming up!” June looked up into the late afternoon sky. “I remember our last New Year’s together, Gary.”   
“Great,” I mumbled. That wasn’t something I cared to remember, and I kept it out of my mind with great failure.  
A man and woman held hands together as they walked past June and I, giving us a kind smile.  
I smiled back and looked away, a shy feeling spreading throughout me.  
“Mommy! Mommy!” a little girl cried out from the other side of the moving path between us.  
A small group of men and women were carried along by the conveyor belt ground to some unknown location.  
The little girl wore pink stretch pants and a white t-shirt that ruffled hard in the wind, her hair in her face as she pulled her mom’s hand and pointed at the window of a store.  
The woman looked up at the store with an exasperated sigh.  
“I wonder where we’ll be this New Year’s,” June continued. “You know, it’s been about three years since we met in Gringey City, and we’re still friends to this day.”  
“Yeah,” was all I said as I looked down. Three years, I thought.   
Aly.   
Robin.   
Catherine.  
June.  
Kiwi.   
Team Solace.   
Isaac.   
Charizard.   
Beedrill.   
Primeape.   
Saffron City.   
The Pokemon League.   
I shook my head hard as visions of my last journey flashed through my mind.  
I felt a little angry that June had so carelessly mentioned the last three years like that. Did she only remember that we met three years ago? Did she not recall the hell we had gone through as well?  
June’s head lowered and she didn’t speak any further.  
I wondered if maybe she realized how stupid of a thing it was for her to have brought it up, and then I glanced ahead of us. “Vancteck Station,” I read a yellow sign that seemed to be made of chrome material in the shape of an arrow, pointing down a path to our right. “Guess this is it.”  
The arrow directed us down another street resembling the one June and I were still on, each side of the street holding one large chrome building, stretching as far as my eyes could see, numerous windows dotting them, a door along the bottom of the buildings every several feet. Both long structures gleamed under the grey light of the sky above. A conveyor belt also moved down the street, meshing together with the belt on the street we were on.  
Within a few seconds of walking down this new street, I saw a large opening in the long building that led to an escalator leading down.  
The roar of trains below brought back memories of taking the train with my parents such a long time ago.  
June and I stood still on the escalator and looked at the surroundings as we were taken down.  
The walls of the opening we had gone through were square blocks of ceramic material, the color in a pattern of gray and white, following us all the way down to where we stepped off of the escalator. Three metal turnstiles stood before us, the subway platform on the other side of it, two stores selling magazines, candy, drinks, and Pokemon items on either side of us. A lady in a yellow and red jacket sat behind a wall of glass in a booth, smiling at us.  
“I’ll buy the tickets.” June walked to the booth.  
“I can buy my own!” I tried.  
We stopped at the booth.  
“Two tickets, please,” June smiled, holding up two fingers.  
A loud rumble roared through the station, but when I turned to look, I couldn’t see a train.   
The floor of the platform past the turnstile was black, a red line painted at the edge.  
Another identical platform was on the other side of the station, a large, black, concrete wall separating both platforms, long horizontal rectangles cut out of it every few inches.  
“You’re June and Gary, aren’t you?” the lady asked, her red hair in her eyes.  
June and I stared at the lady in silence, our eyes wide.  
“You beat Prof. Russell, Gary! You two don’t need to pay. Go right on ahead!”  
“Really?” June beamed.  
“Wow! Vancteck really knows how to care for people!” I laughed.  
The rumble of the train got closer.  
The lady pressed a button, and a light buzz rang out.  
A black, steel door next to the turnstile with a red label that read Emergency, opened.  
“And you’re both headed to Castelia City, right?” the woman asked.  
“Yeah!” I said, somehow surprised she seemed to know everything about us.  
“Well, your train is right here!” she pointed.  
The train finally showed up, practically glimmering in its chrome silver color, and it came to a stop with a low grunt.  
“I love your hair!” June gushed.   
“Really? Thank you!” the woman said excitedly, fanning her face, looking up at the ceiling. “I just got it done and I love what they did to it!”  
“Where did you go to get it done?” June asked.  
“I went to this spot over in-”   
“We’ve gotta catch the train! I’m sorry!” I interrupted, and yanked June by the wrist as she screamed out in surprise.  
We ran through the open door and towards the train.   
The doors of the train opened, noticeably different amounts of people exiting.  
A couple of young guys laughed as they hurriedly stepped into the train, and June and I followed.  
The inside of the train was clean as a whistle, the floor a light blue, matching June’s jacket, the walls practically glowing in their white color, advertisements all over them. On one side of the train, an electronic sign hung high up near the ceiling between the walls. In yellow digital words, it read: Vancteck Station. The words soon were replaced with: Castelia Station. Afterwards, it showed the date and time before showing: Vancteck Station. The same kind of sign was on the opposite side of the train. Metal bars were positioned high over the seats to grab onto.  
The train wasn’t that full, a couple of people talking to one another, a couple others sleeping, while most everyone else just stared blandly ahead or at the ads. One man opened his left eye and glanced at me, and then at June. He gave her a onceover and then closed his eye again.  
“Stand away from the closing doors,” a voice came out through the speakers of the car we were in, and the doors slid closed with a gentle chime.  
June and I took a seat next to each other as the train began to move.  
“This is a pretty cool way to travel, huh?” June asked, looking out a long window behind us.  
“It’s definitely different, and way faster.”  
“And looky here!” June ran over to a map on the wall across from us. “Trains run all throughout Unova! We could travel through the entire region by train and not have to worry about walking all the time.”  
“Are you serious?” I asked, and walked over to her to check out the map.  
“Yeah, you see? This is Nuvema Town, and over here is Accumula Town. And this whole thing is all of Unova!”  
I pulled out my Town Map and put it up against the window near the map where flashes of electricity from the underground tunnel we were now traveling through made their presence known.  
June was right. The Town Map and the Subway Map were identical. We could travel throughout Unova in no time at all, collecting Badges.  
“Wait, we can’t do that,” I said as I folded up the Town Map and slipped it back into my pocket.  
“Why not?” June asked as she followed me back to our seats.  
“How am I supposed to train? Or capture wild Pokemon? We’ll miss out on what it really means to be a Pokemon Trainer. We can’t skip the most important parts.”  
“Hmmm.” June brushed her hair aside. “I suppose you’re right. But, hey, at least we got to ride a train!” She smiled brightly.  
“Yeah, this was a nice experience, but now I can’t help but wonder what kind of Pokemon we missed out on.”  
“There’s plenty of Pokemon out there, Gary,” June said, placing her hand on my shoulder. “We’ll meet tons!”  
I gently shrugged my shoulder and looked away from her, making her hand drop. “Yeah, yeah.”  
The train suddenly came out of the dark tunnel and we were now having a ride outside, the sea far beneath the train tracks, the cloudy, darkening sky stretched out above us.  
“Look at that!” June and I exclaimed at the same time.  
I was pointing out the window by us at what had to be Castelia City, a collection of skyscrapers on a large island up ahead.  
June was pointing out the window on the opposite side, and we switched views.  
The window opposite us showed an enormous bridge that was leading directly to Castelia City!  
“Whoa!” we both yelled.  
I pulled out my Town Map and scanned it for a few seconds. “That bridge is Skyarrow Bridge! It leads right to Castelia!”  
“Castelia City is so beautiful! And so is that bridge!” June said, mesmerized.  
As we got closer to Castelia City, the train was heading back down underground, and before long, our view outside was over as we surrounded by darkness.  
“That was incredible,” June said, wrapping her arms around herself with delight.  
“Coming up next is Castelia Station,” the voice called out through the speakers of the car again. “Next stop is Nimbasa Station.”  
“Nimbasa City! Oh, my goodness! Wonderful!” June said eagerly, and stood up. “This is the best way to travel!”  
The two young guys who stepped into the train before June and I snickered at her excitement.  
The train came out of the dark tunnel and slowed down at Castelia Station.  
As June and I walked to the door, I glanced back to see the two guys checking out June from behind. They looked up at me and snickered.  
I glared at them but turned away. I don’t care, I told myself. They can look at her all they want. She isn’t my girlfriend. Stupid guys. I’d beat them up anyway, if I even cared. They don’t want it with me. Jerks. I began to wonder where all of this sudden anger came from as the doors opened.  
June and I stepped out of the train and onto a platform with a black floor and a yellow line at the edge where the train arrived, the walls all brown and shiny. We walked up a flight of stairs and gazed around in confusion.  
The floor was a shiny purple color, there were at least four exits surrounding us, and at least six escalators and stairs leading downstairs. Stores littered this fancy area, selling clothes, food, and many other things.  
“What do we do from here?” I asked.  
“Well, it seems the exits must all lead out to Castelia,” June assumed. “Let’s just choose one and find our way.”  
“Fine.”  
We walked through one of the turnstiles near us and up the longest flight of stairs I’d climbed in recent memory. We reached the top, exhausted and out of breath.  
“At least Vancteck had a freaking escalator,” June gasped with a smile.  
I let out a little laugh, but my smile faded soon. “This can’t be Castelia City.”  
The sea stretched out before us, splashing lightly far below against a very high concrete structure June and I were standing on. The floor of where we stood was lined by a steel railing. The sky was a deep purple, nearly black, the clouds wispy, gray slivers in the sky, a dark look on the waters before us.  
“Well, there’s a set of stairs right over here, silly,” June giggled.  
I turned to see her standing by a set of stairs that curved around a huge, gray, concrete beam that stretched up to a higher landing. “Oh.”  
June laughed loudly and led the way around the curving set of stairs.   
It wasn’t too much longer before we were at the top, breathing heavily.  
“Is that it?” I asked, pointing ahead of us at the huge city only a couple of minutes away.  
“You’d think they’d put the station a bit closer to the city,” June complained, hands on her knees.  
“Let’s just go.”  
We walked along the street together, slowly, taking our time as we regained our energy.  
“This should be interesting, fighting Bug types again,” June stated.  
I sighed, and didn’t reply. Tera, I remembered. Thanks for bringing up more crap I don’t really care to remember, June. Butterfree. Ninjask. Shedinja. Venomoth. I shuddered and tried to stop thinking about the Bug types the Viridian Gym Leader owned as I rubbed my arms, goose bumps running along them.  
“Hey, someone’s coming!” June pointed ahead.  
I saw the person, too.  
She got closer and turned to us, giving us a smile. “Hey!” she called out to us. She stopped and stepped over to June, her eyes wide. “Whoa! That hair! That is awesome! Is it naturally that color?”  
June blushed and stared at this girl in surprise. “It is,” she answered.  
“It’s so bright! That’s so beautiful!”  
“Thank you!”  
“Sorry, you must think I’m crazy, just running up to you like this,” this new girl smiled, brushing her dark hair aside. “I was on my way to catch the train! Are you two Pokemon Trainers?”  
June and I nodded.   
“My name is June.” She extended her hand.  
“And I’m Gary.” I shook the girl’s hand next.  
“A great pleasure you to meet you both! My name is Ruko!”  
“It’s nice to meet you, Ruko!” June nodded.  
“Yeah,” I said, giving a short nod.  
“Hey, how many Badges do you guys have?” Ruko asked.  
“I have two so far,” I replied, holding up two fingers.  
“I’m not traveling for Badges,” June shook her head. “I’m traveling with Gary to learn a lot about Pokemon. I used to be a Gym Leader, though.”  
“WOW! That’s so sweet! A real life Gym Leader? For what type?” Ruko shouted urgently.  
“I raised Electric types in Gringey City,” June said, blushing again.  
“Electric types RUUUULE!!!” Ruko yelled. “WOW!!! Wait, where’s Gringey City?”  
“It’s in the Kanto region,” June told her.  
“Oh, I see. I’ve never been out of Unova before. This is my first Pokemon journey. So far, I’ve earned five Badges!”  
“Five?” My eyes bulged.  
“That’s right!”  
She must be pretty good, I thought to myself.  
“Why’d you stop being a Gym Leader?” Ruko asked June curiously.  
June giggled a little. “I had a lot to learn about being a Gym Leader, and about how to work with my Pokemon in general. Gary kind of taught me that, so I decided to quit before I got fired from my position from all of my losses and focus on what matters most to me; my relationship with my friends. My Pokemon!”  
“Awww,” Ruko said admiringly. “That’s good of you, June! I agree that the relationship between a Trainer and their Pokemon matters more than anything else. Friendship is the best!”  
There was a moment of silence as we all stared at each other.  
“So, either of you want to battle?” Ruko’s eyes were bright with anticipation.  
June and I turned to each other.  
“June would make more sense to battle right now, I guess,” I said, looking away.  
“Ah. Okay, then!” Ruko grabbed something from her waist. An Ultra Ball! “What kind of battle would you like? I’m kind of in a rush, but I can’t resist a quick battle.”  
“I don’t mind,” June replied. “If you’re in a rush, we could do a one-on-one battle.”  
“How about a two-on-two instead?” Ruko offered. “If you’re a Gym Leader, you’ve gotta be good! I want to make this one worth it!”  
“Well, I’m a previous Gym Leader who wasn’t very good at her job, but, sure, a two-on-two sounds fine to me,” June nodded.  
“Nonsense! I know you’re tough and were fine at your job! If they were going to fire you, it was because they couldn’t handle your awesome talent!”  
“Uh… It really was quite the opposite of that,” June laughed uncomfortably.  
“We’ll see.” Ruko backed up several feet. “You ready to battle?”  
“Alright.” June set her bag on the ground.  
“Give it your all. A losing attitude will only result in a loss,” Ruko encouraged June.  
June smiled and nodded. “Okay! Let’s begin!”  
“Bouffalant, I choose you!” Ruko threw her Ultra Ball.  
Bouffalant. The Bash Buffalo Pokemon. Its afro-like fur repels physical attacks. They live in herds and will charge at anything in their territory, violently.  
“Okay.” June dug through her bag and pulled out a Poke Ball. “Then, I’m going with Magneton! GO!”  
“Magnetooooon!” Magneton cried.  
“Whoa! Never saw one of those before!” Ruko pulled out a pink Pokedex that looked slightly different from Ella’s and Trixa’s.  
Magneton. The Magnet Pokemon and the evolved form of Magnemite. It floats based off of the heavy gravitational energy within its body. The power of this Pokemon’s electromagnetic waves can dry out surrounding moisture.  
“That Pokemon sounds so cool!” Ruko complimented as she put her Pokedex away.  
“Thank you! I’ve never seen a Bouffalant before,” June told Ruko. “She looks so tough!”  
“Thank you, it… Wait. Did you just say ‘she?’” Ruko asked, giving June a confused look.  
“That’s right. Your Bouffalant is a female!”  
“It is?” Ruko looked at Bouffalant in shock.  
Bouffalant turned to her and grunted.  
“But, how can you tell?”  
“It’s a little gift of mine,” June said as her hands shyly went to her back, her eyes lowering. A smile came over her face as her face flushed slightly darker. “I can communicate with Pokemon. They can understand me, and I can hear them, too. I can also see their gender differences clear as day.”  
“You. Are. SO COOOOOOOOOOL!!!!!!” Ruko bellowed at the top of her lungs to the sky, raising a pair of fists. “WOW!!! I’m definitely going to lose. BAD!” Ruko laughed.  
“Well, let’s find out. You go first!” June seemed a little more confident now.  
“Really? Wow! I even get to attack first! Awesome!” Ruko cheered. “Hmm. Alright, then, use Leer!”  
Bouffalant’s eyes glowed red, causing Magneton to utter a sudden, mechanical noise as it backed up.  
“Magneton, stand your ground and use Zap Cannon!” June pointed at Bouffalant.  
Magneton’s body sparked with yellow electricity and a ball that sparked yellow, black, and purple electricity fired out at Bouffalant.  
Bouffalant lowered her head and took the attack, roaring as she stumbled back. She dropped to her knees and her body sparked.  
“She’s now Paralyzed,” June informed Ruko.  
“Right,” Ruko said, a determined look on her face.  
“Now, use Gyro Ball!”  
“Revenge!” Ruko called out.  
Magneton spun in place quickly and flew out to Bouffalant, slamming into her head, knocking her down.  
“Yes! You’re doing great, Magneton!” June leaped for joy.  
Bouffalant got up as Magneton stopped spinning and her body glowed with a golden color. “BOOUUUUUUUUUUFFALAAAAAANNTTT!” she roared as an orange aura erupted from her body and slammed into Magneton.  
“TOOOOOOOONNNN!!!!” Magneton was dropped from the attack.  
“Magneton!” June gasped. “What?? NO!” June ran to her Pokemon and rested her hands on the combined three magnets. “What happened out there?”   
Magneton let out a weak moan.   
“It’s alright.” June rubbed her Pokemon. “Relax. You did well.” June returned her Magneton.  
“It’s done?!” I called out in shock.  
June turned to me with a sad look on her face and nodded.   
“What kind of move…?” I pulled out my Pokedex.  
Revenge. If the user takes damage before attacking with this move, the damage for this Fighting type move is doubled.  
“Wow,” I murmured. “A Steel type like Magneton is weak to Fighting moves. That was rough.”  
June walked back to her bag and dug through it before her hands pulled out one Poke Ball each. She stared at them both momentarily, a serious look on her face, and then put one of them back and stood up. “Eevee, you’re up next!” She three Eevee’s Poke Ball.  
“Eevee?” I asked, staring at her.  
“Oh, my goodness, that thing is so freaking cuuuuuuute!!!” Ruko squealed as she pulled out her Pokedex.  
Eevee. The Evolution Pokemon. Known to evolve into a multitude of different types of Pokemon depending on its environment, this Pokemon is still studied to this day to learn more about it.  
“Oh, man! I think I’d do just about anything to own a Pokemon that cool!” Ruko gushed.  
“Thank you, Ruko! You’re really kind!” June said warmly. “Well, you’re up first, again!”  
“Right! Bouffalant, another Revenge attack!” Ruko ordered.  
“Eevee, use your Tail Whip!”  
“Tail Whip?” I asked, frowning and crossing my arms in disapproval.  
Eevee ran up to Bouffalant and whipped her face with her tail.   
Bouffalant shook her face and her body glowed orange again. The aura exploded from her body and tossed the little Eevee through the air.  
She bounced on the ground.  
“Eevee, get up!” June begged.  
Why choose an Eevee? I wondered. Why not Electivire? Or at least, like, anything else but a little Eevee!  
Eevee shook her head and got back to her feet.  
“Ah, good one, June!” Ruko acknowledged. “You used a move that didn’t hurt Bouffalant to cut down the damage Revenge would do!”  
June smiled. “Eevee, just a bit more! Use your Double-Edge attack this time!” June ordered.  
“Revenge again!”  
Eevee ran as her body was covered in a gold aura. She slammed into Bouffalant, toppling the large buffalo Pokemon over and onto her side. Eevee landed and twitched from the recoil damage.  
Bouffalant groaned in pain, managing back to her feet, and dropped again, her body twitching in pain, sparking from Paralysis.  
“Another Double-Edge!”  
Eevee slammed into Bouffalant again, right in the face. She landed and gave a cheerful cry out to Bouffalant.  
Bouffalant roared out wearily from the ground and remained still.  
“Bouffalant!” Ruko’s mouth dropped.  
Eevee whined out and stumbled backwards as the recoil damage set in, and then she collapsed.  
“My Eevee!” June ran to her Pokemon and picked her up, cradling her carefully. She kissed Eevee’s forehead with a smile.  
Eevee looked up at June and reached her little paws up onto her right shoulder and licked June’s face before curling up in her arms, shivering.  
Bouffalant groaned weakly as she grunted and strained back to her feet, her eyes narrowed onto June and Eevee.  
June looked back at Bouffalant solemnly before looking back at her Pokemon. “You did great, honey. Just wonderful. I knew you’d do well.” June returned Eevee to her Poke Ball and then turned back to Bouffalant. She now wore a weakened, possibly even forced, smile.  
“That was great, Bouffalant! Come on back!” Ruko returned her Bouffalant and approached June with her hand out. “Hey, that’s a tough little pair of Pokemon you have!”  
“You’re kind, but we didn’t do so well,” June said with a disappointed sigh, her attempted smile swept away.  
“Are you kidding me?? That Eevee thing was amazing! And the Magneton was just too cool for words! You’re such a great Trainer! Why you left the position of a Gym Leader, I’ll never know! You’re so good! You wanna make a trade for the Eevee?”  
“What?” June jumped, startled by Ruko’s words.  
“Yeah! I’d love to raise that thing! I always make trades with other Trainers,” Ruko told June. “I traded for Bouffalant, and all of my other Pokemon, too!”  
“Wait, what do you mean?” I asked, stepping up to her. “All of your Pokemon?”  
“Yeah! I started out with a Snivy on my journey,” Ruko told June and I eagerly. “Then, a Trainer I battled beat me, but he really wanted my Snivy and I traded it for his Zorua. Then, I caught a Braviary by total luck! We battled for a while together, but lost to a Trainer who had a Druddigon, but he wanted to trade for my Braviary, and of course I said yes! Then, after that, I just kept making trades with people for Pokemon I caught, and after a while, I didn’t even need to catch Pokemon anymore! I just made trades, trades, trades! Sometimes, I even got two Pokemon for one if I play my cards right!” She smiled at us widely.  
“Wai-w-w…” I stuttered, unsure of what to say. I took a deep breath. “Do you mean to say that you don’t own a single Pokemon right now that you caught on your own?”  
“That’s right,” Ruko nodded. “I’ve traded so much, I don’t own anything I caught myself!” She laughed.  
“But, why? Y-you traded away your own Snivy? Your Starter?” I asked frantically.  
“It was weak,” Ruko said, keeping her smile. “I traded it away for a stronger Pokemon. I trade for Pokemon who have better moves, or Abilities, or have stronger Stats! I wanna win battles!”  
“You can win with your Pokemon you catch on your own!” I argued, getting upset. “Just because you lose doesn’t mean you can’t improve your battling skills and win the next time! You can’t just give away your Pokemon like that!”  
Ruko’s smile remained plastered on her face. “I’m not giving them away. I’m trading them, and getting the best Pokemon I possibly can! And I’m winning with them, too! I’m winning much easier and faster. These Pokemon are really tough!”  
“That doesn’t matter! You can win if you work hard with your own Pokemon!” My heart was beating in shock, my body starting to tremble in disbelief. “It isn’t about winning battles, Ruko! It’s about… It’s about winning battles, but with your own Pokemon! I mean, trading is okay, but you can’t just give away everything you own to win! It isn’t a win for you; it’s a win for the Original Trainer of that Pokemon! What’s the point if you’re not going to put in the effort yourself?”   
“I’m still the one using the Pokemon. If you don’t know how to use the Pokemon, you can still lose!” Ruko remained bright. “The Trainers told me all about the moves their Pokemon know, and they usually tell me how to use them to ensure a victory, too!”  
This is madness, I thought to myself. Why would anyone do that? This is not right!   
“Ruko,” June started, a worried look showing in her eyes.  
Ruko lifted her wrist and stared at a fancy, large watch. “Whoa! Look at the time! I’ve really gotta go! My girlfriend is waiting for me! See you guys later!” Ruko bolted away from us, running to where June and I had come from.  
June and I looked after her until she vanished from view. We remained looking after her, silently. Slowly, we turned to face each other.  
“Did she just say, girlfriend?” I asked June slowly.  
“She did just say, girlfriend,” June replied.  
“Like, as a friend-friend, or…?”  
June slowly shrugged.  
“Huh,” I nodded slowly.  
We both turned back to where Ruko had disappeared, and then looked ahead to the city not far away from us.  
“I’m worried about her,” June said in a low voice. “Her motivation of raising Pokemon. It worries me...”  
“I know...” I said thoughtfully. “But she’s gone now. Let’s just get on.”  
It wasn’t long before the skyscrapers were surrounding us, the tops of them reaching into the night sky. There were large supermarkets and stores for other purposes everywhere I looked. A tree was planted in front of every few buildings.  
“This must be the Pokemon Center!” I said, pointing ahead at a tall, yellow building with a robust, matching awning and a red and white P on the front of it.  
“Good! My Eevee can rest up and my other Pokemon can get a little something to eat!” June clasped her hands together.  
“Yeah, and while our Pokemon are getting their food, we’ll grab a little lunch, and then we can all head out to find the Gym! Let’s go!” I ran to the doors of the building, and they opened. “Whoa!” I cried out as I slammed into someone and was forced back, hitting the ground. I looked up and apologized as I stood up.  
The person, presumably a man, was wearing sunglasses and a large, black leather coat that reached down to his black shoes. His face was as pale as white paint. He was hunched over badly, but he didn’t have a cane, the large lump that was his back reaching higher than his head was! His head was leaned forward forcibly.  
“I’m really sorry,” I apologized again. “Are you okay?”   
The man didn’t say a single word. He turned away from me and slowly walked away, his feet shuffling quickly along the ground, but not carrying him very quickly.  
“Weird,” June muttered.  
“Yeah. It’s not even sunny outside,” I noted. “And it’s practically winter. Why’s he wearing sunglasses?”  
“Some people wear them at all hours.”  
“I know, but how silly is that? Why would you wear sunglasses at night?” I laughed a little.  
“So he can watch you weave then breathe your story lines?” June suggested with a smile.  
“Huh?” I looked at her in confusion.  
“It was a bad joke. Never mind,” June said flatly, looking away from me.  
I led the way into the Pokemon Center and looked around as we approached the counter.  
The inside of the building was packed with people. Most of them seemed to be young adults, with a few young kids around as well.   
One girl had long, red hair, and she looked up at me with her dark, green eyes. She smiled slightly, her face visibly full of kindness, her eyes sparkling at me in some sense.  
I stumbled over my feet at her breathtaking beauty before looking away from her, embarrassed, and regained my balance as I cleared my throat. Adjusting my jacket, my pace quickened as I made my way over to the counter where Nurse Joy stood with her Audino, smiling.  
“Welcome to the Castelia City Pokemon Center,” Nurse Joy greeted me and June.  
“Hi, Nurse Joy,” I greeted her back. “Mind taking care of these guys for me?” I placed my three Poke Balls on the counter. I really need to start catching some more Pokemon, I thought to myself.  
“And mine as well, please,” June added, lifting her bag and placing it on the counter with a grunt. She pulled out her five Poke Balls.  
“Of course! Right away.” Nurse Joy scooped up June’s Poke Balls, and Audino took mine.  
“Well, how about we go to the cafeteria downstairs and-?” I began as I turned around. I let out a loud gasp of fright and backed up into the counter behind me.  
A young woman was staring at me, her face mere inches from my own face, squinting. “Hey, I think I know you, but maybe I don’t.” Her eyes squinted harder. “Do you like Bugs? Or Ghosts? The answer better be yes, or I’m totally judging you.”  
It can’t be, I thought to myself, my heart beating painfully in my chest. No way can it be.  
This woman spoke very quickly. She stood several inches taller than me, her dark blonde hair sitting underneath a brown ranger hat with a black ribbon wrapped around the middle of it. She was wearing tight, black short shorts and a matching, tight, black shirt tucked into her shorts underneath her short brown vest that ended just below her chest. A Sewaddle sat on top of her hat. She sported brown gloves and a rope was wrapped at her waist, slung around a brown belt. A brown bag hung around her shoulder, her feet resting inside long black boots rising just past her ankles. “You’re running out of time to answer my question, Mister PersonIDon’tThinkIKnowButIMightKnowButProbablyDon’tButIfIDidn’tKnowYouWhyWouldIApproachYouThinkingIKnowYouInTheFirstPlace.”  
Please, no, no, no, I thought in a panic.  
“Time’s up, sir,” the woman said. “We can no longer be friends. ‘Kay bye.” She turned around and walked away from me.  
People in the Pokemon Center were staring at me.  
The woman turned around and walked back over to me.  
I tried to back away from her again, but I was already pressed up against the counter.  
“I’ll give you one more chance to answer me correctly, or else I am definitely judging you,” she warned me. “I’m only giving you a second chance because I feel like I remember you. Do you like Bugs and Ghosts?”  
“I like… Ghosts…” I answered feebly, weakly. “I’m afraid of Bugs…”  
“I am totally judging you,” she said with an attitude, crossing her arms. “That is just upsetting. Up. Se. Tting. Upsetting.”  
NNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I roared in my head. It’s really her. It’s her! WHY?!?!?  
“Gary? Do you know her?” June asked me quietly.  
The woman gasped and smiled. “GARY! That’s the name!”  
Damn you, June, I thought bitterly. DAMN YOU!!!  
“Gary, do you remember me? It’s me, Kai!” Kai smiled.  
I sighed and nodded. “Yes. I most certainly remember you.”  
“What are you doing here in Unova? This is where I’m from! It’s so great to see you!”  
“Yeah, the feeling’s totally mutual,” I lied glumly, staring at the floor.  
“You came here to see Emmet’s butt, didn’t you? You couldn’t resist!” Kai accused.  
“I did not come here to see any butts!” I snapped.  
“Butts?” June asked quietly.  
I turned to her with a scowl. “June, this is my… Um… This is Kai. Kai, this is my friend, June.”  
“Oh, hi,” Kai replied, turning to June, and then she turned back to me. “Well, Emmet is in Nimbasa City. I was sent to work in Unova for a little while, so I came here to meet Burgh, first. Isn’t he totally super kawaii?”  
“Super what now?” I asked.  
“Kawaii,” she repeated.  
“Uh, yeah, sure,” I muttered. “I came here to battle his Bug Gym, actually.”  
“Oh, well, you’re silly,” Kai responded. “You’re totally gonna lose.”  
“Oh, really?” I said impatiently, frowning. “We’ll see about that. I’m going there right after my Pokemon are better.”  
“Pok. E. Mon. Pokemon,” Kai mumbled, staring beyond me.  
“Huh?” June said.  
“Don’t,” I whispered to her, gently elbowing her side.  
“Huh?” June asked me.  
“What?” Kai asked, looking at me.  
“Nothing, we’re just waiting for our Pokemon to get better,” I told Kai.  
“Do you have any other Bug type Pokemon with you?” Kai asked me seriously, crossing her arms.  
“No, I don’t.”  
“You have been judged,” Kai narrowed her eyes harder.  
“Judged?” June asked.  
“Shh,” I shushed June.  
“Yes, judged,” Kai turned to June, and then she immediately turned back to me. “You released Butterfree, didn’t you? I knew it! I knew you two weren’t meant to be together. I told you to just give her to me! You and I cannot be friends, ever!” She quickly turned and walked away from me.  
“But, he didn’t release her! Butterfree is at Prof. Oak’s Lab with Gary’s other Pokemon, other than the ones he’s caught in Unova!” June called out to her.  
My eyes popped open. “June!” I barked. We had almost gotten rid of her! June and her big mouth!  
“What did I do?” June asked me innocently.  
Kai stopped and turned around, walking back to us. “Well, I’m still judging you for not keeping your Butterfree with you. I knew you didn’t have her with you, so I was still right. It’s clear as day that your relationship with her hasn’t improved since we last met. You are judged!!”  
“But-” I tried.  
She turned to June. “And what about you? Do you like Bugs and Ghost type Pokemon?”  
“Um, well, I own a Ghost and a Bug type Pokemon, but my favorites are Electric types!” June smiled.  
“Electric, eh? Hmph! Not good enough! You are judged!” She turned her back on us, and then immediately turned back around. “But, you own a Ghost and a Bug, so I give you two points for that. What are they?”  
“Um, a Rotom and a Galvantula,” June answered, scratching her head, staring at Kai cautiously.   
“I have a Galvantula, too! He’s so cool! And Rotom is a great Pokemon, too! All Bugs and Ghosts are!”  
“Thanks!” June smiled again, but that instantly gave way to innocent curiosity. “Um, what does it mean that I’m judged?”  
“June,” I growled at her. Why won’t she just shut up so we can lose this crazy woman?   
“It means I’ve judged you,” Kai told June.  
“What does that mean? Like, you have a bad opinion of me?” June asked.  
“Yes. And you’ve been judged.”  
“I…” June started.  
“Okay, so, anyway, it was nice meeting you, Kai, but don’t let us keep you,” I interrupted. “You go on and meet Burgh, and then Emmet, and whoever the hell else is out there, and we’ll meet you some other time since we’ll be here for a while.”  
“Oh, I don’t mind waiting at all,” Kai waved at me. “I wanna meet this Galvantula she has. And her Rotom. And then, we can all go see Burgh together and bask in his kawaiiness.”  
I couldn’t believe it. June was crazy enough for me to handle. We had just managed to shake loose one crazy person when Trixa left.  
Now, it seemed we were fated to not only meet one of the craziest people I’d ever known in my entire life, but she would also be accompanying us to my Gym battle against Burgh.  
I’d find out tomorrow that, comparatively, Kai was among the sane inside of Castelia City.  
The three of us would learn that the hard way.


	15. Of Splicing Men Part 1 Of 2

“I’m telling you, you’re gonna looove Burgh. I promise,” Kai told June’s Galvantula excitedly, her own Galvantula standing close to June’s. “Some say he’s a bit strange, but in reality, he’s a total sweetheart and absolutely adores Bug types! I pretty much idolize him. I’ve never seen his butt, though. I’m pretty sure it can’t compare with Emmet’s, though. Emmet is soooooo cool. Like, oh my gosh, you can’t even understand how he, like, mmmmmmm!!!!” She let out a bizarre squeal as she raised her arms and brought them tightly together in front of her, shaking her head excitedly. “Emmet also has an adorable brother, Ingo! But Emmet is just too super kawaii! We absolutely have to meet them both! But after Burgh! I want to meet Burgh, and all of his Pokemon, and absorb his body. ‘Kay bye.” Kai picked up her pace and walked ahead of the two Bug Pokemon.  
The two Galvantula turned to each other and then moved quickly to keep up with Kai.  
I turned to June, who was by my side.  
June looked to me and shrugged her shoulders.  
I wasn’t eager to catch up with Kai and those two disgusting insects that were following her, but June jogged after Kai, and I picked up my pace very slightly.  
It was the day after we had met Kai. She had talked nonstop to June and I back at the Pokemon Center. That was, until June and I got back our Pokemon. She insisted on seeing June’s Bug and Ghost types, so June sent out her Galvantula and Rotom. Kai let out an explosive, joyful scream and she wrapped her arms around Galvantula. On her knees, she spoke to Galvantula eagerly, praising her, noting how well taken care of she looked, how bright the colors on her body were, and how healthy she appeared.  
Galvantula enjoyed the attention and seemed to maneuver in a happy manner.  
Kai got up and went over to Rotom, bouncing around it in circles, gaping at it with an enormous smile on her face. She spoke on how spooky and yet adorable Rotom looked, and asked June how she had caught it. Before June could answer, Kai was talking up a storm again to Rotom.  
Even Rotom seemed a little unsettled by this woman’s enthusiasm and flew behind June, peeking from behind her head, smiling nervously. June spoke to Rotom, trying to comfort it, and Rotom spoke back, its body sparking, and it gently shocked June with electricity.  
June laughed and fell to her knees, her hair standing up high.  
Kai watched this scene in awe until Rotom stopped shocking June, and then she curiously walked over to them.  
June then explained that she likes when her Pokemon give her a jolt from their electricity, and that her and her Pokemon can communicate with one another.  
Kai, stunned by this claim, inquired more about it, and June told her about how she could always speak to Pokemon and hear their words. The Pokemon Ranger then decided to send out a few of her own Pokemon, which included Galvantula, Dunsparce, a Butterfree she bragged to me about owning, reminding me that she didn’t have one the last time we had met, and of course, Sewaddle.  
June spoke to all of them, engaging in joyful conversation, the seven of them laughing with each other.  
Kai watched in admiration.  
I had backed up as far as humanly possible, watching the creepy insects from afar.  
June and Kai’s Galvantula seemed to get along well with each other, staying close by each other’s side and glancing at one another on occasion. A spark zapped from both Pokemon every couple of minutes, meeting right above their bodies.  
The absurd occasion lasted all night, and eventually, we decided we’d go see Burgh tomorrow.  
I didn’t sleep well that night. I hadn’t intended on meeting Kai ever again for as long as I lived, and yet, somehow, June and I had managed to meet her in Unova. And what’s more, she would be following us to meet Burgh. No way are we going to Nimbasa City, I told myself. If this Emmet guy is there, and Kai is going there to meet him, I’m totally not going there.  
June turned in her bed in the room me, her, and Kai were sleeping in.  
Kai had been mumbling in her sleep, nonstop, since she had fallen asleep.  
I glared at her a little, turned my back on her, and closed my eyes.  
Soon after the three of us had finished eating breakfast in the cafeteria earlier today and went to locate Burgh’s Gym, Kai filled in her and June’s spiders about a ton of things, starting with who she was, how she met me, the adventures we had gone through when we were traveling together in Kanto, Bug Pokemon she’s seen all over the world, her aspirations and work as a Pokemon Ranger, her desire to finally own a Capture Styler, which was a sign of a high ranking and well trusted Pokemon Ranger, something about a Casteliacone, and Emmet’s butt.  
As we all walked, a woman slowly crept by us wearing a long blue coat reaching down to her black shoes, her long, black hair covering most of her disturbingly pasty white face. She was hunched over, a hump on her back reaching well over her head, but she looked to only be about thirty years old at the most. She didn’t have a cane with her, and she wore sunglasses despite the lack of sun in the gloomy sky, the dark clouds promising rain.  
I squinted at her as she walked by. Weird, I thought to myself, remembering the pale, humpbacked man with sunglasses that I had run into when entering the Pokemon Center with June yesterday. I kept my eyes on her, looking back.  
“This is it!” Kai shouted suddenly, taking my attention.  
The two Galvantula walked past Kai, stopping a couple of feet from her, and turned to look up at a strange building.  
“This is the Gym?” I asked.  
“Yes, I’m sure of it! Look!” Kai pointed at an old wooden post.  
The sign read: Castelia City Gym  
I looked back up at the building. It looked old and not well kept. Tree branches poked out of broken windows of the three story building on every floor, vines hanging down. The white paint was peeling and chipped all over and looked filthy, various plant life growing all over it. The roof of the building wasn’t on top of the building properly, leaning to the side a little.  
“Come on! There’s no time to waste! I’m coming, Burgh!” Kai yelled gleefully as she ran to the front door, grabbed the knob, and pushed the door open, making it groan deeply. She disappeared inside, the Galvantula duo following behind her.  
June and I turned to each other, a nervous look on our faces.  
With a sigh, I turned back to the building. “Let’s just get this Badge,” I said, taking a deep breath. “Then we can ditch this crazy chick and get out of this town.”  
“Don’t be mean, Gary,” June said, crossing her arms.  
I rolled my eyes. “You can’t be serious right now,” I muttered, and walked towards the open door. The moment I entered, my skin began to prickle from the sudden change in temperature.  
The sound of water dripping rang out from several different areas of the room.  
“Hey, it’s warm in here,” June commented.  
I rubbed my arms and then removed my jacket. “Yeah, it is. It’s pretty humid in here, actually.”  
“Muggy is a better word,” June stated. “It has a gross feel in here. And why is it so dark? I can’t see too well in here.”  
A shrill shriek ahead of June and I made us both gasp in fright. “Kai!” We both ran ahead.  
“YAAAH!” I screamed as a loud buzz like from a bee rang through my right ear. I swung in the direction of the buzz frantically, but kept on running through the darkness, squinting to see my way.   
The room we were in looked crowded with materials, but I couldn’t quite make out what they were. I could make out splashes of random colors here and there, but they were small and almost unnoticeable. Trees lined the entire Gym as far as I could see, reaching high up to the ceiling, a few webs on some of the branches. The ground seemed to be made entirely of dirt.  
“Kai?” I called out as I spotted a figure several feet away from us.   
June and I stopped in front of the person.  
“Bugs!” Kai turned to face us, beaming.  
“Huh?” I asked, squinting at her. “Bugs?”  
“Yeah! Bugs! Everywhere!” Kai was overjoyed. “This entire place is a bug haven! The temperature, the moisture, the darkness… The entire atmosphere is designed for bugs!”  
I frantically looked around me and realized within seconds that Kai was right.  
The spider webs in the trees contained shadows. Shadows with multiple, skinny legs. The objects littering the place were tables and chairs, all were covered in dirt and webs.  
What is that? I wondered as I looked at a circular object that hung from a tree branch.  
A fluttering creature flew in front of my face and I freaked out, backing up with a horrific wail, batting my hands in my face. “I’ve had enough!” I screamed angrily, embarrassed. “I want out of here!” I looked around, unsure of where I was in the dark, wondering where the way out was.  
“But we haven’t seen Burgh, yet!” Kai complained.  
“I’m not too convinced anyone lives here anymore,” June said uncertainly, her voice getting quiet with noticeable fear.  
“He has to! This is the Gym!” Kai insisted.  
“I don’t care what this place is. I want to go!” I said impatiently. Loud buzzing noises filled my ears and I felt several, tiny creatures bump into my face. “FFFFRRRRAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!” I bellowed, smacking at my face and backing up, stumbling into something behind me. I looked down at the dirty table I was now sitting on and saw something looking back at me.  
A HUGE spider! The beast cried out and reached for me.  
I screamed like a maniac and leaped off of the table, running.  
“Aww! A Spinarak!” I heard Kai say lovingly.  
I didn’t give a damn what it was. I ran from it, swiping at cobwebs in the way, running to where I hoped with all my heart was the exit. I hadn’t been running for too long before I saw something that made me freeze.   
Something humongous hung from the ceiling. A light shone down upon the object that resembled a white ball of yarn.  
I squinted up at it. “What in the world is that?” I whispered in horror.  
Footsteps ran after me, stopping near me.  
“What is that?” June asked, a nervous tone in her voice.  
“It looks like cocoon,” Kai stated in amazement.  
“That thing is bigger than a human.” My heart was beating quickly now. “It can’t be a cocoon… Right?”  
“I have to get a closer look!” Kai was mesmerized by the object and walked closer until she was directly underneath it. She reached up towards the object, but she wasn’t even close to touching it, even when she jumped.  
The two Galvantula walked away from June and I but stopped several feet away from Kai, looking up at the large thing.  
“Kai, please, be careful!” June warned. She turned to me. “Gary, maybe we should get out of here.”  
My eyebrows furrowed. “I’ve been saying that for a little while now. This thing wasn’t by the entrance, so let’s just head in the opposite direction.”  
“Okay,” June nodded. “Kai! Come with us. We’re leaving.”  
“I can’t leave! I have to see what this thing is! This object is the work of some kind of insect, I think.” Kai kept jumping, trying to touch the strange object.  
“Just leave her,” I mumbled quickly, my heart thumping at Kai’s words. “She can stay here and find Burgh on her own. That’s not our concern. We can’t make her come with us. Please, June. Please. Can we just go?” I was begging at this point.  
June looked at me, and then turned back to Kai, hesitantly looking back to me. She sighed. “I’d feel bad if we just left Kai like this.”  
“She wants to stay here,” I insisted. “She isn’t traveling with us. She’s just here to meet Burgh, and he doesn’t seem to be here. We’ll come back for her if we find Burgh.” I wasn’t being honest about that last sentence. I, personally, was never returning to this place again. I wanted out! NOW! “She’ll be happy here, anyway. All of these nas-” I cried out shrilly as a loud buzz rang in my ear and something landed on my cheek. I swatted it away and spun around in a furious circle. “I’ve had about enough of these f-!!”  
A sudden noise from the cocoon grabbed my attention, and I turned with a start as it exploded!  
“BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!” A huge creature burst from the cocoon, screaming! It was a gigantic spider!!  
“AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!” June and I shrieked.  
I turned to run, but the spider, the size of an adult human, landed on my back, forcing me down hard! I cushioned the landing on the dirt ground with my arms and struggled under the weight of the heavy insect. “Get it off of meeeeeee!!!!” I screeched as loud as I could, terrified.  
“Who are you?!” June screamed at the bug.  
The monster hissed at June and then lowered its head to me.  
A sharp pain stung the back of my neck as the spider bit me. I screamed in agony, tensing up my neck, my eyes shut tight as I waited for the venom to sink in and kill me in a slow, painful death.  
“What are you doing?” June called to the spider in a scared voice. “Get off of him!”  
Footsteps approached me and I opened my eyes as the steps stopped near my face.  
Kai’s black boots met my peripheral. “Hey, wait a minute!” Kai said happily. “You must be Burgh! We found you! How did you build that cocoon? Oh my goodness, this is a dream come true! You’re amazing!”  
“WHAT?!” I turned my neck around and looked up into the face of some kind of creature.  
“That’s Burgh?” June gasped, covering her mouth with her hands.  
The creature raised two pale hands and pushed aside its hair, revealing its face.   
I gasped in disbelief.  
It was a man! But not a visibly sane one. He stood up, removing himself from me, and I could see he wore an all brown, tattered outfit, including a cape on his back. The cape was cut up and at first glance, in the dark, after he had burst from his cocoon, the cape had spread out and fluttered behind him, making it appear that he had multiple brown arms, like a spider. His face looked like it hadn’t been washed, shaved, nor seen the light of day in months, if not longer. His eyes were sunken deep into his face, the skin looking tired, old, and scary, dirt all over it, stubs of hair all over his cheeks, a messy beard under his nose. The guy’s arms fell to his sides, and his long, filthy brown hair covered his face again.  
I got to my feet quickly, backing away from him.  
We both stared at each other silently.  
I swallowed nervously.  
“Burgh! Burgh! Burgh!” Kai bounced up to Burgh.  
Burgh turned to her and hissed, raising his arms in the air.  
June gasped and took a step back.  
Kai laughed. “It’s really you! Burgh! Can I look at your butt? Please? I even have a camera with me!” Kai tapped her bag with a wide smile. “Just one picture. Come on. Please?”  
“Kai, cut it out,” I whispered to her.  
Kai didn’t seem to hear me. “So, how about it?” She opened her bag and dug around in it. “I know I brought it with me.  
“Kai, please,” June whispered, slowly approaching Kai and gently grabbing her shoulders, trying to pull her back.  
“Get off of me!” Kai struggled, freeing herself from June. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity!”  
I took a slow step back.  
Burgh turned to me, making me freeze in place.  
Wow. When Kai said he was a bit weird, that sure was an understatement, I thought. This guy is crazy! “Um, it was nice meeting you, but I think me and June are going to leave,” I blurted out. “You can enjoy your time with Kai. Come on, June!” I stumbled backwards fast, but stumbled over a chair, landing hard on the ground. “Oooww!” I moaned painfully as I grabbed on the filthy chair and managed to my feet.  
Burgh advanced on me quickly.  
“Found it!” Kai exclaimed, pulling out a shiny black camera, waving it in the air.  
“Kai, this isn’t the time!” June yelled.  
My breathing picked up as I struggled for air in the humid room, my face feeling filthy with perspiration and dirt. “Wait!”  
Burgh didn’t stop as he got closer, extending his arms out for my throat, a low hiss that was quickly getting louder, escaping from him.  
“GO!” Before I knew what I was doing, I threw a Poke Ball at Burgh.  
The Poke Ball opened and out came my Drilbur.  
“Drilburrrrr!” Drilbur faced Burgh.  
Burgh stopped in his tracks and looked down at my Pokemon. He slowly reached up with his hands and parted his hair, staring solemnly at Drilbur.   
Drilbur looked back at him, and after a couple of minutes, turned back to me. My Pokemon returned back at Burgh.  
Burgh slowly lifted his eyes up to me.  
“I-” I stopped talking, breathing heavily, and then, “I challenge you to a Pokemon battle!”  
Burgh stared at me without saying a word. His face showed no real emotion. His eyes went back down to Drilbur, and then they looked up at me.  
I looked around the room nervously, unsure of what was going on.  
Burgh’s arms dropped and his hair fell over his face as he backed away from me several feet. “Three Pokemon,” he mumbled in a voice I barely understood. “Three.”  
“Huh?” I said, more in shock than from not hearing him clearly. “Yes! Fine! Three-on-three is fine for me!”  
Burgh nodded. He raised one arm and pointed it at Drilbur. “Scolipede!”  
A rumble made me look around, and before I knew it, a towering monster appeared from the darkness, stomping up to Drilbur. It stopped right in front of him.  
Drilbur stood his ground as he faced his exceptionally tall opponent.  
Scolipede. The Megapede Pokemon and the final stage of Venipede. This Pokemon is extraordinarily fast. Coming into contact with this Pokemon can lead to a lethal poisoning.  
So is that all for the rules? I wondered. Three-on-three? Is there a time limit? Can he and I both switch Pokemon? Does it not matter? Something buzzed by my ear, and I ducked down in disgust, swinging my hand at my ear. Screw it! I thought angrily. I just want out of here! “Alright! Drilbur, use Earthquake, now!”  
Drilbur leaped into the air with a strong cry and landed on the ground, quaking the Gym.  
Burgh stumbled around, crying out in a low voice as the floor cracked and split, a line where the ground was splitting headed right for Scolipede.  
Scolipede was thrown off of its feet as the line reached it.  
I was bent over to the ground, my hands holding me up.  
“Scolipede, come on! You can do it! Get up!” Kai urged on Scolipede.  
“Hey!” I scowled at Kai.  
“What?” Kai shot back, glaring at me.  
“Go, Drilbur! You’re doing great!” June clapped on for my Pokemon. She turned to me and smiled.  
I let out a sigh and looked away from her. I just wanted to get out of here. I didn’t really care who cheered for who.  
Scolipede got back up, shaking its head.  
“Poison Tail,” Burgh said in his low voice.  
Scolipede’s tail glowed purple and it ran quickly, whipping its body around and smacking Drilbur with its tail.  
Drilbur rolled along on the ground, his eyes closed in pain, and finally stopped, laying on his back. His arms were sprawled out at his sides and his cheeks were a deep purple.  
“Drilbur’s Poisoned!” Kai applauded. “Finish it off now, Burgh! DO IT! DO IT!”  
I growled, glaring at Drilbur. “Get up! Use Earthquake again!”   
“Venoshock,” Burgh muttered.  
Drilbur shook his head, trying to focus on attacking, and he leaped into the air.   
Scolipede sprayed a green glob at Drilbur as Drilbur stomped the ground, rocking the field and throwing Scolipede down again.  
Drilbur yelled out horribly as he was coated in the disgusting looking attack that oozed over him.  
“That’s it!” Kai pointed out in joy. “Venoshock does double the damage if the Pokemon taking damage is already Poisoned. Drilbur is done and Scolipede wins!”  
“Will you shut up?” I barked at her. “I’m trying to pay attention here!”  
“Don’t be mad because you’re not kawaii like Burgh and his Bugs. You’re gonna lose. You’re one Pokemon down.” Kai stuck her tongue out at me.  
“No! Not yet! Look!” June pointed at the battle.  
Drilbur was sitting, breathing heavily, looking exhausted, but not yet beaten.  
Scolipede was on its side, not moving.  
“Scolipede is out, not Drilbur!” June declared. “HA!”  
“We won?” I asked in disbelief. “We won! Yes! Drilbur, you did great!”  
“Drilbur…” Drilbur gasped with exhaustion.  
“Noooooooooo!!!” Kai raged at me. “You idiot! How dare you!! You are soooooo judged now! Just you watch!”  
Burgh was looking down at his Scolipede. He stepped up to his Pokemon and bent down. A low whisper could be heard from him.  
Scolipede stirred and stood up. It shook its head and then lowered it sadly. Burgh placed a hand on the back of the grotesque Pokemon as it slowly crawled away, disappearing into the darkness and trees.  
Burgh returned to his spot and pointed at my exhausted Drilbur. “Shelmet.”  
Something leaped from the branches of one of the trees and landed in front of Drilbur with a cry.  
Shelmet. The Snail Pokemon. Shelmet protects itself by hiding in its shell from predators, not being the fastest of Pokemon, and can attack as a defense by spitting a poisonous, sticky liquid.  
“Drilbur, hang in there and let’s try the Fury Swipes!” I told him.  
Drilbur got up, shaking his head hard, and his claws glowed white as he leaped at Shelmet.  
“Protect,” Burgh said just above a whisper.  
A turquoise shield appeared in front of Shelmet, protecting it from the Fury Swipes attack as Shelmet closed its shell around its body.  
Drilbur landed and flinched in pain from Poison.  
“Hm. Then use Slash attack!”  
“Protect,” Burgh repeated.  
Drilbur swiped at Shelmet with one glowing claw, hitting it hard.  
“Shelmet!” Shelmet cried out as the attack hit it, forcing it back.  
“There we go! Using Protect once guarantees it will work, but if you keep using it consecutively, the chances of it working are reduced every time.”  
“I think Burgh knows that already, Gary!” Kai said rudely. “You’re gonna lose, and you’re getting judged, and I’m totally getting pictures of myself with Burgh’s butt and his Bug Pokemon after this battle is over. ‘Kay bye.” She turned and walked away from us all, waving me off. After only a couple of feet, she swiftly returned to her original spot, watching our Pokemon intently.  
“Why are you so obsessed with people’s butts?” June asked Kai.  
“No, not people’s. Just Emmet’s. And Burgh’s. And Grimsely’s,” Kai replied.  
“Grimsley?” June asked.  
“Shut uuuup!!” I was in a fury at this point.  
They both turned to me, eyes wide, and kept quiet.  
“Drilbur, use Hone Claws!” I returned to the battle, baring my teeth.  
Drilbur swiped his claws together as they glowed white and he increased his Accuracy and Attack strength.  
“Giga Drain,” Burgh spoke.  
Shelmet’s body inside of its shell glowed a bright, light green, and a beam fired out at Drilbur.   
Drilbur cried out helplessly as the Giga Drain sapped his energy, and he collapsed.  
“YES! TAKE THAT!” Kai celebrated. “Now your Drilbur is out, and Shelmet’s energy is restored!”  
June sighed. “She’s right. Shelmet wins.”  
“That was great battling, Drilbur. You deserve this rest.” I returned Drilbur to his Poke Ball and instantly sent out my second Pokemon. “Pidove!”  
“Pidove!” Pidove flapped his wings, staying afloat.  
“Alright, Quick Attack!” I started.  
“Protect,” Burgh spoke.  
Pidove’s Quick Attack was fast, but not quick enough, and he ended up bouncing off of Shelmet’s Protect.  
“Bide,” Burgh told Shelmet.  
Bide? That gives me a few turns to attack before it can send back all the damage I delivered, I knew. That’s reckless! ”Use your Air Cutter!”  
Shelmet’s body was outlined in white.  
Pidove’s wings wrapped around his body and then opened wide, several ‘X’ shaped, light blue bits of energy flying from his body and slamming into Shelmet.  
Shelmet flashed white where the attacks hit him, signaling a Critical Hit.  
“Air Cutter, once again!”  
Pidove attacked once more, Shelmet’s body flashing white where it was hit, showing that once again, the hit was critical.   
Shelmet groaned as it closed its eyes against the attack.  
“Do it one more time, Pidove!”  
Pidove attacked again with Air Cutter, and Shelmet called out helplessly as it was tossed back and finally dropped.  
“Pidove did it!” June leaped in the air repeatedly.  
“Yes! Pidove, good job. Just one more Pokemon to go!” I congratulated him.  
Pidove flapped his wings and sang out with pleasure.  
He battled so well! I noted. No memory issues or anything crazy. Maybe we’re over that wall?  
“That was so unfair! You did the same move over and over!” Kai complained. “O. Ver. Over.” Kai stared at me blankly for a moment. “A little bit longer, and you would have been finished,” she finally spoke, her glare returning. “I hope you don’t think you’ve won, because Burgh is about to come through with the surprise of your life! Burgh just can’t lose! Burgh, you can’t lose! You can do it!”  
Burgh approached his Bug Pokemon and knelt down, petting its body gently, whispering words to it.   
Shelmet’s eyes opened and it stood up, looking up at Burgh. It nodded and walked out of view.  
Burgh returned to his spot and once more, he pointed. “Karrablast.”  
“Karrablaaaaast!” A tiny little creature flew from the darkness, taking me by surprise.  
“Whoa!”  
Karrablast. The Clamping Pokemon. It is small in size, but big on energy and delivers a surprising blow to its opponents, taking on foes of all sizes.  
“Alright, Quick Attack!” I pointed.  
Pidove flew at Karrablast, toppling it over.  
“Now, use Gust attack!”  
“Slash,” Burgh mumbled.  
Karrablast ran towards Pidove, the top of its sharp head glowing white.  
Pidove flapped his wings as Karrablast leaped into the air, blowing the opponent back.  
Karrablast tumbled on the ground but leaped back up, eagerly hopping on the ground.  
“Air Cutter!” I went quickly.  
The Super Effective hit took Karrablast by surprise, evident by the look on its face as it stumbled back, struggling to continue battling.  
“Swords Dance,” Burgh said.  
Karrablast’s head glowed purple and it did a rapid spin on the ground, causing a little wind to blow through the field. It stopped and cried out, “Karrablast!” at Pidove.  
“Yes! That’s the spirit, Karrablast!” Kai encouraged it.  
“Pidove, be careful!” I warned him. “Let’s end this with Quick Attack!”  
“Endure,” Burgh instructed Karrablast quietly.  
Pidove soared down for Karrablast and slammed into it.  
Karrablast growled strongly, holding onto Pidove as best as it could, resisting the hit that should have taken it out.  
“Yes! Endure! Burgh always has a way around things!” Kai said confidently.  
“Pidove, another Quick Attack!” I told him. I knew that Endure worked like Protect. The more times it works, the less chance it has of working the next time.  
“Pidove…” Pidove looked around, ignoring Karrablast. He looked down at the ground and pecked it gently.  
“Pidove?” I questioned, confused. My eyes then popped in realization. “NOW?? NOOOOOW?!?!?!”  
Of all the times for Pidove to be forgetful, now was not the time!  
“Oh, no,” June whispered, raising a hand to cover her face.  
“HA! It won’t even obey him!” Kai laughed. “How very sad. Oh, if you thought you were being judged before, the judgment has arrived, now!” She laughed at me.  
I grit my teeth and leered at her.  
“Slash,” I heard Burgh say.  
I turned around to see Karrablast swipe at Pidove with its glowing head.  
Pidove slid along the ground and remained still, stunned by the hit.  
“Slash.”  
Karrablast hit Pidove with another Slash.  
Pidove called out wearily as he soared and landed at my feet.  
“Pidove! Can you get up? We’re just one hit away from a win!” I called down to my forgetful bird Pokemon. “Quick Attack!”  
Pidove gave a brave, determined face as he used his wings to push himself back up, shaking hard. He turned around to Karrablast. “Pidoooooove!”  
“Yeah! Now let’s do this! Quick Attack!”  
Pidove let out an angry cry and soared towards Karrablast with stunning speed.  
“Finish it off!” I pushed on. “Do it!”  
“Endure,” Burgh said.  
Karrablast braced itself for the hit.  
Pidove got closer.  
“Karraaaaa…” Karrablast said, eyeing Pidove.  
Pidove suddenly slowed down and gently landed. He looked up at the ceiling then soared away from Karrablast, landing on one of the tree branches nearby. He gently cooed.  
I fell to my knees, staring weakly at Pidove. Is this thing kidding me right now? I thought with a mix of fury and weariness, unsure of how to react.  
“Slash,” was Burgh’s next word.  
Karrablast ran away from Burgh and leaped high into the air, its head glowing white, and it knocked Pidove right out of the tree.  
Pidove dropped with a loud, long scream.  
“My Pidove!” I ran to my Pokemon and scooped him up in my arms.  
“Doooove…” he moaned weakly.  
I sighed and closed my eyes. “What am I gonna do with you, Pidove?” I grabbed his Poke Ball. “Thank you for your work... I mean it.” I returned him to his Poke Ball and went back to where I had run from.  
“Only one more Pokemon to go,” Kai said smugly.  
“That’s right,” June agreed, turning to Kai. “One more to go.”  
Kai shot June a dirty look. “Your boyfriend is totally not going to win.”  
“She isn’t my girlfriend!” I growled at her before June could respond with her reddening face as I grabbed my last Poke Ball. “Go, Cottonee!”  
“Cooottonee!” he said as he appeared from his Poke Ball.  
“Cottonee, use Stun Spore, now!”   
“Cooottoneeeeee!” Cottonee’s body shook off a golden powder onto Karrablast.  
The feisty Bug type was Paralyzed, shivering as if cold while Burgh watched on. Suddenly, Karrablast’s skin went drastically white. In seconds, its own skin slid from its body!  
I inhaled sharply.  
“Shed Skin Ability,” June and Kai said in unison, Kai happily, June seriously.  
“It removes any Status issues!” Kai spoke with June.  
“It heals the Status of a Pokemon.” June spoke with Kai.  
The skin of Karrablast laid on the floor and Karrablast stepped forward, looking brand new, fresh, colored skin on its body. But the Bug was still tired and breathing hard. “Karrablast!”  
“Bug Buzz,” Burgh told his Pokemon.  
“Leech Seed!”  
Cottonee moved first and a seed flew from his head, landed on Karrablast, and vines wrapped around the Bug type, sapping its energy.  
Karrablast fell and struggled, unable to free itself. “Karrablast…” The seed and vines around it vanished in the next instant. Karrablast was beaten.  
“ALRIGHT!” I exploded.  
Kai shrieked as if she were being stabbed.  
June cheered.  
I ran towards Cottonee and wrapped my arms around him. “We did it, Cottonee! We did it! Yes! YES! We won!”  
“Coooottoneee!” Cottonee snuggled into me.  
I enjoyed the feel of his soft body in my arms and against my face. “Badge number three!” I sighed as I released him. “And most importantly, I can finally get away from these bugs!” I laughed. “Thank you, Cottonee!”  
“Cottonee!” Cottonee nodded.  
I turned to Burgh.  
He was standing still, looking down at his Karrablast.  
“Well, I won, Burgh!” I called to him. “I’ll be taking my Badge now and getting out of here, please.”  
“We are totally not friends anymore, Gary!” Kai stormed over to Burgh. “Don’t worry, Burgh. I support you until the end. Gary’s totally not cool!”  
“Ugh. Do you have to be such a sore sport?” June snapped at Kai. “I mean, I understand supporting your favorite person, but why do you have to be like this?”  
“Because,” Kai crossed her arms, glaring at June.  
“Because why?” June demanded.  
“’Cause reasons,” Kai answered, turning away from June and facing Burgh.  
“Huh? Reasons? What reasons?” June asked in confusion.  
“Reasons,” Kai said shortly.  
“Can I have my Badge, please, sir?” I interrupted impatiently.  
Burgh hadn’t moved from his spot, still seeming to be eyeing his Karrablast, although it was hard to tell with his hair blocking his face.  
Karrablast finally opened its eyes and got up. It turned to Burgh and stared at him.  
Burgh seemed to be looking back.  
Karrablast then ran off into the trees.  
I turned to Burgh, who now had his head up, facing my direction. A nervous feeling swept over my body, and I swallowed.   
Something wasn’t right here.  
I cleared my throat. “I won fair and square,” I said, my voice not as loud or strong as I had wanted it to be. “May I please have my Badge, sir.”  
“If he doesn’t want to give you it, there’s nothing you can do about it,” Kai said, sticking her tongue out at me.  
Something flew by my face and I cried out. “Fine!” I said angrily. “I just want out of here! Come back, Cottonee!” I returned my Pokemon and turned to leave. “Come on, June!” I only got one step.  
“Badge?” a low voice spoke.  
I froze, my heart beating quickly. “I said forget it,” my voice shook. “I don’t want your Badge. Thanks for the battle.” I took another couple of steps.  
“I have no Badge for you,” Burgh spoke, his voice coming out slightly louder.  
His voice made me freeze. “That’s fine.” My voice continued to quiver. Burgh had been terrifying me with his low, slow, creepy tone of voice. Now that it was getting louder, it somehow worried me even more. I took another couple of steps forward.  
“I am not a Gym Leader.”  
His last statement made me freeze again. I managed a hard swallow.  
“I haven’t been a Gym Leader in years.”  
My heart was in my throat at this point, and no amount of swallowing was forcing it back down.  
“I am… not even human anymore. I am an insect,” Burgh spoke, his voice lowering to where I wasn’t sure I had heard him correctly. “I haven’t been a, human, in so long…”  
My eyes widened. I have to get out of here, I realized, and made a mad dash forward.  
I heard a loud cry from either June or Kai, and then a definite, pained cry from June.  
My feet carried me faster into the darkness. I couldn’t see where the exit, or anything, was. The darkness, trees, dusty furniture, cobwebs and spider webs were everywhere. I swung at the vines and webs hanging close to my face as I struggled to escape the building, the buzzing of multiple insects ringing through my ears, the bugs touching my face as I smacked at them.  
All kinds of bugs and Bug Pokemon swung by me as I ran past, crying out, hissing, terrifying me as I punched at them, frightened to touch them, but desperate to keep them away from me.  
June. Kai, I thought as I ran. I have to get help. I need to get to-

*

There was a strange noise.   
Owww… I thought groggily, my head throbbing in pain.  
There was only blackness everywhere.  
The strange noise, so close to me, was heard again.  
“Gary?” I heard a voice say near me.  
I tried to turn towards the voice, groaning, and at that moment, I realized that the strange noise was my groaning. My body felt strange. Restricted. Tight. “Ugh…” Slowly, my eyes began to open. “Ugh…” I closed them against the sudden light I unveiled against them.  
“Gary! Are you okay? It’s me, June! Kai is with us, too!”   
“Huh?” I opened my eyes and squinted in the light, trying to turn around to see June.  
“Gary, please, relax. Try not to panic, okay?” June told me, her voice struggling to remain calm, but fear was obvious in it.  
“What’s going on?” My head continued throbbing.  
“It looks like we’re in a spider’s web,” Kai’s voice explained. “We’re wrapped up really good, too. I mean, really good! This is amazing work. I wonder if Burgh designed this web.”  
“WHAT?!” My eyes shot open and I tried to sit up, but I was unable to move much. I looked down and gasped. My entire body was wound up in some kind of white fabric, from my feet up to right below my neck! “WHAT IS THIS???” I roared in a panic, struggling harder.  
“Gary, please! Relax!” June begged.  
“WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!?!” I let out as loud as I could.  
“We don’t know!!” June’s voice was getting high with fear. “Don’t rock the damn thing!! You might attract whatever made it! Or whoever…”  
I stopped struggling and started breathing harder, my heart feeling as if it were stabbing into my chest repeatedly like a blade. “H-h-how did I get here? Are you two stuck like this, too?” I turned my neck, and several feet away, I could see June to the right of me, wrapped up exactly like me. I could also see that the two of us were on an enormous spider web. The walls and ceiling of the room we were in were gray. Looking down, I could see that beneath us was a far drop down to a gray floor.  
“Yes, we are,” Kai answered me.  
I moved around to try and see her, but I couldn’t spot her against my restrictions.  
“Don’t worry, I’m here, Gary,” Kai said calmly. “Spiders rarely attack humans unless disturbed. I wouldn’t be too worried about attracting spiders. Maybe we’ll meet Burgh!”  
“Did he put us here?” I demanded.  
“I don’t remember,” June admitted quietly. “My head hurts and my memory is kind of undependable right now. I hardly even remember your battle with him. But my guess is that Burgh definitely put us in this web.”  
I closed my eyes and struggled to remember the last thing that happened to me before waking up here. The only thing that came to mind was angrily turning my back on Burgh to leave his Gym without his Badge. And then… My eyes shot open with a gasp. “Does that guy really think he’s a bug?”  
“Insect, not bug,” Kai corrected me.  
June gasped. “I remember that now!”  
“He’s completely nuts! He said he hasn’t been a Gym Leader in ages! What’s going on here?” As more of my memory began to return, I realized that it was noticeably cooler in this room then where we had been when I had battled Burgh. The air wasn’t humid and it was easier to breathe here.  
“We need-” June stopped talking. She let out a sudden, loud shriek. “HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLP!!!!”  
“June! What’s wrong? June!!”  
“June? What is it?” Kai called.  
”SPIDERRRRRRR!!!! Big, SPIIIDERRRRRR!!!!!!”  
“No! No! NOOOOOOO!!” I fought hard in the web, unable to control my fear. Not bugs!! Anything but bugs!! I screamed in my head.  
“Oh, wow! Look! Tarantulas!” Kai said pleasantly. “Hello, little ones!”  
I stopped struggling, afraid to move, not wanting to draw attention from the spiders, but my skin was now crawling, and I couldn’t tell if it was because of the spiders on me, or just me being disgusted.  
“You’re a brown recluse, also referred to as the violin spider, Loxosceles reclusa, in the family, Sicariidae!" Kai went on. “Burgh sure has a nice collection of spiders!”  
I felt something in my hair. I wasn’t imagining this!! Tiny legs crawled on my neck, up my jeans, and moved along my arms.  
I didn’t want to scream.  
I didn’t want to struggle.  
Everything inside of me told me to remain calm and to not move.  
I heard June’s blood curdling scream.  
I heard Kai name more species of spiders as they filed in from who knows where.  
A huge spider’s hairy body walked in front of my eyes, on my face.  
“Uh, oh. This isn’t good,” I heard Kai say loudly over June’s yells. “That’s a louse, in the family of Phthiraptera. As a lover of all bugs, I must say, lice are no good in this situation.”  
It was more than June’s screams.  
It was more than the huge spider walking along my face.  
It was more than Kai letting me know that there were lice running around.  
It was a combination of everything we had gone through since we entered Burgh’s old Gym.  
I shook my head like a maniac, flinging the spider off of my face.  
I struggled my body as hard as I possibly could against the web.  
I opened my mouth wide.  
And bellowed as loud as humanly possible.


	16. Of Splicing Men Part 2 Of 2

My mouth was probably wider than it had ever been in my entire life as I screamed my head off, terrified of the spiders that I could feel crawling all over my body.   
According to Kai, there were lice around here, too.   
I felt like I couldn’t breathe anymore, but I opened my mouth and somehow screamed, long, loud, until my throat ached and was sore and dried out entirely.  
June’s screaming tore through my eardrums.  
Even Kai was calling out for help.  
A scream escaped my throat one more time as I felt tiny legs running across my stomach. “HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLP!!!!”   
A strange cry rang out amongst the screams.  
Before I could remember what the familiar noise was, “AAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!” A painful shock tore through my body.  
Kai screamed as well, but I didn’t hear June.  
My body twitched in pain and I laid against the web, drained of my energy.  
“Galvantula?” June called.  
“Galvantula!” I heard the familiar response of the electricity slinging spider.   
The web shook as something moved across it.  
My entire body was tingling from the feel of the bugs and a different kind of stunned, twitchy pain. Something walked by my head and I gasped when I saw the enormous spider walk by me.  
“Galvantula!” Galvantula said happily, waving her creepy feeler looking appendages at June.  
June laughed and sniffled. “Galvantula! I can’t believe you’re here! What are you doing here?”   
Galvantula spoke to June.  
“Oh, Galvantula! Thank you! You kept a cool head and handled everything perfectly! Now, I need you to free Gary and Kai and me by using your Slash attack!” June ordered.  
Galvantula raised one of her appendages as it glowed white, and she swiped down at June, freeing her instantly from the strings wrapped around her.  
June stood up carefully, stumbling around on the web, her foot getting stuck on the sticky surface every couple of steps. She fell at one point, landing next to Galvantula, and pulled her into a big hug. “Thank you, honey. You were wonderful! Now, please, help our friends.” She turned to Kai and I and pointed at us. “Go!”  
Galvantula disappeared from view as she went to free Kai as June stood up, shaking her coat, pants legs, and hair, dead insects falling from her. I felt the web move as Galvantula walked over to me and raised her claw to Slash at me, too.  
“Easy!” I screamed in fear, and closed my eyes.  
“Galvantula!” She sliced away my webbing with one swipe.  
I got to my feet immediately, frantically shaking out my clothes, running my hands through my hair, the dead insects falling from them, and only stopped when I was sure they were all out, although my skin continued to crawl as if insects were creeping all over every part of my body continuously. Rubbing my arms rapidly, I faced the spider Pokemon. “Galvantula. You saved us.”  
“She was with Burgh, with your Galvantula, Kai,” June explained to her. “When Burgh attacked us, they knew they were outnumbered. Burgh tried to convince them to be with him, free of Poke Balls and humans. Galvantula told me that they both went along with Burgh, pretending to be on his side. They helped Burgh put us in this web, and then my Galvantula went back for us while your Galvantula was distracting him. Burgh has a really evil plan, but I don’t know what it is.”  
I stared down at the enormous spider that had saved our lives as I continued to rub the goose bumps on my arms, trying to stop the creeping feeling running up and down on them.  
“So, my Galvantula is okay, too?” Kai asked with hope.  
“Galvantula!” Galvantula nodded.  
“Yay!! I knew he’d be okay!” she cried joyously, and then she looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully. “I wonder what’s gotten into Burgh. I knew he was a bit weird, but this sure is a surprise. Sur. Prise. Surprise.”  
“Right now, I’m just really grateful that Galvantula shocked the web and killed all of those nasty things down there,” June pointed.  
I gazed down, past the web, to the gray floor where a large collection of bugs had fallen through, fried from Galvantula’s attack.  
“There’s nothing nasty about them,” Kai defended angrily. “They’re living beings, like you and I! Don’t speak down to them like that, or else I’ll be judging you. In fact, too late. You are hereby judged!” Kai crossed her arms.  
I ignored her and turned back to Galvantula, still rubbing my arms. “Thank you. Thank you so much, Galvantula,” I managed to say as I looked into her many eyes, my heart pounding rapidly. “I can’t get across how grateful I am for you.”   
“Galvantula!” Galvantula cried happily.  
I stared at her, my heart beating faster than before. This Bug, saved my life, I thought. I couldn’t find the proper words to describe how I felt inside, and before I knew it, my hand was rising, reaching out for Galvantula, slowly.  
“Galvantulaaaa!!” her appendages waved towards me nastily.  
“Whoa!! Aaugh!” I screamed, stumbling backwards in fright. My leg got stuck on the web, and I fell through a large gap, screaming. My foot remained stuck on the web as I swung back and forth, dangling upside down, the blood rushing to my head, looking at the bug covered ground beneath me.  
“Gary! Are you okay?” June called down to me.  
“That’s what you get for being so rude to a Bug who just saved you,” Kai said snottily.  
“Hey! I see a door!” I called up to the girls.  
“A door?” June repeated.  
“That’s right! It’s open! Maybe this is where Galvantula crawled in from! We might be able to get out of here!”  
“How do we get down?” June asked.  
“We can use-” Kai paused in the middle of her sentence. “My bag! It’s gone!”  
There was a moment of silence before June screamed, “My bag is gone, too! Where is my bag? My Pokemon!”  
Immediately, I reached for my belt, gasping soon after as I discovered that my Poke Balls weren’t attached to it.  
“Galvantula! Galvantula!” Galvantula said.  
“Galvantula says that Burgh took our Pokemon and our bags, too.”  
“Can we figure out a way down from here and discuss this?” I asked, starting to feel lightheaded.  
“Right! Galvantula, use String Shot!” June told her Pokemon.  
Galvantula rocked the web as she squeezed through the hole and let herself down to the ground, sliding past me smoothly, a thin, white thread coming from her rear, attached to the web above her. She landed on the ground and looked up at us.  
“YEEHAAAAA!” Kai slid down the rope quickly, landing on the ground with a cheerful grin.  
June carefully hung onto the thread as she slid down, joining Kai.  
I stared down at them. So many bugs, I thought fearfully as I looked at the ground full of dead insects. Even dead, insects terrified me. Insects in general were absolutely sickening, but I had to get down from here. I was starting to feel really sick from my head, to my throat, to my stomach. Reaching out for the thread, with a grunt, I pulled my foot free from the web and soon was right side up and sliding down, unable to slow down as I dropped fast towards the insects. A scream ripped from my throat and before I knew it, I had landed on the carcasses of dead bugs, several of them jumping into the air as my feet hit the floor. “Ew! Ew! Ew! Ew! Ew! Ew! Ew! Ew!” I freaked out, jumping around frantically, brushing off my clothes with both of my hands, and I leaped through the door.  
June, Kai, and Galvantula followed me, watching as I frantically wiped at my clothes.   
I’m in desperate need of a shower, I told myself as I removed my jacket and shook it hard before slinging it over my shoulder. The temperature had risen the moment we got through the door. “Alright. Now, let’s get out of here.” I looked at where we were, but I only saw a stairway leading down.  
The four of us looked at each other, and without another word, we tore down the stairs. We landed on the floor below and stopped in front of a door, barely visible in the dark, a set of stairs leading further down.  
I wiped sweat from my forehead, feeling sweat slide down my chest, to my stomach, as I panted. This is a three story building, I remembered. Freedom is one flight away. “We’re almost out of here!” Quickly, I took a few steps down the stairs.  
“Galvantula!” Galvantula ran past me swiftly by running along the wall and stopping on the stairs, turning around to face me, blocking my path.  
“Hey! What are you doing?” I yelled in surprise, my heart beating in fear.  
“Galvantula! Galvantula!”  
“She says we can’t leave,” June interpreted.  
“Why?” I cried out in a panicked voice, not taking my eyes off of Galvantula.  
“This floor has something.” I turned around to see her open the door on the second floor.  
I squinted hard as I saw light flood from the room.  
We all took cautious steps inside.  
“Galvantula!” Kai screamed.  
“Galvantula!” A large spider leaped from the room and landed on Kai.  
Kai laughed gleefully and hugged her Pokemon. “Here you are! You’re safe! You’re really safe!” Joyous tears ran down her face as she hugged her Pokemon tightly.  
I couldn’t help but smile at the sight and I turned to June.  
June had her eyes glued to the room.  
I gasped as my attention focused on our surroundings.  
The room’s moist, muggy, dirty feeling was heavy in the air. The interior looked like a science lab! It was all gray, several metal tables inside, a dry erase board on the wall with a series of numbers and strange words, some not even in English, written all over it with many smudges from a lot of erasing. Various kinds of electronic equipment were tossed about on the tables and floor. The tables were also covered with broken glass, liquids of differing colors, and papers with printed information on them which were also strewn about. I could see patches of material on the table, looking like something absolutely disgusting, like vomit, or perhaps pieces of chewed meat.  
I knew I didn’t want to find out what it was, and I backed up a couple of steps.  
“What is all of this?” June whispered. “What went on in here?”  
“Looks boring to me,” Kai commented. “But, look!” She ran towards the corner to her left and picked up a familiar bag. “I found my bag!” She opened it as June cried out in excitement and ran after Kai.  
June bent down and dug through a much larger bag next to Kai. “My stuff! My Pokemon! It’s all in here!”  
That’s when I spotted the bag next to June’s. “That one’s mine!” I ran to it and opened it, recognizing the contents immediately. “But where are my Poke Balls?” I put my jacket in the bag, zipped it closed, and stood up, slinging it over my shoulder, and three items rolled from underneath the bag. “Poke Balls! Yes!” I picked up the three Poke Balls and held them out. “If there’s anything in here, come on out!”  
A white beam fired from the three Poke Balls.  
“Coooottonee!”  
“Drilbur!”  
“Pidooove!”  
“You guys are safe, too!” My eyes watered happily.   
My three Pokemon leaped at me excitedly and I held onto them all, glad to have them in my arms.  
“Oh, this is just wonderful! We have all of our Pokemon,” June said cheerfully.  
My eyes widened as I remembered the situation we were in. “Right,” I said seriously, letting go of my Pokemon. “You guys, come back.” I returned my three Pokemon and turned to June, Kai, and their Galvantula.  
June was holding out a Poke Ball, returning her Galvantula back.  
Kai was also returning her Galvantula to his Poke Ball.  
“We have our Pokemon safe and sound. Let’s get out of here,” I insisted.  
They both nodded, and we ran back to the stairway.  
I took one last glance at the lab before turning around and running downstairs.   
We burst through the door on the landing and gazed around at the dark room we had been in when we entered this building. It looked exactly the same as when we had left it. Trees and filthy furniture littered the place, several consistent dripping noises heard from several places at once in the distance. Small, barely noticeable blotches of different colors on the ground and trees, the air disgustingly thick, heavy, and warm.  
“Wow!” Kai exclaimed, walking away from us to look at something. She approached a tree trunk. “Is this a Southern Giant Darner?”  
“Kai, we have to get out of here!” I whispered, though, with all the noise we had made, it didn’t really make any sense to try to be quiet now.  
“But, this is an Austrophlebia Costalis, a species of the dragonfly family! They’re supposed to be found only in Australia! I can’t believe Burgh has one of these!”  
It was when I felt the bug fly by my ear with a loud buzz that I ran, desperate to get away from this place once and for all.  
June gasped. “Kai!” June begged.  
“June, move it!” I shouted, turning my head back, but not stopping to run.  
Kai was still moving closer to the tree, and June was looking back and forth between us. She grabbed Kai’s arm and gave her a pull, but Kai yanked her arm back and scowled angrily at June before turning back to the tree to get a better view of some stupid bug.  
“Kai! What is wrong with you?” June wailed out. With a desperate cry, she ran away from Kai, leaving her to stop in front of the tree and reach out slowly towards it.  
I faced forward again, leaping over chairs, swinging my arms at vines, ducking under branches, kicking dirt and rocks out of my way, sweating profusely, breathing heavily.  
“The door!” June gasped, several feet behind me.  
I tried to see my way ahead through the jumble of junk in my path, and finally, I saw it. “An exit!” I ran even faster, reaching the door after a little more of the intense, terrifying run, and grabbed the handle.   
June was still a distance away, running as fast as she could to reach me.  
I had no idea where Kai was right now.  
June finally caught me and grabbed onto my shoulder, coughing hard, and she swallowed before coughing some more. “Kai,” she choked out.  
“Forget her,” I said strongly.  
June turned to me, a look of horror on her face.  
“I don’t want to just ditch her, but she made her choice. We can’t die over her stupidity. We’ll get to the police and help her. Now, let’s just get out of here!” I opened the door and we ran outside, the cool air scooping up our bodies instantly.  
We both ran forward several feet before stopping, hands on our knees, inhaling the sweet, light, crisp, cold air underneath the night sky.  
Several people in the area stopped walking as they saw June and I come bursting out from the strange building. A couple of people snickered at us while others pointed and muttered, the rest just silently watching.  
“We made it out of there!” June breathed hard.  
“We need to find the police, or Nurse Joy,” I told her, standing up straight.  
June nodded.  
“Are you two kids alright?” a lady called out to us.  
We both turned to her.  
The woman wore a dark blue dress and a light blue bandana on her head, her feet in white shoes. A scared look was on her face. “You kids look a mess! What were you doing in that old, abandoned building? Do you need help?”  
“We need the police!” I called out to her. “That building isn’t abandoned! Our friend is trapped in there with Burgh!”  
The entire crowd of people gasped loudly. Their muttering got louder after my last sentence.  
“Did you just say Burgh?” the lady asked, squinting at us in shock.  
I nodded.  
“Burgh is in there and he has our friend! Please, somebody call the police!” June pleaded.  
Nobody pulled out a phone. They just stared at us, looks of confusion and fear on their faces.  
“Do you mean to say that Burgh is alive? Are you absolutely certain it was him?” The lady’s voice quivered as she spoke now.  
“Yes! It was him! Who cares who it was? Somebody, call the police!! Our friend is in danger!!” I screamed.  
A few people pulled out their cell phones at my plea and began to make phone calls. It hadn’t even been ten seconds since the phones were raised to their ears before I heard the sirens. The people holding their phones turned around in confusion as lights flashed from the tops of two police cars that pulled up in front of us.  
The doors opened and I spotted the long leg that came from the car, attached to a black shoe, but not the usual high heel all Officer Jennys wore.  
Officer Jenny? I thought in my head, somehow mesmerized by her already despite the horrific situation that was going on.  
The next thing I saw was a different colored outfit. It wasn’t the usual blue, but instead, was a tan color. She moved from the car.   
Officer Jenny? I repeated in shock. No. This can’t possibly be her.  
Her hair wasn’t blue. It was closer to a turquoise color and was cut very short to her head.  
Another officer came out of the car, looking exactly like the first woman.  
Two more officers, identical to the other women, stepped out from the second car.  
All of the officers spotted June and I and immediately walked over to us.  
“Are you kids okay?” one of the officers asked, kneeling down to us. “We got a phone call about a disturbance in the area. Screams were reported. What happened to you?”  
“Officer Jenny, it’s Burgh!” June said quickly.  
This is an Officer Jenny?? Despite the horror overflowing my body from my escape of Burgh’s building, I found myself completely stunned by how different and, quite frankly, unattractive, she looked compared to the Officer Jennys in Kanto and other regions!  
“Burgh?” another Officer Jenny asked, staring at June in surprise.  
“Yes, or whoever it is in there,” June nodded quickly. “We went in there for a battle, but-”  
“The Gym here has been abandoned,” another of the Officer Jennys informed us. “It’s been inactive for years. Nobody’s seen Burgh since-”  
A loud cry rang out, making everyone gasp and turn around.  
What was that? I wondered, looking around. That was when I spotted him.  
There stood a man, looking up into the sky, wearing sunglasses and a black trench coat reaching so far down that it scraped the ground, covering his feet. He was hunched over, the hump of his back reaching over his head, and wider than his entire body. It looked like he was carrying a dome on his back.  
This isn’t good at all, I instantly knew, shaking my head at the man. I looked up to where he was looking. “Burgh!” I pointed at the top of the Gym building.  
Burgh was standing on top of the building, on the roof that hung loosely, an easy entryway into the building through the hole that wasn’t covered by the hanging roof. He let out an inhuman screech of some kind, and leaped from the top of the building, his cut up cape lifting behind him, giving him the appearance of a spider or some kind of multi-legged creature.  
The people in the area screamed when they spotted Burgh, and shrieked even louder when he leaped from the roof.  
Burgh landed in front of us and stood up straight. He brushed back his hair, leaving it sitting behind his ears, revealing his sickly face, showing that he was smiling, his lips closed.  
“Where’s Kai?” June let out in a terrified voice.  
“Burgh?? Is that really you?” an Officer Jenny asked, taking a step back, her face getting pale.  
The other officers just looked at Burgh in disbelief.  
“No. I am not Burgh,” Burgh smiled demonically, flashing crooked, yellow teeth, some of which were missing, others seeming inhumanly sharp.  
“Then, who are you?” an officer asked in a voice that seemed to be attempting to come out strong, but was shaky, squeaky, and cracked.  
Several of the bystanders had run away by now, but a few stayed, looking too terrified to move.  
“I once was known by this Burgh name. This human name,” Burgh spoke, his voice low, but strong. His eyes dull, yet alive with an internal energy. “I am no longer this human. I am, an insect. Far greater than a human being. Lord over all insects. Lord over all life forms!”  
“Uh. Wh-Huh?” Officer Jenny stammered in confusion.  
“The insect species has been around since the very beginning of time, long before man was even a thought,” Burgh said, taking a strong step towards us.  
June, me, and the Officer Jennys took a step back, the small crowd crying out.  
“To this day, surviving the destruction of the dinosaurs, the continuous attacks on the planet we live on from natural occurrences such as earthquakes, floods, and volcanoes, and existing to now in a technological world, insects have proven to be unstoppable and indestructible!” Burgh continued. “Humans, with all their knowledge, and all their fancy gizmos, are still a dying species, and once annihilated, once all animal life is cleared out of existence, I ask you: Who will be left standing? Indeed, the insects.”  
He is far crazier than Kai suspected, I thought, looking at him, slightly amused, but more so fearful. He’s completely insane.  
“Okay, Burgh, or whatever you want to call yourself,” an Officer Jenny said, taking a few steps up to Burgh. “How about you come with us?”  
Burgh let out an sharp yell and waved an arm.  
The officer stepped back nervously, the crowd shouting out again.  
“You humans prove useful in your freewill,” Burgh growled, his eyes seeming to grow darker. “You are weak, pitiful, and disposable, but you have a brain unlike any other species on this planet. This is why, a mergence is necessary. A combination in human and insect species. The ultimate creation that will last for all eternity!”  
The crowd muttered amongst each other. I even heard a camera snap as a picture was taken, the flash going off.  
Burgh growled at the flash, the crowd gasping and backing up, terror in their eyes.  
“We are going to ask you all to put away your cameras as we take control of this situation!” an officer ordered as she walked towards the spectators.  
“The project has already been accomplished,” Burgh said in his low voice, grabbing all of our attention. “I’ve successfully merged the human and insect species together. It was years of experimentation with the parasite known as Ophiocordyceps Sinesis, or, perhaps more commonly referred to as the Tochukaso parasite. Nothing worked at first. I couldn’t get the possession process the parasite is so well known for to work as required in humans. During my time, deep in research, I went to the Kanto region to seek out an object of interest. This object was merely rumored to exist, but I was desperate. If it did exist, I just knew that it would be the key I was missing to unlock the success of my experiment. The object was connected in some unknown way to a mythological Pokemon from that region. Low and behold, I found the object. Somehow, through my years in the Kanto region, desperately searching, gathering clues about its location, going both far and wide, high and low, through sea, land, and all else that got in my way, doing the unthinkable, the unimaginable, and the impossible in my quest, I actually found it. I took it back with me to Unova, and my research proved a complete success. And it was all thanks to what I found in Kanto. A gene which has the power to drive one, berserk. And now.” Burgh reached inside of his cape.  
“Burgh! Freeze!” an Officer Jenny insisted. “Don’t move!”  
Three of the officers pulled out their guns and pointed them at Burgh.  
The fourth officer was radioing for backup.  
The crowd screamed, a couple of people running, a few people peeking out from the doors of stores and other buildings, many people holding out their phones to record everything.  
Burgh froze, a small smile on his face.  
“Slowly place your hands in the air! Slowly!” one of the police officers yelled.  
“Oh, but of course,” Burgh said slyly.  
A loud, shrill screech like nothing I’d ever heard, rang out.  
Everyone turned around to the source.  
To my immense shock, it was coming from the man in the sunglasses and enormous lump on his back! The man’s mouth was open wide, screaming up at the sky, screeching a loud shout that sounded like nothing from this planet. He lowered his head and raised an arm. The sight of his arm caused everyone to scream for their lives. It was all white, crooked, long, misshapen, and had no hand. His arm ended, instead, in a large, white pincer! He swiped at his sunglasses, and the sight we all saw next raised more shouts of horror and panic, one of the officers even dropping her gun in shock, her mouth hanging open. The man’s eyes were entirely white, and bulged out from his head! He bared his teeth, which were all brown and incredibly tiny and dagger-like, and then he reached with both of his white, stalk-like arms, removing his jacket with his pincers.  
I nearly vomited at the sight of the man’s body underneath his coat.  
He wore no clothes. His entire body was a milky white. He was hunched over, carrying some kind of white, mushroom-looking sack on his back. The man bent all the way over, getting on all fours, and let out another insane scream at us.  
That looks so familiar, I realized in disgust, my stomach churning, my heart thumping frantically. What is that?  
“Say hello to one of the lucky few who shall eternally live on, forever!” Burgh screamed in celebration. “One of the immortals! Seeing this experiment, this LIFE of mine in action, lets me know that it is indeed safe to begin the experiments on myself! THIS is what I want to be! What I am!” Burgh laughed like a maniac as he pulled out a syringe with an enormous needle from his cape.  
BANG!   
A gunshot rang out, and Burgh dropped the needle, covering his face, screaming in pain as he stumbled back, bending over.  
The syringe smashed to the ground and a gray liquid spilled out onto the ground.  
The crowd screamed at the sound of the gun firing.  
The creature screamed and leaped, taking down two of the Officer Jennys as they shrieked.  
One of the Officer Jennys ran towards Burgh while the last officer who had dropped her gun, stood frozen, looking from Burgh to her partners as the creature that had attacked them began slashing at their faces with his pincers while they begged for help, trying to push the monster off of them, their guns having been knocked out of their grasp.  
As the officer who shot Burgh approached him, Burgh turned around, nearly his entire face coated in his own blood from the bullet he had surprisingly survived, a furious sneer on his face, and he flung his hand in her direction.  
Something flew from Burgh’s hand and landed on her face.  
Officer Jenny screamed as several tiny creatures covered her face. She dropped her gun and swiped at the bugs frantically, backing away from Burgh.  
Burgh reached into his cloak again and pulled out a remote control this time. “You’ve ruined EVERYTHING!” Burgh raged. He pressed one of the few buttons on the box.  
Nothing happened.  
CRASH!!!!!  
June, me, the crowd, and the remaining Officer Jenny turned with a scream towards the sound to see that the rooftop of Burgh’s building was now smashed on the ground.  
The two Officer Jennys called out helplessly.  
I turned as the monster on them continued to rip their blood spilling faces apart, now digging his little teeth into one of their faces, seeming to suck on it.  
Wait, I thought. That thing. That monster! It looks like…  
June’s shrill scream grabbed my attention and I turned to see her looking up at the roof, a loud buzzing getting louder by the second from somewhere.  
I turned to the building again and stumbled back, my eyes widening until it hurt.   
The loud buzzing noises were coming from the open roof of the building as an endless amount of bugs flew out from within it, rising into the sky like a huge, black cloud, practically disappearing into the night sky. The bugs spread apart almost instantly and dove down upon the city as flightless bugs crawled from the top of the building and rapidly crawled their way down to the ground.  
I looked around as everybody ran as fast as they could, screaming as loud as possible, running into each other, the buildings, or down the street in a panic. Some people stepped out of their buildings in amazement, but once the swarm reached them, they were screaming and running back inside, leading the bugs in with them.  
The monster attacking the officers was still sucking the blood from one of their faces, slashing at their now silent bodies.  
Parasect! I screamed in my head. That monster looks like some kind of a mutated Parasect! I didn’t have long to think about this.  
Burgh stepped up to June and I, making us both gasp out.   
He was now holding one of the officers’ guns in his hand, his face flowing down heavily with blood. “I worked so hard for that serum,” Burgh growled. “You all, shall pay!!” He bared his disgusting teeth as he raised the gun and pointed it at me.  
I held my breath, staring at the dark hole of the barrel with petrified eyes.  
“WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!” A loud scream was heard right before a large creature flew into Burgh, hitting him in the face, the gun flying from his hand.  
The individual stood up and smiled at June and I. “You know, Burgh’s really not so kawaii after all,” Kai said, shaking her head.  
“AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!” June shrieked and swatted away a huge wasp looking bug on the back of her hand, the insect as long as her hand itself. June held her hand close to her and continued hollering in pain. “IT BUUUUUURRRRRRNS!!!!!! A big bee just STUNG ME!!”  
“Actually, it was a-” Kai explained to June.  
“LATER!!!” June shouted angrily. “GAAAHHHHHH!!!!! IT STINGS SO BADLYYY!!!!!!”  
I began to freak out and closed my mouth and eyes tightly as I swatted spastically at the bugs surrounding my body, buzzing in my ear, flying into my face. I felt a pull on my wrist and I ran with the pull, keeping my eyes closed.  
“Like I was trying to tell you, June, it’s a Tarantula Hawk!” Kai shouted from in front of me. “They’re spider wasps that hunt tarantulas to use as food for their larvae. It’s considered one of the all time most painful insect stings in the world.”  
“I can see why you stupid little-!!” June blew up from close by.  
“Where are we going?” I shouted over June, squinting over at Kai.  
“Out of Castelia!” Kai answered.  
“What about June?!”   
“She’ll be fine! This can be easily treated! Trust me!”  
The three of us ran through a crowd of people running in all different kinds of directions. There was screaming, the sound of breaking glass, and I’m pretty sure I even heard a gunshot or two. Several times, I witnessed people banging on the doors of shops and tall businesses and apartment buildings, and most of those times, the doors were held closed by people inside, afraid to let the person or people outside, in. The person begging to get inside was always screaming in pain from the attacks they were receiving from the bugs.  
One child was running by herself, screaming for her mommy, but collapsed to the ground very quickly, letting out a scream I knew I’d never forget for as long as I lived, a swarm of large bees covering her body in seconds.  
I closed my eyes, unable to take anymore of this, tears now starting to cloud my vision.  
“Alright! Hang tight, you guys!” Kai encouraged us.  
June continued to scream, louder than before.  
I tried forcing the image of that little girl out of my head, desperate to forget her scream. She must have been about six, I thought against my will, tears forcing their way through my eyelids.  
I felt more bugs slamming into my face and I pursed my lips even tighter, feeling them in my ears, making me shake my head furiously.  
Kai stopped running. “Okay, everything should be fine, now! It’s a bit sandy, but I think you’ll prefer the Desert Resort to Castelia City right now.”  
I squinted through my eyes at Kai. “Huh? Oh!” We were in a desert!  
“AAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!” June’s cry was painful to even hear. I couldn’t imagine what she was going through.  
“Don’t worry about that, June,” Kai said casually. “I’ll fix you right up.”   
The wind blew in my face, sand swirling around me. I couldn’t believe it. We had made it out of Castelia City and were now in some kind of desert! What did she say this place was called? I wondered as Kai dug through her bag, June on the ground, holding her hand, crying loudly.  
Suddenly, a painful pinch in my neck caused a loud gasp to escape my throat. I inhaled as deeply as I could, pulling sand into my mouth and throat. “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! OOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!” I grabbed the back of my back and felt something furry. I gripped it and pulled, tossing it to the ground in front of me.  
A big spider stood there and ran away from us, back in the direction we came from.  
“Oh, my, that’s not good,” Kai said, shaking her head as she watched the spider run off.  
Fire. Pure fire was on the back of my neck where the spider had bitten me. I had never felt anything this painful in my entire life. Nothing was comparable to the sensation now flowing throughout my body. I dropped to the ground, twitching in pain, screaming, feeling a lack of control over my own body’s movements.  
“That’s Phoneutria, more commonly referred to as the Brazilian wandering spider, armed spiders, or, as they say in Portugese, ‘armadeiras,’ and also referred to as the banana spider. Not to be confused with the golden silk-”  
“Kai, I will actually kill you if you don’t shut up!!!!” I bellowed, my teeth gritted so tightly they were bound to crack under the pressure at any second.  
“Rude,” Kai said indignantly. “But, I suppose I do understand your short temper right now. The Brazilian wandering spider is known as the most venomous spider to date, and it is also known to give the most painful bite of any insect in the world, with quite the symptoms. Sym. Ptoms. Symptoms. Symp. Toms. Symptoms. Sympt. Oms. Symptoms.”  
June and I were in the middle of the desert.  
Screaming in agony from the worst pain we’d ever gone through in our entire lives.  
On the verge of death.  
With Kai.


	17. Hitting The Old Sandy Trail

“GGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!” The pain traveling through my body was excruciating. I could barely even feel my own arms, legs, neck, or face. My entire body was motioning through the sand on the ground on its own. My arms swung around in the air and smacked at the ground, my feet joining in kicking up more sand. I choked on the sand flowing around me, going into my throat. Saliva was also filling my mouth uncontrollably, but it hurt to swallow. Trying to spit it out of my mouth wasn’t working since I wasn’t in control of my body and I couldn’t turn my head to spit at the ground, so during my few successful hack ups, I ended up getting globs of my own saliva on my face, running down my cheeks and chin.  
June sat far away from me, holding her hand wrapped in gauze. Kai had given June an icepack she had in her bag and applied an antibiotic ointment to her wound, also giving June some ibuprofen. June’s pain had ended after another ten minutes, and she had been quiet ever since, though tears continued to roll down her eyes.  
“A sting from a tarantula hawk doesn’t last for very long!” Kai had explained to June, screaming over my pained cries as she went to take care of me. “Just be careful of that hand for the next few days. It’s gonna be very sensitive.” She turned to me. “As for you…”  
“I’m dying!!” I screamed as I rolled on the ground, shivering hard, choking on my own drool and sand. “I can’t breathe! AAAAUUGGGHH!!!!!”  
“Gary, please calm down,” Kai said calmly. “You’re gonna be just fine. You weren’t bitten that badly. Stop moving! You’re only gonna make it worse if you move like that!”  
“Kill me!! Kill me now! Please! Get a gun and SHOOT ME!!!! Right in the head! Right in the-!” I begged Kai.  
She held me down, trying hard to prevent me from moving. “Gary, your wound isn’t even that bad! Will you stop being such a baby? I already gave you an antidote for that kind of bite! If you just relax, you’ll be up in no time! You’re very lucky!”  
I was crying hysterically, my neck burning and throbbing, feeling thick and heavy and like it was weighing me down. “Please!! June! Kai! Just kill me already!! I don’t wanna live anymore! I can’t take it!! I can’t take it anymore!!!”  
Kai frowned and let out a sigh of frustration as she struggled to keep me still, growling.  
It had been several hours of intense pain, sweat perspiring down my face continuously despite it being nearly winter. I had finally managed to relax and breathe a little easier, the back of my neck feeling slightly sore as I laid still on the ground, breathing quickly in short bursts, choking on the sand in the air, my heart beating fast, my eyes closed.  
Kai was sitting next to me, talking about the spider that had bitten me. “-known as PhTx3. This is a calcium channel blocker that prevents calcium uptake, glutamate release, and glutamate uptake in the neural synapses. We got to the wound so fast, but if it had been a more serious bite, or if we hadn’t been able to act so quickly, such things as loss of muscle control, breathing issues, paralysis, asphyxiation, intense pain, and inflammation could have occurred. You see, the venom has an excitatory effect on the serotonin 5-HTF4 receptors of sensory nerves. This stimulation to the sensory nerves causes-”  
I listened to her nonsensical jabbering quietly, not understanding most of what she was saying, and not fully convinced she even knew what she was talking about, herself.

*

I felt so warm and comfortable. “Mmmmm…” I said softly, and I nuzzled my face against something soft, gentle, warm, comforting, and familiar. A smile crept over my face and I let out a sigh of relief. I was back home, in bed. “Aahhh…” I sighed peacefully and buried my face in the pillow. “Home.” I reached my arms out to rub my smooth bed. My hands and arms scraped a rough surface beneath me. “Hey!” I cried out in surprise, opening my eyes.   
“Cottoneeee!!” my pillow cried out in surprise.  
“Whoa!” I pushed myself up and sat up in the sand I was laying on, staring at my pillow in shock as it floated up into the air.   
No, it was a Cottonee!  
Something poked its head through the sand and looked up at me. “Drilbur?”  
Something landed on my left shoulder and let out a gentle cry.  
“Aahhh!” I screamed as I fell back, the bird flapping its wings to stay in the air. “Pidove?”  
Pidove landed on the ground and looked up at me.  
“Sorry about that. You appeared out of nowhere!” I turned to see June looking at me, sitting on the ground. “Uh, hey!”  
She smiled, still holding her hand.   
I turned and saw Kai looking at me, sitting on the ground.  
“I see you are finally feeling better,” Kai nodded with a smile. “You just needed to relax. Re. Lax. Relax.”  
I sighed. “Yes. I suppose so.”  
“’Kay bye!” Kai stood up and started walking away!  
“Huh?” I exclaimed in shock. “What?”  
Kai stopped and turned back to me. “I can’t hang around here anymore. I managed to take care of both of you, and June assisted me in feeding and healing all of the Pokemon you two own. I really was disappointed there weren’t more Bugs or Ghosts other than Rotom and Galvantula. I don’t know about us being friends, Gary. I mean, not one Bug or Ghost? Not cool. June, you really need to catch a lot more than just those two that you have. Now, I have to go back to Castelia to help those poor people and see what can be done about this bug swarm without harming any bugs or people, if possible. I left some things in your bags to help in your recovery process, but you’ll both be fine. I also checked both of you, as well as myself, for lice. We’re all clear. So, yeah, bye!” Kai took off, running towards Castelia City, and before long, she was out of sight.  
June and I turned to each other.  
“I guess she’s gone,” June said.  
I sighed and looked down to my Pokemon. “Drilbur, Cottonee, Pidove. You guys okay?”  
They all cried out happily to me.  
“I’m glad you all are safe,” I smiled. Looking around me, I stood up. “Where are we?”  
“The Desert Resort,” June said, standing as well. “Kai said it’s the Desert Resort.”  
Taking the Town Map out of my pocket, my eyes scanned for the location on it, finally spotting it. “I see it. It’s between Castelia City and Nimbasa City.”  
“The wind has eased up,” June noted. “Kai said it gets really bad further up ahead.”  
I let out a sigh as I put the Town Map away and rubbed my arms from the surprisingly cold air around us. “Hey, where’s my jacket?”   
“There.” She pointed a few feet away, deeper into the desert.  
“It’s chilly out here right now,” I said as I walked over to my coat, which was on top of my bag, and put it on.  
“The desert cools down at night.”  
I gripped my arms tightly and stared ahead into the sand.   
“You okay, Gary?” June asked softly.  
My body was itching and shaking, my mind reliving the horrible experience I had just managed to survive in Castelia City. Burgh, I thought.   
His face flashed in my mind, covered in flowing blood from the bullet he took.  
I saw the man whose body resembled a Parasect fused with a human, attacking the Officer Jennys.  
The bugs that flew from Burgh’s building, chasing after the people in Castelia City, buzzing everywhere, touching me, made me run my hands around my arms frantically, trying get the feeling off of me.   
My heart picked up its pace as I fearfully, painfully, remembered the young girl, no older than eight, attacked by a swarm of bees as she tried to run away, her entire body covered by them as she screamed for her mom, and a terrible shiver effortlessly ripped through me.  
I remembered June, Kai, and I, trapped in that web in the building Burgh occupied, while countless insects crawled all over our bodies.  
My eyes closed tightly as my mind was taken over by memories from Castelia City. I jumped and looked up in surprise as something touched my shoulder.   
“Gary, it’s okay. It’s over, now,” June told me, her hand on my shoulder, looking into my eyes.  
I looked away from her, to the ground, and just shook my head. It’s not that simple, I thought to myself as the young girl in my mind was covered by the raging swarm of bees, her screams ringing through my eardrums, crystal clear, even louder now as a memory than when I had heard her scream in person.  
“We’ll be okay, Gary,” June said in a low, comforting voice. “We’re out of there. I’m sure everything will be okay in Castelia.”  
Her words didn’t help me at all. They were empty and unconfirmed, meaning nothing to me. Now what? I wondered as I looked ahead. Where do we go from here? My mind wouldn’t let up, continuing to terrify me with memories of Castelia City.   
Burgh bursting from his cocoon as Kai got closer to it.  
Burgh’s sunken, sun deprived, decrepit face.  
The syringe that smashed on the ground, leaking its gray serum.  
My knees gave in and I dropped down next to my bag, wrapped it up into my arms, holding it tight against my face, and closed my eyes, trembling, wishing the horrific memories would stop.  
A strange cry reached my ears from somewhere close by. I opened my eyes and before I could react, something leaped from the sand. Screaming, I leaped to my feet as some kind of animal reached for my face with two small, sharp points.  
I raised my bag up to protect myself, and the creature flew into it.  
A sharp claw grabbed at the top of the bag, and the little monster scurried to the top.  
A Pokemon? I thought, gaping at it in shock.   
It looked like a scorpion, only its front claws were sharp, pointed needles and the tail was the claw!   
June cried out in fear.   
The creature kept its eyes on me and raised its stingers towards me.  
Before I could react, something large flew at the scorpion and knocked it off of my bag. June’s bag? I realized, and turned to her.  
June was wide eyed as she looked down at her bag that covered the Pokemon. “That is so scary,” she said shakily.  
I turned back to her bag. “Where’d it go?”   
“Drilbur!” Drilbur stepped past my legs cautiously, looking at the bag.  
“Drilbur, dig that thing out from under June’s bag!” I ordered.  
“Drilbur!” Drilbur dug underground.  
We all waited.  
Me.  
June.  
Cottonee.  
Pidove.  
Our eyes were all on June’s bag as we waited for Drilbur to reappear.  
Finally, the sand split apart, and Drilbur dug his way up. “Drilbur,” he said, shaking his head.  
“It got away?” I asked, disappointed.  
Drilbur looked down, sad, and nodded.  
Sighing, I shook my head.  
“Drilbur. Dril, bur,” Dril said sadly, lowering his head further.  
“That thing was a Skorupi,” June informed me. “Right now, I think the last thing you need to be running into are Bug types, Gary.”  
“A Bug?” I let out a disgusted moan and rubbed my arms as my body was overcome with the feeling of crawling insects. With a sigh, I knelt down and pat Drilbur’s head, smiling. “Don’t be down. I’m sorry, Drilbur. I’m just a little bit stressed out right now. I’m not mad at you at all. Thanks for going after that Skorupi for me.”  
“Drilbur!” Drilbur smiled up at me.  
I turned to June and opened my mouth to say something to her.  
“I threw my bag at the thing,” she muttered moodily, looking away from me.  
I hesitated, closing my mouth. “I was about to thank you, June,” I said, a slightly upset tone in my voice.   
“No, you weren’t,” she muttered.  
“I was, too!” I said angrily, standing up.   
“Whatever,” she said, crossing her arms.  
I grit my teeth hard, trying not to argue with her. After all, she did save me from that Skorupi, and I know that I did intend on thanking her. “Thank you for saving me, June. I sincerely appreciate it.”  
“Yeah, say it now that I mention it,” June said, turning her back on me.  
Maybe she’s just stressed out after all the crap in Castelia, I told myself quickly, trying hard not to blow up on her.   
My Pokemon were all looking at us now.  
I forced a smile and held out their Poke Balls. “Thanks for all the support, you guys. For now, you can come on back.” I returned my Pokemon to their Poke Balls and turned to June.  
She was already looking at me, an uncertain look on her face.  
“June, I really mean it, okay? I was going to thank you before you spoke up so quickly. I, uh, well, I didn’t mean to hurt you or anything. I’m sorry.”  
June stared at me silently, her lips pursed tight.   
I stared back uncomfortably, not wanting to look at her for too long a time while not saying anything.  
The wind blew at us suddenly, blowing around sand and cooling the area down even further.  
I slung my bag over my shoulder and dug my hands into my jacket pockets.  
June’s red hair flew into her eyes, and she reached up to fix it, pushing it behind her ears. “I’m sorry, too.”  
It was all she said, but it made the difference.  
“Well, after what’s happened, I have to admit that I’m not too keen on continuing this stupid journey anymore, but for now, let’s get to civilization and think this all over,” I suggested.  
“Yeah, let’s find a place where I can take a shower,” June shuddered.  
“Agreed.”  
“So, are we going to Nimbasa City, then?”  
“No other place to go to from here.”  
June clapped excitedly and let out a thrilled squeal from her throat.  
“What?” I asked.  
“Nimbasa City! I really want to go there!” June said, smiling.  
Seeing her smile brought a kind of relief to my body. Like a breath of fresh air after drowning in the madness we’d just survived.  
“I really, really want to visit! It’s home to my second favorite Gym Leader, Elesa, the Electric type Gym Leader and famous model! I truly idolize that woman.”  
“Electric types, huh?” I smiled a little bit. “And a model…” I began wondering what she could look like as visions of beautiful women swam through my head.  
We both turned around and stared ahead through the swirling sand in our faces. There was nothing but it for miles away. A cactus sat by itself several feet from us.  
“We could easily get lost out there,” June said nervously. “I don’t know if we should go this way.”  
“We have no other place to go from here,” I said impatiently. “I’m not going back to Castelia.”  
“I’m not saying we should go back there, but it’s just really dangerous going through this kind of environment!” June cried. “You saw that Skorupi. If you had gotten stung, where would I have taken you?”  
“Sure as Hell not Castelia City!” I exclaimed.  
“Gary, of course I would have had to try!” June shouted.  
I stared at her in shock. “Are you serious right now?”   
“Yes! Why would I be joking at a time like this?”  
“June, that city is full of freaking insects and stuff! We cannot go back there under any circumstance. Ever!”  
“I don’t know how to get to Nimbasa City from here! I can’t carry you who knows how long through the desert, blindly! Obviously, Castelia is not too far in the direction Kai ran in. The situation could be under control by now! It’s been a while.”  
“They have a total epidemic going on there right now, June,” I argued, tired of this discussion already and yet wanting to get the point across that she better not ever try taking me back to Castelia with her no matter what the situation was.  
“Yes, and that’s why it’d be a better idea to take you there, where they are caring for already injured people, and not drag you through the desert!”  
I knew in my heart that June was right, but to admit that made shivers run all throughout my body. On the other hand, I wholeheartedly felt that she was wrong, as well. All I could think about were the bugs that were possibly still terrorizing the city. “Listen,” I sighed. “Let’s just be careful and get to Nimbasa City right now. Let’s not worry about a worst case scenario. We’ve been through enough.”  
June swallowed, nodding slowly.  
A strong breeze blew through the area, tossing around sand, June and I struggling through the rough terrain as we moved forward, our heads down against the sand and wind, leaving Castelia City even further behind us with each step.  
It had been a short while of walking before I stopped and looked up, still squinting as the wind seemed to be lessening up.  
June had stopped walking and turned back to look at me. “What?”  
I looked ahead at the seemingly endless miles of sand ahead of us, and then I looked behind me at the stretch of sand and the cactus far away, before looking to my right and left side.  
“Gary? What’s wrong?”  
I turned back to her. “Nothing. Let’s just keep moving.”  
June kept her eyes on me, not following at first as I walked past her, but I heard her footsteps follow me shortly afterwards.  
I didn’t tell her what was wrong because I was sure it was nothing. It was just a feeling.  
A premonition, if that’s the right word.  
I didn’t tell June what was wrong because it was unnecessary, silly, and unfounded.   
After all the things we had gone through, June didn’t need to have any more concerns added onto her.  
And neither did I, for that matter.  
Besides, I had just taken a careful look around.   
Nobody was around.  
Nobody was watching us.   
There was no reason to feel like we were being followed.  
As the wind picked up, howling and blowing against us as we struggled through, sand covering us up.  
My feeling.  
My premonition.  
My unnecessary, silly, and unfounded concern.  
Returned.


	18. Lookin' For What In All The Wrong Places

My sneakers, full of sand, crunched through sand while more sand surrounded my body, blown by the wind. My eyes were closed, sand in them as well. I rubbed my eyes, trying to get the sand out of them, but I was only making it worse, my eyes now watering and stinging. This was absolutely terrible.  
June and I had been traveling through the Desert Resort for over a day since we had encountered the Skorupi. I was certain that we would have made it out of here a long time ago, and yet, here we were, tired and weak, the sun beaming high above us, creating sweltering heat that made our journey even more strenuous.  
June wasn’t far away from me, her head down, lips shut tight, forcing her way ahead.  
During our first night here, I couldn’t sleep very well, the strange feeling of being watched making the skin on my arms tingle. And yet, June and I were all alone in the desert. I kept telling myself I was just being silly, and yet there was this strange noise, and an unsettling feeling that something was out there. I stayed up while June slept, keeping watch, telling June that I just wanted to make sure no more Skorupi came around to attack us, or any other Pokemon who might want our food.  
June thought this was a good idea, and offered to trade shifts every couple of hours, letting one of us sleep while the other kept watch.  
This was an excellent idea to me, and I kept calm and nonchalant as I agreed with her plan.  
We made it safely through the night, though we both felt extremely tired by the time the sun was up, shining brightly, on its way even higher into the sky as we set up a quick breakfast for our Pokemon and ourselves.   
Our second night, also our first full day here, we did the same thing, one of us staying up for a couple of hours while the other slept, and taking turns. Nothing happened that night, but I had shivers that I feared were from more than just the temperature drop.   
When we had fed our Pokemon earlier this morning, it wasn’t too bad outside, the sand being pushed around by the wind, but not tossed roughly like it was now.   
The Pokemon were visibly bothered by the sand getting in their food, and weren’t very eager about eating in these conditions, but June and I instructed them to eat while they could as we tried to find our way out of here.   
June’s Electivire got irritated and began to release bursts of electricity from his body, shocking random spots on the ground around him.  
Magneton and Rotom made good use of the moment and tried to catch as much of the electricity as they could, eagerly devouring the Electric attacks.  
June had tried to calm her Pokemon down, but he ended up shocking her in the process.  
It was a long breakfast.  
We hadn’t spoken much, mainly due to all of the sand flying around us. The silence was nice, in my opinion.  
However, the journey was far from enjoyable. I had told June we wouldn’t be here much longer. I told her we’d be in Nimbasa City really soon, so we both decided not to take anymore breaks and head straight there. Once we had finished eating, we attempted to reach our destination. Hours later, the sandstorm had only gotten worse, and as far as I could tell, we might very well have been lost. Everything looked the same around us. Nothing but sand.  
I wonder what Nimbasa City will be like? I wondered as I walked blindly into the sand. It had taken me a while of contemplation to come to the conclusion that I still wanted to continue my Pokemon journey. It was something I hadn’t fully made my mind up on for a while. After what had occurred in Castelia City, I really didn’t know what I should do with myself. But after all this time walking in the sand, in an environment that allowed for a bit more peace and quiet for a change, I could really begin to dwell on my life and what I’d been through so far, as well as the direction I wanted to take from here. I definitely knew that taking a shower was number one on my list of to-dos. It wasn’t until we had finished our breakfast this morning that I had decided to also go for my third badge at Nimbasa City.  
I raised my head, feeling that the wind was dying down, the sand flying around in front of me like a billion, tiny gnats. I couldn’t see anything but more and more sand, and I let out a disappointed sigh, my eyes still stinging as I squinted angrily through them. Seriously? Still nothing? I thought with disappointment as I stopped walking. Did we take a wrong turn?  
June stopped and turned to me, squinting hard.  
Letting out an angry cry, I turned around in a complete circle. “Let’s just keep going!” I called out to her, and walked ahead.  
June didn’t say a word, surprisingly. She just walked after me.  
“What’s that?” I said, squinting at something dark in the distance.   
June raised a hand to her forehead as she looked up.  
As we got closer, I realized that the thing was hovering in the air, a strange noise coming from it. We both stopped several feet away and stared at the black creature that was floating several feet above the ground. It seemed to be holding something, and was making some kind of crying noise.  
A Pokemon? I wondered, and pulled out my Pokedex.  
Yamask. The Spirit Pokemon. It’s believed that these Pokemon are the spirits of a certain group of ancient people, and hold a mask shaped in the face of themselves when they were alive. They are often found crying while forever maintaining memories of their past life.  
The Yamask turned around and gasped. Its face was covered in tears! I could see the back of the mask it was holding in its hands. “Yaaamask!” it screamed at us, and quickly flew away, disappearing into the desert.  
June and I turned to each other, shocked looks on our faces.  
I looked down at my Pokedex. “Was that info it just said, correct?” I asked June.  
“I really hope not,” June said sadly. “That’s terrible! That poor Pokemon.”  
I put my Pokedex away and looked around, rubbing my eyes some more. I couldn’t open them all the way. It hurt too much. My shoulders slumped. Defeat was beginning to weigh me down and tire me out as I began to feel like I was ready to collapse.  
June kept her head down as the wind gave one really strong gust, blowing sand into our faces.  
I stumbled backwards against the wind and sand. The wind died down quickly, now blowing very weakly. The mixture of heat and wind was confusing as the heat was wearing me out, but the wind wasn’t quite cooling me down, blowing hot air, but making the humidity slightly more bearable, all the while, the sand brushing up against me was drying my skin, making me tired and thirsty at all times, even after drinking water from my water bottle. My lips were dry and cracking, aching worse as time passed. I forced myself to continue. This has to end at some point, I told myself. This can’t just go on forever. It just can’t possibly keep going on like this.  
June was moving slower than ever and wasn’t speaking a word.   
I kept looking behind me to make sure she was there.   
She always was. Her feet slid along the ground, too tired to walk properly.  
I also took a glance around us on occasion to make sure we were still alone. We’re alone, I told myself. There’s nothing out here. What could be out here? Relax, Gary.   
June said something behind me.  
I turned to her and stopped walking, breathing hard through my nostrils. It almost seemed like it might be a good idea to lay down on top of the sand and take a nap. Anything to just take a quick rest and not move for a while, no matter how close to Nimbasa City we were. I mumbled something in the heat, but even I didn’t know what I was saying.  
June had her hands in her eyes. She seemed to have sand in them, and she was grumbling as she tried to clear them.  
Mumbling in my weariness, I continued to walk, the wind in the desert calming down, the sand settling on the ground. My eyes suddenly widened in shock and I rubbed at them with my hands. As my hands lowered, my eyes widened even further.  
In the distance, there stood a girl! She was leaning forward, visibly tired, her feet not lifting an inch in the sand as she walked further ahead of us at a steady pace.  
How didn’t I see her before? I questioned. Did June and I stumble off track, somehow? Where did she even come from?  
Her hands gripped a black hood that sat on her head as it ruffled gently in the light breeze that started up, sand starting to once again cloud the air around us. She leaned forward into the wind, her light, black hoodie ruffling gently on her, but the girl was actually taking a couple of steps backwards against the gentle force that shouldn’t have been able to move much more than a leaf. When the wind finally eased down, she stood still, shaking her head, and then curled up a little bit, wrapping her arms around her body even tighter, rubbing her arms slowly, and lowered her head as she shakily stepped forward.  
Is she okay? I asked myself. “June, look! There’s another person!” I shouted, pointing ahead at the girl.  
“Huh?? I can’t see!” June cried in frustration, still rubbing her eyes. “Where?”  
A flash of light blue eyes.  
Pale, thin lips.  
My eyes widened instantly and a stunned, low cry escaped my throat.  
Her eyes widened in fear, and she turned around and ran away, dashing through the sand.  
“WAIT!!” I took off after the girl, a burst of energy flowing throughout my entire body, reinvigorating me.  
“Gary?!” June shouted in confusion.  
“HEY!! WAIT A MINUTE!!”  
She was very thin, and really fast, easily making the space between us widen greatly.  
The wind began to pick up again, and a large swirl of sand billowed in front of me, hitting me in the face.  
“Ouch!” I cursed angrily, rubbing at my face desperately, trying to clear my vision and keep my eyes on her.  
“Gary! What’s going on?” June’s footsteps pounded into the sand after me.  
“HEEEEEEEEEEEEEY!!!!” I ran as fast as I could possibly run, peeking through my eyes through the sand in them, trying to clear them out with my hands. More sand continued to get into my eyes, making them hurt whether I rubbed at them or not. All the while, I refused to stop running, whether I could see or not, desperate to find that girl. My eyes were blurred from tears as they tried to flush the sand out of them, and I wiped away the tears in frustration, trying to see ahead of me. What?! I raged in my mind. Where is she?!   
“Gary! What’s going on? Why are you running?” June called after me.  
“MELISSAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!” I bellowed, cupping my hands around my mouth, ringing my throat dry with my scream. “MELISSAAAAA!!!!! IT’S GARYYYYYY!!!! WHERE ARE YOOOOOOOUUUUU?!?!” My eyes scanned the area, my feet kicking up even more sand both in front of, and behind me. There was nobody around. Anywhere.  
“Gary! Hold on! Please!” June begged.  
“PLEASE!! MELISSA!! WHERE ARE YOU??” I kept running, seeking, my heart hurting as it thumped in my chest. Though I was breathing hard, I refused to stop. I had found her.   
She was here. Melissa was here, in the Desert Resort.  
There was nothing in this world that was going to stop me now. Screaming, running, and ignoring June as if she didn’t exist, my legs continued to move. It didn’t take much longer before I was feeling winded, and my running slowed down to a jog. Where is she? I wondered, swallowing hard, my throat aching as I gasped for air, choking on sand, looking around in confusion and desperation.  
Her light blue eyes flashed in my mind once again. Her small lips were pale and dry. Those eyes of hers met mine. Fright showed in them as they met mine, and they widened. She had seen me, and recognized me. Without a doubt. The instant she saw me, she ran away from me. But why?  
June coughed from behind me as she stumbled up to me, out of breath. “Gary!” she choked out, grabbing my right shoulder. “Why did you do that? Why did you run away from me? Are you trying to get lost or something?! What’s wrong?”  
I shook my shoulder from her grip and she cried out in surprise as her weary body dropped to the ground. Without turning around to make sure she was alright, my body got its second wind, and I was running into the desert again.  
June called out after me.  
My heart was beating fast for a different reason, now. I was no longer tired, feeling surprisingly full of energy. She’s out here. Melissa is out here, I told myself. Melissa is out here somewhere.  
June’s voice rang out through the desert, and this time, I stopped running. It was as if a switch had turned on inside of my head. I turned around in a very slow circle, scanning the desert.   
Sand.  
Sand.  
Sand.  
Sand.  
June.  
Sand.  
Sand.  
Sand.  
Sand.  
Sand.  
Sand.  
When I saw June the second time, laying in the sand on her knees, looking up at me with concern on her face as she squinted through the blowing sand, her hair blowing in the wind, my energy had left me. I froze and just kept my eyes on her. “June,” I said in a voice too low for anyone else but me to hear.  
June didn’t move.  
Slowly, struggling against the weight of mass exhaustion, I worked my way back over to her and dropped next to her on my knees.  
“Gary, what happened? What did you see?” June whimpered to me desperately. “Tell me! Why did you run?”  
My eyes were on the ground, still stinging from the sand in them, watering up from a sadness within me. “You didn’t see her, then.”  
“See who? Who was it, Gary? I couldn’t see anyone at all!”  
I nodded, feeling like an idiot.  
“Who were you calling to, Gary?” June insisted, placing her hands on my shoulders.  
I closed my eyes that continued shedding tears and leaned my head back, my face up at the sun.  
“Gary! What’s wrong? Tell me!” She shook me lightly.  
My eyes opened and I finally looked at her. “I think I’m losing my mind,” I croaked weakly, leaning against her hands and resting my head on her shoulder. “I just need to get out of this damn desert.”  
June carefully pulled me into a hug, rubbing my back, and I leaned against her silently, tears sliding down my cheeks continuously and dripping quickly into the sand below.

*

It took me what felt like nearly an hour to pull myself together and stand back up, June asking me several times if I was alright. At first, I had only quietly nodded, desperately holding back my tears that fought against me to come out of my eyes before sipping from my quickly depleting bottle of water, but I didn’t move from where I stood.  
June would patiently wait for a couple of minutes, sipping slowly from her own dwindling water bottle, before asking me if I was okay again.   
After about the tenth time of her asking me, my answer, “Once we get to Nimbasa, I’ll be okay,” seemed to promote a small amount of energy in me, and I took my first step forward. I saw her, I thought to myself, my body already feeling ready to drop once again. I saw Melissa. Melissa’s face was all I could see in my mind as I stumbled through the sand, tripping and nearly falling down a time or two. She looked tired, I think. It was only a quick glimpse I got of her, but something in her face just didn’t look right. Maybe she was tired from traveling through the desert, too, I considered. Maybe June and I look just like her. But, where did she go? Why did my stupid eyes have to get blinded by sand while I was chasing her? I saw her! How did she get away so fast? That was definitely my sister. I know that was Melissa! I can’t believe this! After well over three years, I’ve located her. But why is she in Unova? And why did she run away from me when she saw me? Was that really her? In this sand, wind, and intense heat, can I honestly say that I wasn’t hallucinating and that I really did see my long lost sister? Couldn’t it have been some other girl with blue eyes and thin lips? Aren’t there millions of people on this planet that have blue freaking eyes and tiny damn lips?!  
Her blue eyes had widened once they saw me, and her thin lips had parted in a shocked gasp. Those eyes of hers, flashing in fear once she recognized me…  
No way, I thought, shaking my head. That was her.   
I suddenly remembered Ashley Ein from the Pokemon League in Kanto. She was a competitor when I was there, and she looked so much like my sister, Melissa. At one point, I had sincerely believed that Ashley was actually Melissa, or something. She wasn’t, and accepting this broke me down and just about destroyed any hopes I had of finding my sister alive.   
But what I had just seen was entirely different. As much as I had believed that Ashley looked like Melissa, when I had seen this girl in the desert just now, there was no comparison. Ashley didn’t even come close to what I had just seen, even with my eyes distorted by sand and tears. That girl I had seen in the desert was Melissa. She absolutely had to be. I felt it in my heart, despite me usually believing that such sayings were stupid and made no real sense. That had to be her, I thought sadly, tearfully. But even if it was her, what does it matter if she magically disappeared all of a sudden? If it wasn’t her, it was just a hallucination or something. Either way, she’s gone now, so it means absolutely nothing. This fact stung me deep, and I sniffled sadly as my vision blurred from behind tears.  
June screamed in fear from behind me, pulling me out of my thoughts, making me jump.  
“June!” I turned around, wiping my eyes quickly, fearing the worst. Fearing she had seen something terrifying. Fearing she was in danger from someone or something. “June?”  
June was on the ground, facedown. She looked up and shook her head. “Ouch! What did I trip over?”  
She tripped, I thought, letting out a sigh of relief, trying to calm down my beating heart as I turned away from her.   
“Gary!” June called.  
“What?” I said impatiently, turning around.   
“Look what I found!” She was on her knees, digging through the sand.  
“June, are you serious right now?” My voice cracked, and I cleared my throat. “June, I wanna get out of here! I don’t feel like playing in the freaking sand right now.”  
“Gary, I’m telling you, this is something! Come here!” She was wiping at the sand, pushing it aside, digging through it, her eyes wide with excitement. “This is beautiful! My gosh, we could be rich!”  
“Rich?” My attention was now fully grabbed. “What are you talking about?” I jogged over to her and stared down at some sort of a mask with a simple face on it that looked very familiar.  
The mask sat on top of a large box with blue and yellow stripes on it.   
June continued to dig around the box, and I could see flashes of gold on it, glimmering brightly.  
I gasped, kneeling down. “What is this?”  
“Help me!”  
I dug around the box with June and spotted more gold on the box, making me dig even faster around it as I tried to free it from the sand. “It looks like one of those coffins from, like, from pyramids or something!”  
“Or a treasure chest! Out here, in a sandy place like this, I wouldn’t be too surprised! Well, maybe a little,” June giggled. “I mean, we are in a desert. Who knows what kinds of surprises are hidden out here, just waiting to be dug up!”  
I dug my hand further into the sand, and my fingers slammed into something hard. “Ow!”  
“Huh?” June looked up at me.  
“I hit something!” Too much sand was blocking my view, so I dug through it, careful not to hit the hard object. “Maybe I found something else!”  
“Really? Dig it up!” June exclaimed, and continued digging up her treasure.  
“This looks like your thing!” I said excitedly, digging even faster. “I think we found two of them!”  
It wasn’t too long before June unearthed her find and gasped. “Look at this!” she gasped.  
I stared at an enormous coffin she had dug up, colored yellow, blue, and gold. “Oh, man!” I whispered in amazement. “That’s incredible!”  
“Come on! You have one, too!” June crawled around her box and quickly swiped her hands through the sand to uncover more of my find.  
I joined her in the excavation.  
It was a short time later before we stopped, giving up from exhaustion but having dug up enough of my object to know it was a matching coffin!  
“Gary, I think we’ve found the motherload!” June’s voice shook from excitement and perhaps nervousness.  
“There could be more around here,” I realized.  
“Yeah, but can we even carry these things? Are they empty?” June grabbed the side of the coffin, trying to find the opening, pulling on it. “It won’t budge.” She grunted, groaned, and cried out angrily as she pulled, tugged, pushed, and kicked the coffin. “Hmm, maybe yours will open.”  
“I’ll try.” I felt around the coffin, trying to find a latch or something to grab to try and open it. After a couple of minutes of feeling around it, I breathed a tired sigh and sat on it. “You know, there’s probably a dead body in here now that I think about it.” I smiled sinisterly.  
June gasped and backed away. “You mean, you really think it’s a coffin?”  
“Well, I know that some of the Egyptians were buried in coffins of gold, right? Although, I think some of the coffins were just filled with gold, too. I could be wrong about that, though.”  
June backed away from the coffin. “I was hoping for gold, without the inclusion of a dead body.”  
“Well, these things won’t budge, so we can’t carry them. Our best bet is to tell the authorities when we get out of here.”  
“Right, well, let’s find the way out already,” June said, running both of her hands through her hair.  
We both looked around.   
“Do you remember what direction we were going in?” I asked her.  
“I was hoping you knew,” June answered nervously.  
Something wrapped around my body tightly.  
June and I both gasped at the same time. I turned to see that the middle of her body was wrapped in white gauze.  
“What’s-?” June cried, staring at me with wide, shocked eyes.  
We were both pulled backwards, off of our feet, and more gauze wrapped around June’s body.  
I looked down and saw that my body was being wrapped up tightly in gauze, too! “What is this?”  
The last thing I saw before my entire body was bound tightly, as I was lifted high into the air and turned around, pulled down to the ground, were the coffins, both now wide open, nothing but blackness inside of them. Four shadowy arms reached out from the sides of the coffins, two on each side. The coffins were now outlined in a black, shadowy color.  
My entire body was wrapped, my mouth forced shut, my body strongly squeezed tight, blinded, and I was slammed onto a solid surface, a loud slamming noise following my collision. I groaned, about the only noise I could make.  
There was no sound but the light howl of the wind outside.   
Nothing moved.  
Where am I? What happened? I wondered. I struggled, grunting, trying to free myself from the bandages, but I was too tired, weak, and thirsty to fight for long. It was hard to breathe, and the material of my wrappings were itchy. I laid still, trying to inhale as much air as possible.   
It seemed as if a couple of hours had passed as I laid still, helpless, weak, constrained, the bandages tightening around me. June, I thought. She’s in this same predicament, trapped like me. Trapped by some kind of monster. Or maybe this is a Pokemon!  
More time passed, though I couldn’t tell how much or how fast or slow it was going by. How long will I be here?  
My heart was beating in a panic as more time continued on, fear pumping through my body, my head throbbing from the pain of the ever tightening holdings. Why am I here? What did I do? What is this thing I’m in? It seemed like I was using a lot of my energy just to breathe at this point. Something’s going on, I realized as my struggles to breathe were meaning less and less. My heart pounded in my chest, feeling as if it were beating inside of my head as well, and I could hear it. It didn’t feel as though oxygen was making its way into my lungs at all anymore, and I struggled again, desperate to free myself. I was no longer able to inhale, though I struggled hard to do so. No! No! No! I thought, trying to open my mouth, giving my all to inhale through anything! I’m dying! I’m dying! I’m going to die in here! I thrust my body as hard as I could as my body began to freak out, desperate for air to get inside of me. Desperate to keep me alive!   
Suddenly, the coffin I was in rocked hard, and a loud cry echoed from inside of the coffin, rattling my eardrums, and was followed by a second, similar cry from nearby.   
Though my eyes were closed, wrapped in the wraps, I could just barely manage to see that there was some kind of light from somewhere, and at once, the coffin I was in moved, and I was thrown around, landing on a softer surface. Struggling with the last of my breath as I could feel myself losing consciousness, confused about what was going on now, I could feel my energy returning to me, slowly, but surely, and with the last cry I could utter from my throat, my body stretched out and I broke free! “AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!” I inhaled loudly, sandy air getting inside of my nose and mouth. On my hands and knees, I choked on the sandy air, coughing hard and spitting, but took another deep gulp of air, swallowing sand. I turned to my right as I noticed a large object moving, and realized something was on the ground, wrapped in bandages! “June?” I croaked weakly, still gasping hard.  
The thing inside of the cocoon looking object burst free, and June was on her back, inhaling hard on her first breath, and then rolling onto her knees, choking on the sandy air she had breathed in.  
“June!” I crawled over to her. “June! Are you okay?”  
She continued to cough hard, spitting and choking, hacking up something from in her throat and spitting a glob of spit in the sand.   
I rubbed her back and turned around to the coffins. My eyes widened in horror as I backed away from June.  
June looked at me and then turned behind her. She let out a scream. “They are Pokemon!”  
The two coffins were no longer on the ground, but instead were floating in the air. The strange mask at the top of the coffins now contained a pair of terrifying red eyes underneath them. They weren’t looking at us, but were focused on something to their right. Before I could turn to see what they were looking at, a ball of fire flew at one of the coffins suspended in the air, forcing it back.  
“Look at that Pokemon!” June pointed.  
“What is it?” I held out my Pokedex at the Pokemon before us.  
Cofagrigus. The Coffin Pokemon. This is Yamask’s evolved form. Long ago, this Pokemon would guard coffins by posing as coffins and then wrapping would-be robbers up in gauze. The robbers would be held captive inside of Cofagrigus and drained of their life, leaving them as mummies.

Darumaka. The Zen Charm Pokemon. Similar to a tumbler doll, it cannot be knocked over when it sleeps. This Pokemon can be completely uncontrollable and excited when the flame inside of its body burns.  
That’s why that mask on Cofagrigus looks familiar, I thought, my eyes widening in recognition as I watched the three Pokemon. It’s like the mask that my Pokedex showed me when I scanned Yamask earlier.  
Darumaka let out a continuous little chatter from its mouth and attacked one of the Cofagrigus again, hitting it with Flare Blitz.  
Cofagrigus cried out weakly, dropping to the ground with a grunt.  
Darumaka landed on the ground, grunting from the pain it received from the recoil damage of Flare Blitz.  
The other Cofagrigus attacked Darumaka by cupping all four of its hands, a black ball forming between them before it launched Shadow Ball attack at Darumaka.  
Darumaka was forced back through the sand, its feet firmly planted, one hand down, the other in the air. It let out a determined cry and used Flare Blitz again, dropping the second Cofagrigus, wincing again from suffering the recoil damage.  
The two Cofagrigus got up shakily, pained, and fled from Darumaka, disappearing into the whirling sands.  
Darumaka turned to June and I and let out an eager cry. It ran and circled around us rapidly, just a red blur trapping June and I where we stood.  
“He’s really full of energy, isn’t he?” June said with a weary smile.  
“It, er, he, saved our lives,” I commented. “Darumaka!” I knelt down. “Can you calm down for a second? I want to thank you.”  
Darumaka kept on running, circling us, kicking up sand in my face.  
I wiped at my face and watched the red ball of energy.  
“Darumaka, I wanted to thank you for saving June and I!” I called out to him. “You saved our lives! We really appreciate your help!”  
Darumaka finally stopped running and looked me in my face curiously.  
“Yes, Darumaka,” June added. “Thank you so much.” She knelt down to Darumaka. “You were just amazing, fighting those two on your own like that. We can’t thank you enough!”  
Darumaka took us both by surprise as he leaped at June, tackling her hard, knocking her onto her back. He leaped on June’s chest as she laid on her back in the sand, groaning in pain.   
“What’d you do that for?” I demanded, standing up and staring at Darumaka in shock.  
“He wasn’t trying to be mean,” June moaned, her eyes closed tightly. “Just another consequence of that energy your Pokedex was telling us about.”  
“Hmm. Oh,” I said thoughtfully. A smile crept over my face. “Well, then how about we put that energy to the test?” I grabbed a Poke Ball and backed up several feet.  
Darumaka turned to me, standing on June.  
“Go!” I yelled, throwing my Poke Ball.  
“Drilbur!” Drilbur exclaimed.  
Darumaka looked at Drilbur and slowly stepped off of June.  
“Darumaka, I’ve got to capture a cool Pokemon like you! I challenge you to a Pokemon battle!” I said with a raised fist, an eager, energetic surge running throughout my body.  
Darumaka leaped in the air excitedly, seeming to like the idea. At once, Darumaka flew into Drilbur, knocking him over with Flare Blitz.  
“Driiiiiiiil!” Dirlbur screamed in pain as he was forced back through the sand.  
Darumaka bent over painfully from the recoil damage.  
“Drilbur, I want you to use your Dig attack!” I ordered.  
Drilbur dug underground immediately as Darumaka tried to hit him with Incinerate, which missed. Drilbur appeared underneath Darumaka from the sand, punching him with an uppercut.  
Darumaka stumbled back, but seemed just fine otherwise.  
“He’s tough!” I smiled. “Even with a Ground move that he’s weak to, from a Ground type like Drilbur, in the middle of a Sandstorm, Darumaka is still standing.”  
“Your Drilbur has Sand Force Ability, right?” June asked, sitting up and watching the battle.  
“That’s right. It boosts Ground, Rock, and Steel moves in the middle of a Sandstorm. Drilbur, use your Earthquake this time!”  
Darumaka moved quickly, hitting Drilbur with a fiery fist in the stomach as he leaped into the air to attempt Earthquake.  
“Drilbur, get back up! We can end this all!” I shouted.  
Drilbur groaned as he forced himself back up.  
Darumaka flew at Drilbur with another Flare Blitz, sending my Pokemon flying through the air.  
“Drilbur!” I screamed as he flew right over my head and into the sand a few feet away.  
“Dril…” Drilbur groaned and he remained on his back.  
My eyes widened in shock. “No way! My Drilbur!” I gasped. With a growl, I returned him to his Poke Ball and turned around to Darumaka, who was jumping up and down in the air, seeming just fine and ready for more.  
“Alright.” I smiled, pleased with Darumaka’s strength and energy, and looked down at Pidove’s Poke Ball, and then shook my head. “Cottonee, go! Use Stun Spore!”  
“Coooottoneeee!” In a flash, he showered Darumaka in a golden powder as he Paralyzed him.  
Darumaka groaned and twitched in pain, but suddenly, his body was coated in flames as he flew at Cottonee with Flare Blitz.  
“COOOOOOOTTTONEE!!” Cottonee wailed as he bounced along the sand, stopping just an inch from my feet.  
“Cottonee??” I called out to him as I bent over to pick him up.  
Cottonee didn’t say a word, his eyes closed.  
“That was a bad type match up, I guess,” I admitted. “Come on back. And thanks.” I returned Cottonee to his Poke Ball.  
Darumaka was punching at the air, hopping eagerly, looking as if he hadn’t suffered any damage from our battling, nor the two Cofagrigas, at all!  
I have no other choice, I knew as I grabbed an empty Poke Ball. That thing is mine! “Poke Ball, I choose you!” I threw it hard and watched as the Poke Ball neared Darumaka.  
Darumaka did a backflip, kicking away the Poke Ball!  
I caught it in my hand and glared at the hyperactive Pokemon. “Fine! Pidove, you’re up!” I screamed angrily as I threw his Poke Ball.  
“Piiiiiidove!” Pidove flew from his Poke Ball.  
“Pidove, use Quick Attack! Go!”   
Pidove flashed white as he vanished and then reappeared, flying directly into Darumaka.  
Darumaka was taken by surprise by the speed of Pidove’s attack and slid in the sand on his back, staying there for a moment before leaping back up to his feet.  
“Again! Do it!”  
Pidove flew into Darumaka once again.  
Darumaka shivered a little bit as he got back up. He looked up at Pidove and then bent over, holding his body as the Paralysis kicked in.  
“End this one with Air Cutter, Pidove!”   
Pidove flapped his wings, flying higher into the air to attack.   
I waited eagerly.  
Darumaka looked up at Pidove, preparing for the attack.  
Pidove let out a determined cry.  
Nothing happened.  
“Piii?” Pidove cried weakly.  
“He… Forgot…” June said, drooping her head.  
“PIDOVE!!!” I raged. “I said to use Air Cutter! Quick Attack! Come on!”  
Darumaka’s body was coated in flames and he soared towards Pidove.  
Pidove let out a terrified cry. At once, Pidove shook his head and cried out strongly as he soared at Darumaka.  
“Pidove! Wait!” I called out to him.  
“He only remembers Quick Attack right now and that’s the move you told him to do just now!” June informed me.  
“He’s gonna get knocked out!” I yelled.  
Both Pokemon collided into each other.  
Pidove tumbled backwards through the air, finally landing in the sand facedown.  
Darumaka slid for a few seconds on his stomach before stopping. He twitched in pain from the recoil damage and remained still.  
“Poke Ball, go!” I shouted, and threw it at Darumaka.  
Darumaka’s eyes opened and he forced himself to his feet, his eyes on the Poke Ball as it neared him.  
How can he still fight? I asked myself in frustration as I grit my teeth hard.  
Darumaka suddenly dropped to his knees and the Poke Ball hit him, sucking him inside.  
The Poke Ball fell to the ground, the center of it glowing red as it shook.  
Pidove shook his head and shakily managed to sit up as he watched the Poke Ball shaking on the ground.  
June took a couple of steps forward, eyeing the shaking Poke Ball.  
My arms shook as I kept my eyes on the Poke Ball that continued to shake on the ground.  
PING!  
The red light faded to white.  
“I caught him!” I cheered as I ran towards the Poke Ball and picked it up, holding it up to the sky. “I captured Darumaka!”  
June clapped, smiling. “Congratulations, Gary! A Darumaka!”  
“And a damn well tough one, at that! This is great! What energy he has. I’m so excited about this.”  
“I’m just really happy we were freed from those Cofagrigus,” June sighed. “I couldn’t even tell they were Pokemon at first. I feel rather embarrassed about that.”  
I thought about her words. “Well, I know you can read Pokemon and everything, but it isn’t a flawless talent. I mean, you still can’t read Porygon-Z, and you had a lot of trouble reading Tera’s Pokemon back in Viridian City.”  
June looked down sadly.   
“Don’t be down about it, June,” I said, walking over to her. “You just need to work on it. You’re only fifteen. You have so much time to master your ability to read Pokemon. You’re doing great. You read Daramaka.”  
“That’s true.” June looked at my Poke Ball.  
“You know, I’ve seen you read Pokemon,” I told June as I placed one hand on her shoulder. “You usually look them right in the eyes. Remember when we saw that Ditto on our way to Pallet Town? The one disguised as all those Legendary Pokemon? You walked right up to it and looked it in the eyes. But before that, you were fooled by its transformations. So before the Cofagrigus showed their faces, you just couldn’t see into their eyes. Maybe that’s what it is.”  
June looked up at me and smiled. “When I had touched the Cofagrigas, when I thought they were coffins, I felt something. A feeling I only get from touching a Pokemon. I just, I don’t know exactly. I guess I ignored it or something. I can’t explain it.” June sighed, managing a small laugh. “I’m so confused by this all. The Cofagrigus were so well disguised, it threw me off, and I didn’t even trust my instincts about them.”  
I smiled back at her before turning around, gazing up ahead. “We’re all tired, traveling through this damn sandstorm, June. It’s no wonder you couldn’t think straight. Let’s get these guys to a Pokemon Center already and we can get that long awaited shower. We can’t possibly be that far from Nimbasa City at this point.”  
“I sure hope not. I am absolutely filthy!” June said in disgust.  
“Pidooove!” Pidove said, and he flew into the air, landing on my left shoulder.  
“Ready?” I asked him.  
Pidove nodded.  
“Let’s go,” I nodded back.  
It was night as we continued to trek through the desert, the cold, chilly air cooling me down, giving me some level of relief after such a difficult day.  
We were inside of those Cofagrigus for hours, I realized, my heart beating fast again. The sun was out when we ran into those things. Now, it’s dark out. At least we’re safe. And almost at Nimbasa City.  
We’ve just got to be.


	19. Preying On The Weak

“I’m hungry, I’m thirsty, I’m tired, and I want to get a proper night’s sleep!” June bemoaned.  
“I’m with you, June,” I mumbled, feeling so drained that I could barely get my lips to move. “At least… it’s almost… nighttime.” The sun was setting, the heat not so intense but still sapping what little energy I had left inside of me. June’s feet dragged through the sand, not lifting up an inch, and my feet were doing the exact same thing. I hope it’s a lot more comfortable inside of the Poke Balls for our Pokemon, I thought.  
It had been days of us traveling. How many days? I had no idea. Since we had entered this desert, I’d witnessed the sun set at least four times, but it felt like we’d been here for much longer. I hoped that it had been a much shorter period of time, but I feared that we may have been here for at least a week. June and I were both filthy, covered in sand, and completely out of water.  
June dropped to her knees and then slowly slid further down.  
“June,” I breathed with exhaustion. “Please.”  
June collapsed in the sand on her face and didn’t move.  
I took a step towards her and stumbled, falling to my knees near her. “June…” I slowly, weakly, reached out and grabbed her shoulder, but I had no energy to shake her. My hand slid off of her, into the sand. I can’t keep this up any longer, I thought to myself. I don’t have any energy. Even with the sun setting, I just can’t keep this up. Even thinking is making me exhausted.  
The sun had just gone down, disappearing from view, the sky darkening even further.  
What are we gonna do? I wondered. We can’t just stay here like this. Cooler air blew around me, but it wasn’t helping any. I needed water. I needed a bed. I needed proper sleep. Where are we? I looked around, but as usual, I saw nothing but sand stretching into infinity, a cactus in the distance. Against my will, my body dropped down and I fell on my side, staring at June as my eyes began to close. This is it, I told myself. This is as far as we’re gonna get. This is our journey through Unova. Sand flew into my face, the wind blowing a little bit harder.   
A strange noise rustled through the sand, almost sounding like footsteps.  
Must be my imagination, I convinced myself. I’m totally losing it. I’m finished. It’s over for me and June. No more energy left. I can’t even move.  
The shuffling sound continued. It had a slow pace to it.   
What is that? I was too tired to turn around to see what it was. Is it getting… closer? No. It’s just the sand being tossed about by the wind. Or, maybe it’s help from someone? Maybe… If so, let them save us. I just can’t...  
The sounds were indeed getting closer. They kept at a slow pace, but got slightly louder with time.  
Melissa? I remembered the hallucination I had seen in the desert a few days ago. That thought flung my eyelids open and I squinted through the sand at June.   
She was still in the sand, not moving, facedown.   
Poor June. As the sounds got closer to us, I realized that we could be in some kind of danger. I felt that, with June unconscious, we, and our Pokemon, were at risk. I have to keep us all safe if I can. I have to! Groaning, I found strength inside of me and pushed myself up, forcing myself to turn around onto my back, and I sat up as I squinted into the sand. “Huh?”  
Nobody was out there. The only thing I could see was that cactus.  
I stared at it for a long time, silently, breathing hard through my dry nostrils, my dry throat aching. A cactus! I thought excitedly as a light bulb went on over my head. Of course! They have water in them! Panting, I crawled over to June and grabbed her shoulder again, shaking it hard. “June! I think I’ve found some water. Or juice or whatever. There’s a cactus over there. Come on.”  
June stirred, but then remained still.  
“June!” I shook her even harder. “Wake up!” I turned her around and laid her on her back. “Get up!” I shook her hard and brushed sand off of her face. “Water!!” I choked and coughed hard from screaming my last word, my throat throbbing in pain now.  
June groaned, her eyes tightening, and her head tilted to the side. “I can’t… Please…” she mumbled weakly.  
“June, there’s water over there,” I croaked out to her. “Stay here. I’m coming right back with some water.”  
June’s head nodded slightly.  
I crawled over to my bag to pull my bottle of water from it, and then grunted strongly as I climbed to my feet and stumbled my way over to the cactus. This cactus is closer than I thought it would be, I considered as I stared at it. Doesn’t look like any cactus I’ve ever seen. Then again, I’ve only ever seen them in movies and TV. This must be how they look in real life. Smiling, I scanned the cactus, trying to figure out the best place to cut a hole into it to get some water. I’d never seen a video or anything on how to do it. I’d only heard that the plant carries water in it, and if you’re stuck in the desert and thirsty, you can drink from it.  
As I observed the cactus further, the plant seemed to flinch.  
Hm? What was that? I squinted at the plant as wind blew around us. Just the wind. What a weird design this thing has.   
The cactus had large green spikes around most of its body and down its center. It almost looked human shaped. Two arms. A head with a line of black dots going across it horizontally. Legs. It even had a weird green thing on its head like a hat.   
I looked back at June.  
She was disappearing into the sand as the wind blew it over her, covering her body.  
Turning back to the cactus, I reached out to touch it.  
Suddenly, two yellow dots flashed near the top of the cactus and they looked surprisingly like eyes!  
I gasped, coughing on the sand I inhaled, and took a step back.  
The cactus reached out with what looked like its arms and grabbed my shoulders!  
“What the hell?” I managed to utter as I struggled in its grip. “What is this? What’s going on?”  
The black dots on its face curved up, resembling a smile.  
“What are you?” I screamed out. “HEEEEEEEEEEEELLP!!!! GET OFF OF ME!!” My throat burned from my desperate screams and I tried to swallow to relieve the pain with my nonexistent saliva, making my throat hurt even worse and forcing me to cough.  
The cactus’ face neared me and my knee instinctively reached up and hit the thing in the middle. It cried out, stumbling back a couple of feet as it let go of me, and I turned and ran for my life.  
June was sitting up, one arm holding her up, and she squinted at me as I ran towards her.  
“JUNE!! RUUUUUN!!!” I screamed as I reached down and yanked her arm, pulling her to her feet.  
“YYAAAH!” she let out shrilly as she clung to her bag and stumbled after me. “Gary! I’m exhausted! What were you screaming about back there? What were you doing near that cactus?”  
“It’s not a cactus! It’s a monster!” I told her. “It just tried to kill me!”  
She looked behind her as she ran and let out a loud gasp. “It’s a Cacturne, Gary!”  
“Is that a Pokemon?” I breathed hard.  
“Yes! They look like cactus and they hunt at night! That’s all I know about them!”  
“It’s hunting?”  
We both tore through the sand, somehow. Not even five minutes ago, we were both dying.  
I pulled out my Pokedex and pointed it behind me. “Give us some info!”  
Cacturne. The Scarecrow Pokemon and Cacnea’s evolution. Cacturne do not move during the day, waiting for weary travelers and Pokemon in the desert to tire out and become completely exhausted before attacking.  
“That doesn’t help us!!!” I screamed at the little box.  
“Gary, your Pokedex is right, though! I can’t keep running much longer!” June started to slow down.   
I yanked hard on her arm and she tripped, falling into the sand. “NO!” I grabbed her shoulders and tried to force her up to her feet.  
“I can’t, Gary! Just go! RUN!”   
I turned to Cacturne as it ran with ease, mere feet away from us.  
“Okay, I choose Pidove!” I raised his Poke Ball in the air and prepared to throw it.  
A loud cry rang out from somewhere, and a sparkling beam hit the ground with an explosive force, tossing me backwards.  
I hit the ground and groaned as I sat up, my back aching. “What the-?” That was when I spotted it.  
As the sandy air cleared, I saw a large creature of many colors floating in the air, looking down at June and I angrily.  
“What... Pokemon is that?” I exclaimed.  
Sigilyph. The Avianoid Pokemon. This Pokemon once guarded an ancient city, and its memories of that place are so vivid, that it flies along the exact same route it did back then, never straying from that path.  
“Siiigiiilyph!” the Pokemon shouted, and fired another Psybeam at us.  
June and I screamed as the explosion lifted us off of the ground.  
I landed on my shoulder and rolled off of it, gripping it, crying out in pain. “June!” I called out to her.  
June didn’t say anything.  
“SIGILYPH!” the Psychic and Flying type cried as it floated over to me.  
I swallowed hard and scrambled to my feet to run as Sigilyph fired another Psybeam at me. The blast missed, but the explosion forced me to the ground. I spit out sand and quickly turned around as Sigilyph floated over to me.  
The top of its head was absorbing a white energy.  
“Hyper Beam,” I whispered as my heart started to beat so hard, it hurt.  
“SIGILYYYYYPH!!!!” it bellowed as Hyper Beam fired at me.  
“AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!” I screamed as I closed my eyes. My screaming didn’t end, but instead, got even louder with fright as I started to fall!! I landed on the soft sand below. “June! Eevee?”  
June and Eevee were both staring at me, smiling. We were all sitting in a hole that had been dug through the sand. “Come on,” June whispered, and her and Eevee both crawled down a tunnel.  
I looked up at the hole I had just fallen through.  
“Gary! Let’s go!” June urged in a loud whisper.  
I quickly scrambled on my hands and knees after June and Eevee into the darkness as I heard Sigilyph make a noise from above.  
Eevee was digging through the sand quickly, making a path right before our eyes at an amazing speed. I couldn’t see where she was as she made our path for us.  
“I had Eevee Dig us a tunnel away from Sigilyph,” June explained. “I figured if we just stay out of Sigilyph’s path, he won’t follow us. That’s basically what your Pokedex said, right? He’s guarding his city from long ago.”  
“Do you think that means there’s an ancient city buried underneath all this sand?” I asked, my eyes occasionally glancing at June’s behind, which was moving right in front of my face as we crawled through the tunnel.  
“I’ll bet there is,” June said. “I don’t know how deep, but I also really don’t care right now.”  
“June, Eevee, thank you both so much,” I said. “If it hadn’t been for you two, I was-”  
June stopped and turned around to me.  
My eyes looked from her backside to her face and widened, afraid she had caught me looking at her. “What’s that?” I said, looking beyond her as light shined from ahead.  
“This is our exit,” June told me. “Now, we just crawl up!”   
Eevee let out a happy cry from the top of the hole.  
June looked up, smiling, and let out a sigh as she stood up and climbed up the side of the hole as I watched her, admiring the shape of her-.  
I growled and angrily shook my head hard, my eyes closed tight, and then followed after her and dropped to the ground, breathing hard.  
“Gary, I’m serious right now,” June panted, her face covered in dirt and sand. “I really, really want to get out of here already. Please. I don’t know how much longer I can take this.”  
“June, I’d teleport us to Nimbasa if I could,” I gasped tiredly. “Hell, I’d get us back to Pallet if I could. I really don’t like this anymore than you do. If only we had that damn Town Map Professor Juniper gave me.”  
June and I looked at each other silently.  
“SIIIIGILYPH!!!”   
June and I shrieked in terror as Sigilyph appeared in front of us.  
“I thought we were out of its territory, June!” I shouted as I leaped to my feet and helped June up.  
“Same here!” June shouted back.  
“Veee!” Eevee cried in shock.  
Sigilyph charged up another Hyper Beam attack.  
“Oh, no!” June cried.  
“Split up!” I screamed, and I ran to the right. An explosion behind me whipped up a strong wind that pushed me forward even quicker. A loud panting behind me made me glance back. “June! I said to split up!”  
“I thought you were going the other way!” June yelled, fear in her eyes.  
Eevee ran quickly by her feet.  
“Don’t stop, June! Please! I’m begging you!”  
“I can’t run forever, Gary!” June’s voice was breaking in desperation. “Gary! Just go on without me! Please!”  
“JUNE! MOVE!”   
“GOOOOOO!!!” I heard her collapse.  
I stopped with a loud gasp at what I saw in front of me, dread filling my body, and turned around to Sigilyph. “Huh?”  
Sigilyph was floating in the air, looking at June, Eevee, and I.  
June looked back Sigilyph, her bag on the ground next to her.  
Eevee turned around and growled at Sigilyph.  
Sigilyph floated there, looking down at the three of us, and then it turned around and floated away! It glanced back at us every couple of seconds as it flew deeper into the desert, away from us.  
“I... think… we got out of his city…” June breathed heavily.  
“Just in freaking time! Look out there!” I walked over to June and slung her arm around my shoulders, helping her up, and pointed in front of us.  
“Wow!” she gasped.  
We both looked over the edge of a cliff!  
It was a steep drop down to the ground below. A trail at the bottom was lined by a wide stream of water, a matching path on the other side of the river as well.  
“We didn’t have much more room to run,” I said.  
“But, if this is a dead end, where is Nimbasa, Gary?” June sounded like she was panicking, and I could feel her trembling in fear now.  
Or maybe I was the one trembling. Her words had truly terrified me. All this time of traveling, and we find out that we’re at a dead end, on the edge of a cliff.  
“Cactuuuurne!”   
June and I turned around, me gasping, June moaning in exhaustion, her bag dropping.   
“For crying out loud already!” June moaned.  
“Cac Cac Cac Cac Cac Cac Cac Cacturne!” Cacturne chuckled as it neared us slowly.  
“I thought we got rid of that thing!” I gasped.  
“Cacturne…” Cacturne got closer.  
“Eeeeeeeveeeee!” Eevee ran at Cacturne quickly, flying into him with Quick Attack.  
“Cacturne!” Cacturne moved like lightning and swung at Eevee, hitting her first with a swift punch to her face, throwing her back.  
Eevee screamed out as she flew high into the sky.  
Past June.  
Past me.  
Over the cliff!  
“EEVEEEEEEEEE!!!!” June shrieked at the top of her lungs.  
“VEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!” Eevee screamed as she went over the edge.  
“NOOOOOOOO!!!!!” June ran to the edge and reached, seeming to be trying to not go over, and yet seeming desperate to grab her Pokemon by any means. With a determined grunt, she leaped over the edge!!!  
“JUUUUUUUNE!!!” I screamed as loud as I possibly could as I ran closer to the edge and watched her wrap her arms around her Eevee.   
June and Eevee let out a loud shriek together as they fell down the cliff.  
I turned back around to Cacturne.  
It ran towards me.  
Wait! I came up with an idea and ran at Cacturne, stopping short as I scooped up June’s bag, and then I ran back to the edge of the cliff. I took in a deep breath and looked behind me one last time as Cacturne continued charging at me. “AAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUGGHHHHH!!!!!!!” The scream ripped from my lungs as I did the craziest thing I’d ever done in my life, leaping over the edge of the cliff.  
June and Eevee were far below me, screaming their heads off, nearing the ground rapidly.  
The wind whipped at my entire body, feeling like it was pulling and cutting at my face, my clothes ruffling hard as I fell down fast, the bag in my hands holding me down to ensure I landed headfirst. I struggled to focus on the bag as my eyes teared up, making it nearly impossible to clearly see where the zipper was to open the bag from. Just gotta find Rotom’s Poke Ball, I told myself. Gotta have Rotom use its Psychic powers to save us. As my fingers fumbled around June’s bag, the strong wind suddenly ripped the bag from my hands, and I reached out desperately, screaming in anger, as the bag dropped out of my reach, heading down.  
Down with me.  
Down with June.  
Down with Eevee.  
We all were falling.  
Screaming.  
And it was clear that we weren’t going to land in that body of water that was so close to us.  
The ground below us rose up quickly to meet our screaming bodies.  
In a matter of seconds.  
We were all dead.


	20. Close Encounters Of The Fifth And Sixth Kind

June held her Eevee in her arms, both of them screaming on their way to the nearing ground beneath them.  
My arms flailed desperately as I screamed, the ground below rising to meet me.  
We all were falling from the top of a high cliff, to our immediate death, June’s bag falling fast beneath me, dropping down heavily along with us. June and Eevee were far below me in our fall.  
I took a last glance at the river that was several feet away from us, knowing we weren’t going to land in it, and I closed my eyes as I realized June and Eevee were mere inches from the ground, about to collide with it in the very next second. My mouth opened wide in a scream as I made an effort to block out the sound of them splattering. When I was out of breath from screaming, I kept my eyes shut tight, my teeth clenched shut like a bear trap, anticipating my painful landing.  
There wasn’t a sound to be heard.  
I suddenly realized that the feeling of falling had ended. A long period of time had passed without a sound being uttered, but I was still too terrified to open my eyes. Am I dead? I wondered. Is this it? Did I die so fast, it was just painless? It’s all over now? My face relaxed a little bit, but I still felt like I was hanging upside down. I counted my breaths. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten. My eyes slowly opened.   
The wall of the cliff we had fallen off of was in front of me, the ground beneath me just a couple of inches away from my face.  
I was indeed suspended in the air, upside down. But how?  
“Gary?” I heard June’s voice cry.  
“June!” I said as I tried to turn around, but couldn’t move. “Are you alright?”  
“I’m okay! Me and Eevee are fine, but what’s going on?”  
“I don’t know,” I replied, looking around.  
Something tiny and gray appeared from out of nowhere, right in front of my face, staring directly at me with its eyes glowing a light blue.   
The creature’s sudden appearance made me cry out in surprise.  
The little thing made a light sound and raised both of its hands in the air. Both hands had three dots, one the color red, the other green, and the third one was yellow. They all flashed in a strange pattern at me.  
“Gary! What’s wrong?” June asked. “Who’s with you?”  
I opened my mouth to speak, but I couldn’t come up with any words.  
The creature resembled some sort of a gray alien. It had a huge head with a deep depression on each side, a strange pattern of lines drawn on the front of it. Its body seemed to be a little bit shorter than its entire head. It floated quietly in front of me.  
“What are you?” I asked the creature.  
June and I were walking through the desert together.  
June, me, and all of our Pokemon were eating lunch in the desert.  
Cofagrigus wrapped June and I up in their bandages and pulled us down inside of their bodies.  
I threw a Poke Ball at a weakened Darumaka.  
Cacturne was chasing June and I through the desert.  
Sigilyph fired its Hyper Beam at me right before I fell into Eevee’s hole.  
June leaped over the edge of the cliff to catch her Eevee.  
I leaped over the edge of the cliff, holding June’s bag, as Cacturne chased after me.  
My breath came in a short gasp. “What was that?!”   
The little alien cried out at me, the dots on its hands blinking again.  
“Gary, what was that?” June gasped. “Did you just see that? Is there someone there with you? What’s going on?”  
“Are you a Pokemon?” I asked it.  
The thing nodded slowly, and then waved a hand down to the ground.  
I was slowly lowered to the ground on my back, gently. Shakily, I got to my feet and shook my head, and then I looked around quickly.  
June was sitting on the ground, holding her Eevee tightly, and staring at the alien in front of her, a stunned look on her face. “Wow! Look at that Pokemon! What is he?”  
I turned back to it and slowly pulled out my Pokedex.  
Elgyem. The Cerebral Pokemon. When it runs into an enemy, it squeezes their brain with its Psychic powers. It is typically a very friendly Pokemon, but caution should be exercised around it. It is known to be very protective of those it likes.  
“Elgyem. It was you that saved us?” I asked, smiling. “You stopped our fall?”  
“Elgyem! Elgyem!” he cried out, nodding, and the dots on his hands blinked rapidly. His eyes were no longer blue as he was no longer using his Psychic powers on us, and they were now glowing red.  
“He was also following us, it seems,” June noted with a smile as she got closer to me, clutching her Eevee in her arms as she licked her face. “Based on those visions I just got from him. You sent those to me, right?”  
“Elgyem!” Elgyem nodded.  
“Why were you following us?” I asked him.  
Elgyem’s dots flashed again.  
I turned to June.  
She looked back at me and shrugged. “I can understand him when he speaks, but that flashing thing also seems to be a means of communication for him, but it isn’t anything I can understand.”  
“Well, who cares?” I smiled. “You saved our life! I’m sincerely grateful to you for this, Elgyem! Thank you so much!” I couldn’t hold back my tears or emotions, and I wrapped my arms around the floating alien.  
“Elllllgyem!” he said softly.   
As I released the alien from my arms and backed up, June walked up to him and set down Eevee. She reached out and rubbed Elgyem’s head, finally taking another step forward and pulling him into a hug. “Thank you for saving me and my baby. Is there anything we can do for you?”  
“Veeeee!” Eevee called happily.  
“Ellll,” Elgyem stared at June for a moment, and then to me.  
“We’ll do anything you’d like, Elgyem,” I nodded. “Let us know. We owe you!”  
“Elygem…?” He continued to stare at me. “Elygem!”  
My Drilbur attacked Darumaka with Dig attack.  
Cottonee was taken out by Darumaka’s Flare Blitz.  
Pidove met Darumaka’s Flare Blitz with his Quick Attack.  
I threw my Poke Ball and captured Darumaka.  
I shook my head hard. “Whoa! What was that?”  
“Elgyem just showed me your battle with Darumaka,” June said.  
“Eeeee!” Eevee shook her head.  
“I don’t get it,” I said, turning to Elgyem. “Are you saying you want to battle me?”  
Elgyem shook his head and his eyes turned blue.  
I felt my pocket move, as if something were inside of it. “Yo!” I exclaimed as I looked down at my pocket, raising my arms in fright.  
A Poke Ball came out of it, outlined in blue. It glided over to Elgyem’s hands and he pressed a button, making the Poke Ball bigger. He pressed the button again, and the Poke Ball opened, sucking him inside by the force of the red beam!  
June and I gasped as the Poke Ball hit the ground and shook repeatedly, the red light on the middle.  
PING!  
The red light went back to its white color.  
June and I exchanged glances of shock.  
“I just caught an Elgyem!” I said happily, and stepped over to the Poke Ball. “This is awesome!”  
“I guess he really wanted to come along with you,” June said. “He must like how you battle and raise your Pokemon or something. I guess he wanted to train under your care. That’s so cool!”  
“This really is! Elgyem, come on out!” I held out the Poke Ball and sent him out of it.  
“Elgyem!” he greeted us.  
“Hey, buddy. I’m honored you want to be a member of my team! I’ll bet we’ll have a great time training together. I’ve never had a Pokemon so willingly join up with me like this!”  
Elgyem raised his hands and the dots blinked rapidly for a short while.  
“He sure is friendly,” June commented.  
I nodded and an idea came to mind. “I choose you all!” I threw all four of my Poke Balls.  
“Drilbur!”  
“Cooottonee!”  
“Pidooooove!”  
Darumaka appeared and started running around rapidly, circling all of us, and then running back and forth, far away one way, and then coming back and running far away in the opposite direction, repeatedly.  
“Easy, easy, Darumaka!” I spoke loudly.  
Darumaka didn’t listen as he ran about in all kind of directions and patterns, crying out excitedly, bursting with energy.  
“I want everyone to say hi!” I called out, trying to grab Darumaka’s attention. “I need you to stop running for a bit! Please!”  
Darumaka ignored me and continued running around excitedly.  
“Darumaka, I said to stop it!” I was starting to get upset and impatient.  
“Ellllll.” Elgyem stared at Darumaka.  
Darumaka suddenly stopped running and grabbed his head, crying out as he fell to his knees.  
“Darumaka! What’s wrong?” I knelt down next to him, concerned.  
Darumaka shook his head and looked around in confusion, rubbing his head. He seemed confused.  
“Are you alright?” I asked him.  
He nodded and then looked up, and an angry look came over his face. He pointed up at started hopping up and down angrily, making noises.  
“Huh?” I looked up where Darumaka was pointing and saw Elgyem, who had his eyes on Darumaka. “Darumaka, what’s wrong?”  
Darumaka continued to angrily point and grunt at Elgyem.  
“Darumaka says Elgyem gave him a headache on purpose,” June translated.  
“What? My Elgyem?” I turned to him.  
Elgyem turned to me silently.  
“Elgyem, you didn’t do anything, did you?”  
Elgyem’s hands blinked again constantly.  
I sighed and turned to June. “I don’t know what that means, but why would Elgyem do such a thing?”  
“I don’t know, but Darumaka sure thinks he did.” June returned to Darumaka.  
“Darumaka, don’t be silly, okay? I don’t think Elgyem did it. Maybe all that running around has you dizzy.”  
Darumaka continued to make a strange noise and point up at Elgyem. He crossed his arms and turned his back on us.  
Elgyem just watched him quietly. His silent, unblinking stare was actually a little bit spooky.  
“Come on, guys. This is supposed to be a happy time! I want everyone to greet everybody in a friendly manner. Cottonee, Drilbur, Pidove, say hi to Elgyem and Darumaka, the newest members of the team.”  
Pidove, Cottonee and Drilbur walked over to Darumaka, but Darumaka grunted, turning his back to them, too. Pidove, Drilbur and Cottonee turned to me in confusion.  
Darumaka wailed out again and grabbed his head.  
“He’s really hurting, Gary! Something’s wrong!” June gasped.  
“Darumaka!” I ran over to him and picked him up, holding his very warm body in my hands. “What’s wrong? Relax. Please, just breathe!”  
Darumaka rubbed his temples and looked up at me, a weary look on his face. He furiously struggled out of my hold and landed on the ground before he started pointing up at Elgyem again, chattering in a rage.  
Elgyem just stared at Darumaka silently.  
“He’s certain that Elgyem did it, Gary,” June told me.  
“This isn’t what I wanted at all,” I said with disappointment. “Darumaka, cut this out right now. I am not going to tolerate this kind of behavior. Let’s all relax and have some dinner or something. No need for all of this hostility. I’m really hungry and could use a good night’s sleep now that we’re out of that damn desert.”  
“Speaking of which, where are we exactly?” June brought up.  
“Hmm.” I pulled out my Town Map and scanned it. “It’s hard to tell. I mean, we’re not in the Desert Resort anymore, but I’m not sure exactly where we aren’t in the Desert Resort.”  
June sighed in exasperation. “So we’re lost?”  
I nodded. “Let’s just try and find our way-”  
“Gary! No!” June snapped at me. “That’s about enough! I’ve been following you for several days and we’ve been lost all this time on the hope that we’ll just wind up at a city. Enough! We need a better plan than that. I’ve had it with wandering around!”  
“So what’s your plan?” I said, crossing my arms.  
“I dunno. I only know that if we had taken the damn train, we wouldn’t be lost right now, now would we?”  
“I-” She was right, and I couldn’t think up a good enough response. “Well, fine!” I turned my back on her, unable to think up anything better to say.  
“You know I’m right, and now I’m freaking pissed off at you. I want out of here, Gary! Immediately!”  
I swiftly returned to facing her. “Then find the damn way! I gave a suggestion, now what’s yours?”  
“I don’t have one because we’re lost due to you being stupid!”   
“How was I stupid?”  
“You were traveling blindly through a desert like an idiot!”  
“And you were doing a fine job directing us, right? You knew where to go, right?”  
“I wanted to take the train!”  
“But you didn’t!”  
“Because you-OOOWWWWWW!!!!!!” June dropped to her knees and grabbed her head, screaming in pain.  
“June?”   
I heard Darumaka cry out, and I looked down to see him jumping around, pointing up at Elgyem.  
Elygem had his eyes on June, his hand pointing out at her.  
“Elgyem! What are you doing?” I shouted, running to him. “Stop that!” I grabbed him in my hands and held him close to my face. “NO!”  
June moaned on the ground, holding her head.  
Eevee cried out and run to her owner, placing her front paws on June’s lap and crying out to her repeatedly.  
“June, are you okay?” I asked, running over to her.  
She shook her head hard and kept her head down. “That was horrible…” she moaned. She looked up and her eyes squinted painfully at Elgyem. “Did Elgyem really do that?”  
Eevee turned to Elgyem and growled angrily.  
“June, I’m so sorry! I didn’t tell him to do that, honest!” I turned to Elgyem angrily. “Elgyem, that was bad! You never attack people like that, especially my friends. So it was you who attacked my Darumaka. You apologize to them right now and promise to never do that again!”  
Elgyem floated into the air and looked down at June, and then turned to Darumaka. He held up his hands, and they blinked repeatedly for almost a minute.  
Darumaka and June exchanged confused glances before turning to me helplessly.  
“That better have been an apology,” I warned Elgyem.  
Elgyem nodded quickly at me.  
I sighed. “Good. Now, how’s about we all have us a nice meal and get some sleep? There’s this river right here, and some water sounds like a great idea right now. Hopefully, we’ll be in a city or something shortly.”  
June didn’t say a word, her worried eyes on Elgyem, rubbing her head with her hands while Eevee continued to glare at Elgyem in silence.

*

“At least this isn’t a desert,” June sighed as we walked along the side of the river. “This is much nicer. I really needed that sleep, too.” She stretched her arms and groaned happily.  
I looked away from her as she stretched her body.  
It was the next morning, or perhaps afternoon would be a better word. We slept really good last night. There was no sand in our faces or Pokemon to look out for. Our dinner together with our Pokemon went well enough as Elgyem met all of June’s Pokemon, and he behaved himself.  
Now, June and I were continuing along a path leading somewhere, but we weren’t sure where. We’d been walking for at least an hour by now.  
June sighed and looked up into the sky.   
“What’s up?” I asked, turning to her.  
“Oh, just thinking about stuff,” June said, not looking at me.  
“Well, obviously, but I mean, what?”  
“I don’t think you really wanna know.”  
“I asked, didn’t I?”  
June looked at me. “I was thinking about what we’ve been through here in Unova. I mean, the whole journey, but that stuff in Castelia and in the Desert Resort was really scary. It’s still on my mind.”  
“I don’t expect it’ll leave you anytime soon. I just really hope Kai and everyone else is doing alright.”  
“Yeah,” June agreed, nodding.  
“Is that a person over there?” My eyes focused ahead.  
June glanced ahead, too. “Who’s that?”  
“A man in some kind of motorboat, it seems.”  
The man stood by his small boat, the path we were on ending into a wide stretch of sea before us.  
“It’s a dead end here,” June spoke. “We could try the opposite direction, or maybe he can help.”  
A man stood tall on thick legs, wearing black boots, blue pants, and a white, collared shirt. On his head sat a white and blue sailor’s cap covering his hair. The man turned to us and smiled with a full set of teeth. “Ahoy!”  
We stopped in front of him. “Um, ahoy…” I stared at him uncertainly.  
“I’m Captain Billy! What brings you young kids to this part of the planet?” he greeted us with a loud, strong voice and a large, open palm.  
I shook his hand and his tight grip took me by surprise as I tried to match it, his strong shake rocking my whole body helplessly. “My name is Gary,” I stated as I took my hand back, shaking away the light pain I was feeling from it. “This is June, and to be honest, we kind of… stumbled down here due to a set of events, and now we’re lost,” I hesitantly explained.   
Captain Billy took June’s hand and shook it strongly, but lighter than he had shaken mine.  
June cried out before releasing his hand, smiling.  
“Basically, we were trying to get to Nimbasa City, and ended up getting lost in the Desert Resort. Now, we’re here,” I finished.  
Captain Billy rubbed his chin. “Hmmm. I see…”  
“Do you know where we are, and how we can get to an actual city?” June asked.  
Captain Billy nodded slowly, a stern look on his face as he eyed me up and down, and then June. “As a matter of fact, young ones, I do…”  
“Ok…?” I asked cautiously.  
He laughed in a booming voice, making June and I both jump. “The closest island is Cenumerus Island. There’s a place there to relax, eat, make some phone calls, heal your Pokemon…” He nodded at my belt containing my Poke Balls. “There’s even a Gym there!”  
“A Pokemon Gym? Really?” I asked eagerly. “That’s our next destination, then. Cenumerus Island.”  
“Well, in that case, let us be off!” Captain Billy walked to the edge of the land, stepping onto his boat as it rocked slightly underneath him. “Climb aboard, kids! We’ll be there in a quick spit.”  
A quick what? I asked myself before shaking my head. “Alright.”   
June and I climbed into his boat and took a seat next to each other on one of the benches carved into both sides of the little boat.  
Captain Billy was eagerly setting things into motion as June and I looked ahead at the sea.  
I couldn’t see Cenumerus Island from here, but I trusted Captain Billy’s words about it not being too far, and before long, the rev of the engine grabbed my attention, and the boat was on its way, tearing through the water, Captain Billy at the wheel at the front of the boat in a large white chair, guiding us.  
“Wow!” June grabbed my arm tightly in her hands. “This is my first time on motorboat! Or a boat at all! This is so romantic, isn’t it?”  
“No!” I exclaimed, looking at her as if she were crazy as I pulled my arm away from her and then looked out to the sea.  
She punched my shoulder hard and mumbled something.  
I ignored her and watched as the boat glided smoothly through the wide open sea.  
It was definitely a beautiful sight, the water a sparkling blue beneath us, the sun shining high ahead of us. This was the way to travel.  
I was so relieved that June and I weren’t in the desert anymore. That was finally over and we’d be arriving at a new place soon to obtain a Badge. I reached in my pocket and pulled out my Town Map, deciding that I should try and find Cenumerus Island on it.  
June looked over my shoulder as I scanned it. “There it is! Cenumerus Island!” June touched a spot on the map.  
“Yeah! Interesting. So it’s a girl named Dana, and she raises Normal type Pokemon?”  
“Oooo! Normal types are unpredictable. You never know what kind of moves they have.”  
“You’re right. This should be a fun battle.”  
“Look! Cenumerus Island isn’t far from Nimbasa City, either! Oh, my gosh! We can go there right after we leave Cenumerus Island!”  
Captain Billy laughed heartily. “That’s right, young ones! Nimbasa can be our next stop if you so wish after your trip to Cenumerus Island.”  
“You wouldn’t mind that, sir?” I asked, shocked.  
“Please, call me Captain Billy!” he laughed. “I can’t just leave you kids on Cenumerus Island. You have to places to go as Pokemon Trainers! The ships only sail to and from there once every two weeks! You’ll be stranded for another thirteen days.”  
“Oh! Well, we really appreciate this, Captain Billy,” I said gratefully.  
“Yes, thank you, Captain Billy!” June chimed in. “You’re kind to do this for us.”  
“Well, you two look like you’ve been to Hell and back, and the-”  
Something leaped from the waters and snapped its sharp teeth at my face!  
“AAAAAHHH!!” I screamed as I fell off of the bench, landing on the floor.  
It was a fish that was snapping at me, and it landed on the floor of the boat!  
June gasped. “What’s that?”  
Captain Billy laughed once again. “Why, that’s just a little Basculin! A common sight in many waters in Unova.”  
The fish flopped around on the floor, snapping its large, deadly sharp teeth as Captain Billy calmly strolled over to it. He picked it up by the tail and held it high in the air as it struggled in his hand.   
I watched in fright, still on the ground, and scuttled in the corner as he laughed at the fish and flung it back into the water.  
June let out a sigh of relief.  
“Gary, young man, you can’t look like such a wimp in front of your girlfriend!” Captain Billy smiled, shaking his head.  
I let out a tired sigh and lowered my head. “She’s not my girlfriend…” I mumbled.  
“Oh! Well, I guess you’re both young. Anyway, if you’re gonna be traveling with me, you should know there’s a lot worse out there than a wee little Basculin, Gary.”  
Shakily, I got up from the floor and took a seat, this time on the other side of the boat, away from June.   
Captain Billy took his seat.  
“What else is out there?” I asked him.  
“Things that would make a Basculin shake like a wet dog. Things that would make any less of a man drop dead once looked in the eyes. Terrors and wonders of all sorts, Gary. Basculin is your friend out here by comparison.”  
I shivered as I stared at June, who was already staring back. What could he be talking about? I wondered as I pulled out my Pokedex.  
Basculin. The Hostile Pokemon. There are Red-Striped Basculin and Blue-Striped Basculin. When they come into contact with one another, they almost always end up fighting, though records show that some schools of Basculin mingle with other schools.  
Something more dangerous than that, I thought to myself as I put my Pokedex away. Let’s just get to Cenumerus Island, fast. And then, to Nimbasa City so I can finally be on real land and just continue traveling. Maybe I’ll even consider taking the train around Unova, instead. I closed my eyes, leaning against the side of the boat, letting out my breath. The sound of the motor was loud, but it was pleasant to hear some sign of civilization, humanity, technology. The water splashing against the back of my head was relaxing, refreshing. The sun beamed on my face, and I inhaled fresh air that wasn’t humid, or thick, or dry. A smile spread across my face as I exhaled, appreciating my good fortune.  
“Gary!”   
June’s terrified scream made my eyes pop open, and I was immediately wrapped by something behind me! In the next instant, I was pulled out of the boat, and submerged underwater! The instant I started to feel myself before forced overboard, I inhaled as much air as I could and closed my eyes. The cold water splashed on my face first, shocking me, but I struggled not to gasp as my entire body was taken under. June screamed and her shocked face was the last thing I saw before my eyes closed as I went underwater.  
NO!! NO!!! NOOOOOO!!!! I screamed in my head. Anything but this! Not water! Please!! Don’t put me underwater!! Pleeease!! I could feel my nostrils fill with water as I held my breath, and I struggled hard not to choke or cough as I felt my body begin to panic. I struggled in the arms of my capturer, trying to kick myself free, trying to stretch my arms out, but it was no use. I closed my eyes even tighter, afraid to open them. NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NOOOOO!! I knew I was crying by this time as the air in my lungs started to run out, my body panicking, kicking. I felt like my head might explode. I knew the water was in every hole it could fit through in my head. I was absolutely terrified.   
I hated swimming, or even being wet at all. I was afraid of water almost as much as bugs. If it wasn’t a shower, or a bath, or cleaning dishes, or just having a drink, I refused to associate myself with water. That included being sprayed with water guns, hoses, swimming in pools, or anything else like that. I hated it badly, and it caused a bad panic inside of me when I came into contact with water in those situations. This was the absolute worst encounter with water I’d ever had.   
My mind flashed of a memory of me when I was maybe seven or eight, at summer camp. That day, me and the other kids were taken to a swimming pool by the camp counselors. I didn’t know how to swim, but I decided to give it a shot and tried to get into the water with my friends.  
One of the kids splashed water in my face.  
I got angry and yelled at them to stop as I stumbled away from the pool, and a few minutes later, after they encouraged me to join them, I tried to get in again, soaking my ankles first as I walked down the steps in the pool. As I got deeper, the water reaching my knees, a kid splashed me again, and I ran out, coughing and spitting up water. I yelled that I give up and stormed away as the camp counselors yelled at the boys who had splashed me, and I played cards with another friend of mine by a table instead.  
The kids all called out to me and apologized, begging for me to join them in the water.   
I really wanted to try swimming, so, after a while, I cautiously went back over to them, making them promise not to splash me. They promised with sinister looks on their faces, and I warned them once more not to splash me anymore, or I was never going back in. They laughed, but swore that they wouldn’t splash me, so I walked into the water once again.  
I was floating in the water, up to my chest, smiling and sort of enjoying the moment, sort of, when suddenly, something brushed against my stomach, making me gasp. Before I could see what it was, I was pulled under! I had been taken by surprise and inhaled as I went under, suffocating on the water as it filled my lungs. I kicked and screamed underwater, struggling for the surface, and I finally was freed, bursting to the top, gasping for air. The instant I got that first gulp of air, fear gripped my body as I was taken by surprise when I went back under once again, this time holding my breath as I felt myself go down once more, but I didn’t get a good gulp of air. I struggled desperately to the surface, reaching it a few seconds later, and I made a desperate swim out of the pool, scrambling out, and, tears running down my face, I ran into the bathroom.  
It turned out that someone’s Lombre had escaped and dived into the pool. Lombre was what had pulled me under.  
Either way, I had been emotionally scarred and promised I’d never go swimming again.  
And now, here I was, in the sea, being dragged underwater against my will by some kind of unknown monster. My lungs were burning. I could see white flashes in front of my eyes. I can’t, I thought desperately. I need to breathe. My body was lurching, desperate for air. I could feel the air in me dying to burst out. But I couldn’t. I had to hold it in. A sharp pain shot through my body, and I screamed out, the air releasing itself from inside of me as I continued to be dragged further down.  
The monster that held so tightly onto me had finally released me, and my body was now suspended in the freezing cold water. As the last of my breath left my body, I tried to figure out a way out of this.   
But I couldn’t think anymore.   
I couldn’t see.  
I couldn’t do anything.   
I couldn’t go on.

*

I choked and bent over, and I felt the sour sting of vomit rise out of my throat, along with what felt like all of my insides, the sickening taste flowing from my mouth as I puked.  
“Gary! You’re alive!”  
I coughed and choked repeatedly as I threw up water and white chunks onto the floor.  
“Oy! I guess I have some cleaning to do,” I heard a voice mutter.  
I coughed constantly, spitting and hacking up junk from inside of me.  
“Gary, you’re really okay. I’m so grateful! Oh, Gary!”  
I sat down on a solid surface and gazed at my surroundings, breathing heavily, my face twisted in disgust at the taste still in my mouth.  
June was smiling at me.  
Eevee was next to me, wagging her tail as she smiled.  
Captain Billy was in his chair, which was facing me, and he gave me a wink while smiling.  
Tympole looked up at me, happily shivering on the ground.   
Tympole?  
A Tympole bounced on the floor of the boat, gushing out joyfully.  
“This is one of a whole family of Tympole that saved you, Gary,” June explained. “When that Frillish grabbed you and pulled you under-”  
“Wait,” I gasped, still struggling to breathe a little bit, wishing the grotesque taste of vomit would leave my throat and tongue. “What grabbed me?”  
“It was a Frillish,” Captain Billy said, standing up and giving me a stern look.  
“Frillish,” I repeated, taking out my Pokedex.  
Frillish. The Floating Pokemon. This hadalpelagic Pokemon lives in dens several miles under the sea. They are known to float gently among waves, waiting to strike their prey. They immobilize foes with their tentacles and poison them before dragging them underwater forever.  
I was staring at two images of Frillish from my Pokedex. A smiling pink one, and a serious looking blue one.  
“You never know when you’re gonna run into a Frillish, especially when you’re a captain,” Captain Billy smiled widely. “You’re lucky you weren’t poisoned or anything, but I have plenty of medicine for situations like that, anyway. If it weren’t for that Tympole family who came aboard with your body, you very well could have been a carcass.”  
“Tympole saved me…” I muttered, pointing my Pokedex at it.  
Tympole. The Tadpole Pokemon. They communicate by vibrating, which creates a high-pitched melody that humans cannot hear. They often travel in packs and are sometimes governed by their evolved forms, Palpitoad and Seismitoad.  
“Tympole, thank you!” I exclaimed, dropping to my knees in front of the tadpole. I reached out and pet its head.  
It cried out happily, leaping around on the floor.  
I smiled at it. “I was a complete goner if not for you. I’m eternally grateful for this. I’m beyond words of appreciation for you and all of your little friends.”  
Tympole bounced around with joy again.  
“Aww! He’s just so cute!” June gushed. “In fact…” She walked over to the other side of the boat where I realized that her bag was emptied out on the floor, all of her belongings strewn about. She picked up a Poke Ball and pressed the button, making it larger. “How would you like to come along with me, Tympole?” she asked him.   
“Really, June?” I turned to her. “I thought you only collected Electric Pokemon.”  
“I like many different types of Pokemon,” June said, keeping her eyes on Tympole. “And Tympole is just too adorable! I want one. Poke Ball, go!” She threw her Poke Ball at Tympole.  
Tympole bounced on the ground once, twice, three times, and on the fourth bounce, flew high into the air and used his tail to slap away the Poke Ball.  
“Hey!” June said sadly as she caught the Poke Ball. “What’s wrong?”  
“Leave him alone, June,” I said, petting Tympole’s head. “Let him go back to his family. He saved my life. Let him go back to his own life, now.”  
June lowered her hand and sighed. “I guess. I just thought it’d be nice to be friends with the Pokemon that saved your life.”  
“You just wanted a really cute Pokemon,” I corrected her.  
June grumbled and crossed her arms.  
Tympole cried out excitedly and bounced on the ground, looking at me.  
June gasped and stared at Tympole in shock. “What?? That’s not… Awww!” She looked on the verge of tears.  
“What?” I asked her.  
“Tympole said he wants to go with you!” June exclaimed in dismay. “That is just so… grrrrr!”  
My eyes bulged out of my head. “Really, Tympole? You want to travel with me?”  
Tympole was bouncing all over the place.  
June gasped and growled. “He says he was really worried about you, and stayed behind to meet you when his friends and family left,” June said, disgruntled. “He said he was ready to go when you woke up, but you were kind, and weren’t being greedy or desperate to capture him and were willing to let him go. He says he wants to be your friend.”  
My eyes began to tear up. “That’s so sweet,” I smiled as I looked down at Tympole.  
Tympole bounced about in excitement and then leaped towards me.  
I caught him in my hands. “My… friend,” I said as I held him carefully.  
Tympole’s tail slapped against my arms happily as he vibrated.  
“It’s my pleasure to call you my friend, Tympole,” I said as I stood up. I grabbed a Poke Ball and glanced at June quickly.  
She had a sad look on her face, watching me as I made the Poke Ball larger.   
“Tympole, it’s my pleasure to allow you to journey with us. Thanks for choosing me, my friend.”   
The Poke Ball opened in my hand and a red beam pulled in Tympole. It shook in my hands for a few seconds, the center glowing red.  
PING!  
I raised the Poke Ball in the air excitedly once the light faded to white. “Me and Tympole! My new friend! Yes!”  
June grunted, but when I turned to look at her, she was smiling, her arms still crossed. “As usual, you continue to remind me why I travel with you, Gary. Nice catch.”  
I smiled back. “Thanks! This is amazing!”  
“Here’s some more good news, kids! We’ve got Cenumerus Island, dead ahead!” Captain Billy shouted excitedly, hooting and cheering, facing the sea.  
June and I both turned to see an island not far away, filled with a mixture of trees and buildings from what I could see.  
I sighed happily and sat down on the bench.   
June knelt down next to her bag and started putting her stuff back inside of it.  
“Hey, June?”  
“Yeah?” She looked up at me.  
“Why is your stuff all over the floor?”  
June’s face turned red. “Oh, well, when you went under, I…” She hesitated. “I thought I’d use my Lanturn! But, I forgot that she’s still recovering in Gringey City!” She smiled and turned away, continuing to scoop up her items into her bag.  
Poor June, I thought. I hope her Pokemon are alright.   
June called back home every chance that she could to check on her Pokemon. She always told me that not much had changed and that they were still in poor condition, recovering.   
I wished I could do the same and call home. Mom, Prof. Oak, I thought sadly, keeping my eyes on June. What have I done? You guys must hate my guts right now, and I deserve it. I really hope you’re all okay. Honest. Please know that. The only thing that would cause me to drop dead from an emotional pain in my heart right now would be to find out that you two think I don’t love you with all of my heart and am not thinking of you both every single day. Charizard, Porygon-Z, I hope you guys are with the Professor and are alright, too. Kingdra, Noctowl, Drifloon, take time to recover. I hope you’re both back home by now. Primeape, Weepinbell, I know you two are back home with the Professor, but take it easy. Butterfree, Dugtrio, Baltoy, I miss you guys so much. All of you. I love you all. I’ll see you all someday. I promise that. Sighing, I looked down at the Poke Ball containing my new Pokemon, Tympole. Pidove, Cottonee, Drilbur, Darumaka, Elgyem, and Tympole, I counted. Six Pokemon. If I catch anymore, they’ll go to Prof. Oak. Will that give away my location? Everything I own is from Unova right now. Will he put out a search for me if he gets a Pokemon from Unova sent to him? Is there already a search for me by the police? I remembered the time when I was arrested back in Celadon City during my first Pokemon journey, and a shiver ran through my body as I was reminded of Saffron City.  
The boat sped on through the water as we neared Cenumerus Island, Dana, and a number of problems June and I would never see coming.


	21. Processed Perfection

“I’ll be cleaning out my boat while you two kids head off to battle the Gym Leader,” Captain Billy said with an unpleasant look on his face.  
“Again, I’m really sorry,” I apologized to him. “I’d be glad to help you clean up!”  
Captain Billy shook his head. “No, no. You two go on, now. I’ll be here when you’re both done and we’ll continue on to Nimbasa City.”  
“Please, sir, allow us to clean up the mess,” June insisted. “We wouldn’t mind you accompanying us to the Gym. We don’t want to leave you here alone, cleaning Gary’s puke.”  
I lowered my eyes in shame at June’s words.  
Captain Billy waved her offer away. “Oh, no. I don’t enjoy Pokemon battling. I battle the waves, and endure the tests of the wild when they’re thrown at me, but I never engage in actual Pokemon battles and I get no enjoyment from watching them. You kids enjoy yourselves. Clean up, get some rest, and find some food to eat. Battle your little fight in the morning. Might as well be cleaned and refreshed and with a clear head. Maybe I’ll come down and see you two at one of them Pokemon hospital buildings or something.”   
I smiled, grateful he was being so patient. “Alright then, Captain Billy. We’ll be back as soon as we can.”  
“Take your time!” Captain Billy called after June and I cheerfully as we turned around and walked through the sand, deeper into Cenumerus Island.  
A metal signpost in a grassy clearing not far from the sandy beach read: Cenumerus Island. Population: 3,000. Square Miles: 70.  
A huge forest surrounded houses and buildings. The buildings were on opposite ends of a single strip of concrete pavement. In between every building, a tree or two sat there, towering high.  
The door to a building opened, a chime ringing as a man stepped out carrying two bulging bags. He squinted hard at June and I as we walked towards him, and a smile crossed his face.  
I stopped and turned to him, June stopping beside me.  
“Hey, there! I don’t recognize you two. Are you tourists?” the man called to us as he got closer.  
“Hi. I’m Gary, and this is June. We’re not really tourists. Would you happen to know where the Pokemon Center is?”  
The man nodded and turned around. “About two thousand feet from this spot, a good six hundred second walk, is where you’ll find the Pokemon Center, and a Nurse Joy that reaches five feet in height, her pink hair in curls reaching twelve inches in length, with a typical pink nurse’s outfit ending right at her knees, her pink and white size six sandals just at a centimeter thick from the ground to just under her feet.”  
I stared at the man, speechless, my eyes wide in surprise.  
“Huh?” June stared in confusion.  
A strong breeze ruffled the man’s dark blue jacket as he struggled with his heavy bags of groceries.  
“Thank you, sir,” I said quickly. “I’m sorry to have held you up. Have a good day.”  
“Sure thing,” he said, lifting his arms against the weight of his bags. With a nod and a smile, he walked past us.  
“What in the world was that?” I asked June.  
“Well, it was very exact, at least. Come on! I need a damn shower! I stink!”  
“Me, too. We’re not far.”  
We ran quickly, and within only a few minutes, we spotted the red P that hung near the top of a white building and ran inside. We didn’t stop running, jetting past a couple of startled people in the lobby, until we reached the ever so young Nurse Joy, looking at us in surprise, but then smiling warmly.   
“Welcome to the Cenumerus Island Pokemon Center,” she greeted us. “You two look like you’ve been running through filth for the past seven days, at least. I can see you also have Pokemon with you. I think I can safely assume that your Pokemon are in need of medical attention, and the both of you are in need of a shower. Eleven feet from where you’re currently standing, you’ll find the back door, beyond which are seven rooms down a hallway that spans forty feet in length, ending at a door that is ten feet in height, and four feet in width. Behind that door is where the rooms are, and none of them are currently occupied as we don’t get many Pokemon Trainers visiting this island very often. The rooms contain four beds with a twin sized mattress, unless otherwise requested, and four dresser drawers with four drawers for each dresser. Their height is four feet, with a width of three feet. A hallway, which extends twenty feet in length, has two doors at the end, one on each side of the hallway, which each one containing one bathroom. They each are eight feet in length and seven feet in width, and contain one shower, sink, toilet, and a plunger. If you need soap, toothpaste, a toothbrush, shampoo, a towel, or a washcloth, one can and will be provided to you.” She smiled and bowed at us.  
June and I stared at Nurse Joy with a stunned look.  
Is she serious? I asked myself. Why did she just go through all of that?  
The back door opened and an Audino stepped out, walking over to Nurse Joy with a large tray atop her hands.  
“Audino, collect these Trainers’ Pokemon on your 4’ x 1’ tray and prepare them in the back for a checkup,” Nurse Joy said kindly.  
“Audino,” Audino agreed, and walked over to us, holding out her long tray.  
June and I exchanged glances and shrugged, looking back at Audino as we took out our Poke Balls and placed them on the tray.  
Nurse Joy and Audino both led the way to the back door, where June and I followed and eagerly anticipated our first shower in ages.

*

“Ahh!” I sighed happily, dropping onto my bed.  
“This feels great!” June exclaimed, laughing. “I’m finally in an actual bed, ate an actual dinner, and am actually clean! This is the way to live.”  
“Yeah. That shower and meal hit the spot. Having a good night’s sleep will be the topping on the cake.”  
“This place is really strange, though, huh?” June asked me in a more quiet voice.  
I rolled onto my side and turned to face her. “It’s definitely strange. Everyone here seems so…”  
“Perfect!” June cried, staring back at me from her bed in her red pajamas.  
“Or, exact,” I added. “They know every single thing about this island.”  
“Remember what happened when we were served dinner?”  
“You mean our three pieces of baked chicken, including one thigh, a leg, and one wing, exactly three scoops of mashed potatoes, and exactly sixteen ounces of our choice of orange juice, milk, or water?”  
June smiled nervously. “I’d like to laugh, but it’s kind of scary.”  
“Downright creepy.”  
“I don’t know if it’s creepier that the people speak this way and don’t sound like robots, or if it’d be weirder if they did!”  
“Yeah, I know what you’re saying. And what about what Nurse Joy told us about Dana?”   
“She said that Dana is located about, like, five hundred feet, west, from the front of the building, and then, going east, another fifteen hundred, maybe two thousand feet deep into the woods, training her Pokemon. And then she gave us all these details about how much longer she’d be there, and how long it would take Dana to get home! This is really disturbing, Gary. Why do they know this kind of information? What does it mean?”  
“It’s probably nothing. Let’s just find her first thing tomorrow morning. We can’t just leave Captain Billy alone like this. By tomorrow afternoon, we should be ready to leave here.”  
“Yeah. I feel bad about leaving him out there like that, all alone. But right now, I really can’t get myself to leave the comfort of this bed.” June sighed peacefully.   
“He’ll be okay. He told us to get some rest and that he’d stop by if necessary.” I yawned and closed my eyes.  
“Goodnight, Gary,” June said tiredly.  
I don’t remember replying back before I fell asleep.

*

“A Normal type Gym should be pretty fun.” I looked up at the gloomy morning sky.  
“Maybe. Fun, or frustrating.” June looked around. “She doesn’t even have a specific building for battling. Nurse Joy said she should just be out here, training her Pokemon.”  
“A battle in the open field would be a nice change. I’m looking forward to it,” I stated happily.  
“I’m looking forward to getting off of this island,” June replied uncomfortably. “I don’t like how exact everyone is about everything. Nurse Joy said Dana would be exactly here at this time for this long and all this strange stuff. What is wrong with everyone here?”  
“Don’t stress it, June,” I smiled.  
“How can I not? Did you hear those two kids in the cafeteria this morning when we were eating breakfast? Talking about exactly how much experience points their Pokemon have accumulated since they’ve raised them? And Nurse Joy telling us exactly how long it took to heal our Pokemon, and how much HP they had when they had arrived, and how much they have now? She even told us the exact stats of our Pokemon! Why does she know that? Why did she tell us? No other Nurse Joy went that deep into researching our Pokemon when they were only supposed to be healing them!”  
“June, please, will you relax?” I insisted, stepping over a low bush. “It’s a bit odd, yes. But in the end, we won’t be here long. Different people have different customs all over the world. Seems like some of the people here are a bit-”  
A loud cry stopped my words and June and I looked up.  
“Come on!” I ran through the woods, towards the noise.  
June and I came to a clearing and spotted a young woman with her finger pointed up into the air. “Crush Claw!” the lady demanded.  
A huge bird was in the air, flying at another flying creature. One of the two bird’s talons glowed a light blue and collided with the second bird from above, forcing it down.  
The woman covered her face as dust rose from the collision.  
June and I cried out in shock and lowered our heads against the dirt flying around. When we looked up, the bird that had attacked was in the air, flapping its wings, staring down at its opponent.  
Its opponent was knocked out on the ground.  
The woman was squinting at us, adjusting her black glasses.  
The defeated bird’s eyes opened and it flapped its wings, gaining air as it ascended, and flew away into the sky.  
The lady watched as the bird flew off, and then turned to the remaining bird. “That took way too many turns, Braviary. You and Unfezant aren’t even close in stats. That battle should have ended on your second turn, at the most. A four turn battle like that is unacceptable. Return.”  
Braviary looked down sadly as it was returned to its Ultra Ball.   
The girl turned around to glare at June and I, her eyes softening as she stared at us. “Hello. Might I ask who you two are? You’re certainly not from town.” This girl had blonde hair and black eyes, wearing a pair of loose fitting black jeans and sneakers and a white tank top despite the cold temperature. A black and white jacket was wrapped around her waist by the sleeves.  
“My name is Gary. This is June,” I introduced us.  
“Hello,” June said with a smile.  
“I’m here looking for someone named Dana,” I explained.  
The girl nodded. “That’s me. And now that you’ve said your names, I remember you two.”  
My eyes widened at first. “You recognize us?” My eyes squinted hard at her, but her nerdy, yet cute, face didn’t trigger any memories in my head.  
“That’s right,” Dana nodded again. “You are Gary, who competed in the Kanto Pokemon League competition eight hundred and nineteen days ago and survived the attack Team Solace launched during the final match between Aura Ri and Arnold Rale.”  
“How do you know all of this stuff?” I cried frantically, a mix of anger, fear, and disturbance flowing throughout my body as I stared at her uncomfortably, my voice coming out visibly upset.  
“You, for one, Gary, have very defining features,” Dana explained. “Your cheekbones are very detailed, solid, strong, with such bright, dark brown eyes, the left eyelid lowered over your eye just slightly, possibly the final remnants of a stye you had there that’s been removed. Your curly, black hair, clearly rarely ever brushed, the size of your head from behind, unnoticeable until you look to the side. Your lips protrude quite a bit from your face. That chin of yours sticks out. Your jaw line is powerfully structured, and your two front teeth have a little gap between them that stretches out exactly-”  
My eyes widening as she spoke, emotional pain flowing through my body, I let out a pained cry at her description of me and covered my face, closing my eyes, ashamed of my looks, and I lowered my head, on the verge of tears.  
“Gary?” Dana said in surprise.  
“What is wrong with you?” June yelled angrily. “Why would you say something like that? Gary is very cute and totally attractive! What is your problem?!”  
“Well, he isn’t my type, personally, but I never said he wasn’t attractive,” Dana said. “I was just answering him on how I recognized him. His features are undeniable.”  
“Gary is quite the looker,” June argued. “He has a fine sized head, his lips are not large, but are quite nice to look at, and his teeth are just fine. There’s nothing wrong with his chin, or his jaw line! His hair and both of his eyes are wonderful. There is no way you are going to tell me that he isn’t a very handsome guy.”  
“Well, I don’t know,” Dana replied. “He’s not the worst looking guy out there, I guess. I didn’t mean to offend your boyfriend, or you. I just don’t-”  
“I am not her boyfriend!!” I shouted angrily, my voice cracking, my heart beating from how uncomfortable this conversation was making me feel. “And I did not come here to deal with this stupid conversation!” Hearing Dana describe every single thing I hated about myself already, somehow made them seem much worse to me, making my already self conscious self feel even uglier and embarrassed. My flaws now felt like they had taken center stage, magnified, and were now more exaggerated and visible than ever. She even noticed my left eye, I noted miserably.   
I’d had a stye there when I was maybe six, and hot compressions weren’t getting rid of it as I had been told, so I had gone through minor surgery at eight to get rid of it. Although everyone had told me they couldn’t see the difference between my two eyes anymore, I could see it, however miniscule it was, and I always wondered if they could see it, too, but were just lying to make me feel better.  
“I’m here for a Pokemon battle, not to compete in a freaking beauty contest!” I snapped. “Now drop the subject on my ugly looks already, will ya?” I glared at Dana, and then at June, and finally, I looked back at Dana again. Rage was on my face and in my voice, but my heart was beating nervously, and a sad pain sat in my heart and behind my eyes as I struggled to hold back embarrassed and hurt tears.  
June placed a hand over her mouth and looked down sadly.  
Dana adjusted her glasses, staring at me solemnly. “So, you are here looking for a Gym battle from me to obtain the General Badge.”  
I started to relax, grateful that the subject was changing to what I had wanted it to be all along. “Um, a general Badge?” I asked. “I mean, I’m here for your Badge, if that’s what you mean.”  
Dana laughed very loudly in a geeky manner, lowering her head. She stood up straight and fixed her glasses, still guffawing. “No, I don’t mean a general Badge. I mean the General Badge! It’s the name of my Badge I hold. See?” She reached in her pocket and held out a square, white object.  
“I see,” I nodded.  
“Three-on-three, without a time limit. We’re both allowed to switch out our Pokemon. How does that sound?” Dana asked, eyeing me expectantly.  
“Um, sure.” I looked around. “Is there a referee?”  
Dana smiled at me. “Oh, don’t you worry. We won’t be needing one on Cenumerus Island.”  
My heart beat quickly at her words, but I nodded. “Fine. I’m ready.”  
Dana walked away, stopping near the edge of the clearing. “This will be our battlefield.”  
I smiled and nodded. “You’ve got it, Dana.”  
“I’m going to begin this battle with Sawsbuck!” Dana threw a Great Ball.  
A creature appeared, but while it resembled the Sawsbuck I had seen a couple of times previously while in Unova, it was very different, as well. This one’s chest had cream colored fur on it. Its limbs were expanded and covered in white fur. Its antlers were white and bare, its tail pointed down.  
June gasped as she stared at it. “That’s a Sawsbuck in a different Form!”  
“Yes, my Sawsbuck is in winter Form,” Dana said, squinting at us. “It is Winter, after all, now. An unseasonably warm one, but winter, nonetheless.”  
A strong breeze blew around me, forcing my eyes closed as they began to tear up against the cold air.  
“Well, you’re next, Gary,” Dana called to me as I opened my eyes.  
“Okay. A Grass and Normal type like Sawsbuck.” I gripped a Poke Ball tightly and then tossed it. “Pidove, you’re up!”  
“Pidoove!” Pidove cried, flapping his wings.  
Dana squinted at Pidove and then removed her glasses, clouded them up with her breath, wiped them on her shirt, and put them back on her face before exploding in laughter.  
Pidove, June, and I turned to Dana as she leaned against a tree, laughing her heart out.  
“What’s so funny?” I asked, confused.  
Dana took off her glasses and wiped at her eyes before finally placing them back on and easing up on her laugh. “Y-y-you chose a Pidove!” She laughed loudly again, the sound irritating me at this point.  
I scowled at her. “And??”  
“And, it’s a Pidove!!” she exclaimed, laughing in a loud, screeching cry, dropping to her knees, holding her stomach.  
“Are you making fun of my Pidove?!” I shouted angrily.  
Pidove let out a cry and flew off, landing on a tree branch and then looking around at the ground calmly.  
“Pidove, get back in the battlefield!” I shouted. “What do you think you’re doing?”  
“Piii?!” Pidove seemed surprised and flew back near Sawsbuck, staring it in the face.  
“Oh, boy,” June murmured, covering her face.  
Dana laughed again, falling onto her back. “Not only is Pidove a completely undependable Pokemon with that horrible memory they have, but it’s a Pidove! It isn’t strong by any means! It doesn’t have the stats to compete with me. Are you a new Trainer or something? Like, am I going to be your first Gym match? If so, you should come back after you have some better Pokemon.”  
“This is a battle for my third Badge, and my Pidove has more than the stats to beat you!” Dana was finally pushing my last buttons. I’d had enough. “Let’s battle!”  
Dana struggled to hold in her laugh as she started to get up, but it came out again, forcing her to the ground. “Third Badge! That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard in my entire life! This is just too much for me!”  
“I’ll show you! Pidove, use your Air Cutter!”  
Pidove attacked Sawsbuck, flying higher up, and he flapped his wings in an ‘X’ motion, ‘X’ shaped, light blue energy flying off from his wings and smacking around Sawsbuck.  
When the attack ended, Sawsbuck glared up at Pidove and stomped one foot angrily at the ground.  
“It’s okay!” I gasped.  
“Of course Sawsbuck is okay!” Dana giggled, standing up. “That’s only a Pidove, you silly guy. In fact, let me show you a real bird Pokemon.” Dana returned Sawsbuck.  
“Hey!” I exclaimed.  
Dana winked and threw an Ultra Ball at the ground, its contents revealing her Braviary.  
Pidove let out a shocked cry and fluttered his wings in fright as Braviary let out a threatening shout.  
“That thing again?” I growled, raising my Pokedex up at it.  
Braviary. The Valiant Pokemon and Rufflet’s evolved form. Their strength is stunning, being able to lift automobiles with their talons.   
“Why is she sending out Braviary?” June questioned. “She was just in a fight with that other Pokemon, and she looks a bit tired out. You have the advantage here, Gary.”  
June was right. Braviary was in the air, looking powerful, but she was breathing hard, a tired look on her face. That bird wasn’t at full health.  
Dana snickered. “Based on what I see so far, I won’t be needing much more than my trustworthy Braviary here. Our opponent is nothing more than a Pidove.”  
“Pidove, go at that thing with Quick Attack, right now!” I screamed furiously.  
Pidove let out an angry call and flew like a lightning bolt into Braviary.  
Braviary was hit in the face, her neck forced back hard.  
“Now, use your Air Cutter again!”  
Pidove attacked Braviary with Air Cutter, hitting her from behind while he was high in the air.  
Braviary let out a pained groan and dropped to the ground.   
Dana crossed her arms and stared silently at her Pokemon.  
Braviary shook her head and swiftly got back up, turning around to face Pidove.  
Both fowls were growling at each other.  
Dana didn’t give any orders.  
“Pidove, we’ve got this thing beat! Another Air Cutter, right now!”  
Pidove used Air Cutter again, his attack cutting into Braviary’s face, wings, and abdomen.  
Braviary stumbled back on her talons and crouched down in pain.  
Yes! I thought happily. Just one more. “Quick Attack!”  
Pidove flew at Braviary quickly, slamming into her chest.  
Braviary held her ground, her eyes closed tight, Pidove desperately trying to force her back. With a strong caw, Braviary puffed out her chest and stood tall, Pidove being flung back through the air, skidding on the ground on his back.  
“Well, I think playtime is over now,” Dana said coolly, fixing her glasses. “Crush Claw.”  
Braviary flew fast into the air, high into the sky until she was a tiny dot.  
Pidove shook his head and hopped up, watching after Braviary.  
The tiny dot got bigger as Braviary dove down, and within seconds, I could see her talons glowing light blue.   
“Pidove, dodge that!” I urged.  
In the next moment, Braviary had landed, slamming into my Pidove, covering them both in dust from the crash. She flew above the dust cloud a second later, crying victoriously.  
When the dust cloud faded away, Pidove was on his stomach in a tiny hole in the ground, not moving.  
“And just like that, Pidove is defeated,” Dana smiled. “Hopefully, you have a second Pokemon with better stats than a Pidove.”  
I returned Pidove to his Poke Ball, glaring at Dana with rage. “You did really good, Pidove,” I said, swallowing hard. “We’ll win this. You did just fine.” I grabbed the Poke Ball holding my second choice and threw it angrily towards Braviary. “Elgyem, go!”  
“Elgyem!” Elgyem spoke up.  
Dana smiled at Elgyem and tossed her head back, laughing. “Well, at least this is better than a Pidove. But, seriously, you have three Badges and you don’t have anything better to face me with than an Elgyem??”  
I growled, my fingers hurting my palms as I made a tight fist. “Use your Psybeam!!”  
“Elgy! Em!” Elgyem raised a hand, the dots on it blinking for a second before a multicolored beam fired at Braviary.  
“Dodge, now!” Dana said strongly.  
Braviary flew past the attack, Elgyem continuing to try to catch her, but she was too fast.  
“Elgyem are known to be slow Pokemon,” Dana smirked, shaking her head. “You can’t seriously think you’re going to catch a far faster Pokemon like my Braviary. It’s time to close out this battle with Rock Slide.”  
Braviary screamed at the skies.  
White circles appeared in the air, and enormous rocks deposited from them, landing around Elgyem.  
“El? Gyem? El?” Elgyem soared around them, desperate not to get hit.  
“Elgyem, keep it up! You can do it! Dodge those boulders! Don’t stop!”  
“El! Gyem! El! El!” Elgyem backed away from another rock that landed right in front of him, and backed up right into another rock, and a third rock fell from right above him.  
“ELGYEM!” I shouted desperately.  
“ELGYEM!” Elgyem raised his hands and his eyes glowed blue.  
The rock above him floated in the air, outlined in blue.  
Dana’s eyes widened in shock. “What?” she gasped.  
“It must be Psychic attack!” June explained excitedly.  
“Elgyem!!” Elgyem floated into the air, the rock floating above him, and he turned to Braviary. “Elgyeeeeem!” Elgyem waved his arms at Braviary, and the enormous boulder flew at her, smashing her right in the face, knocking her to the ground.  
“Braviary!” Dana gasped in shock.  
Braviary groaned and stumbled about in a daze, finally dropping to the ground in exhaustion.  
“Ha! Now, Braviary is out!” June pointed at Dana.   
Dana kept her eyes on Braviary before looking up at June, adjusting her glasses. “Yes, yes. I know. I can see. Come on back, Braviary.” She returned her Pokemon and immediately grabbed another Ultra Ball. “You’re just lucky. Braviary would have easily beaten that thing. It was already weakened, ha ha.” She threw her Ultra Ball in her hand. “Cinccino, you’re up next!”  
“Cinccino!” A very fancy, attractive Pokemon arrived and looked up at Elgyem. In its hand was a blue rock.  
“Wow! That looks cool!” I said with a smile as I scanned it in my Pokedex.  
Cinccino. The Scarf Pokemon. The evolved form of Minccino. Cincinno’s fur is coated in a special oil that keeps it clean at all times, and can also be used to defend against certain kinds of attacks.  
“That’s certainly interesting,” I muttered.  
“What is she holding?” June asked, pointing at Cinccino.  
“That’s called a Damp Rock,” Dana said proudly. “It boosts the duration of a move called Rain Dance.”  
“A Hold Item!” I gasped, staring at the rock in shock.   
“That’s right. A Hold Item,” Dana said smugly. “One of many very rare sets of items that can be found all throughout the planet. Very few people have them, and I’m one of them.”  
Cinccino must know Rain Dance, then, I realized. I wonder what good that will do. Maybe she knows Thunder attack. Thunder is strong, but can be avoided. But when it’s raining, Thunder becomes impossible to avoid. “Elgyem, let’s start this off with Psybeam attack!”  
Elgyem shot a Psybeam at Cincinno.  
“Ha! Get out of the way of that,” Dana chuckled.  
Cincinno dodged with ease, moving around the ground quickly, seemingly without any effort.  
“Now, use your Thief attack.”  
Cinccino flew at Elgyem and swiped at him with a dark, glowing fist.  
Elgyem fell back, a pained cry escaping him until he hit the ground.   
“Elgyem, get up!” I called out to him.  
Elgyem’s eyes opened immediately as he looked towards me. He turned to Cinccino and pushed himself up to his feet.  
“You alright?” I asked him.  
Elgyem turned to me and waved his hands high, the dots blinking repeatedly.  
“Fling attack!” Dana ordered, pointing at Elgyem.  
“Ciiiiinccinooo!” Cincinno pulled her paw back, holding the Damp Rock, and then threw it with full force at Elgyem.  
The Damp Rock was outlined in black as it smacked Elgyem in the back of the head as he was still looking at me, waving his blinking hands.  
I gasped, staring at Elgyem as he dropped to the ground, whining out in shock and pain.  
“Elgyem!” I ran to him immediately and bent down to gently touch his large head.  
Elgyem’s eyes opened slowly at my touch, his body sideways on the ground, but he didn’t turn to look up at me. His eyes closed quickly, and he didn’t move.  
“And that’s two down, Gary!” Dana said, an annoying smirk on her face. “Your last Pokemon better be a good one.”  
“Elgyem, don’t worry about it. You really did a good job. You deserve this rest.” I returned him to his Poke Ball and stood up. “Dana, I’m definitely going to defeat you with my last Pokemon without a doubt. You’ve talked down about my Pokemon enough, and it’s time for us to win.” All we have to do is beat that Cinccino, and we have this match won for sure, I assured myself. With this last Pokemon, we can beat Sawsbuck, no doubt. “Darumaka, you’re up next!”  
Darumaka appeared and ran around in frantic circles, grunting.  
Dana’s cheeks puffed out for a few seconds as she covered her face before she started laughing again. “Is everything in your team unevolved?” She turned around and hugged a tree as she laughed at my Pokemon, raising an arm to slam a fist at the trunk repeatedly. “A whole team of low stat, unevolved Pokemon! This has to be the most pathetic Trainer I’ve fought in a long time! This is just embarrassing!”  
“You shut up!!” I bellowed, taking a threatening step towards her.  
Still laughing, Dana turned around and leaned against the tree, sliding to the ground.  
I’d had just about enough of Dana. I was just about ready to wring her by the neck if she didn’t stop laughing in the next two seconds.  
“U-u-u-use R-R-Rock Bla-ha-ha-ha-ha-hast!” Dana was laughing herself into tears as the white fur around Cinccino’s gray fur glowed orange and a set of silver, spinning waves of energy flew at Darumaka.  
Darumaka leaped over one of them, but the others came and smacked him repeatedly, tossing him back, and he dropped hard.  
Darumaka leaped up eagerly, breathing hard, visibly in pain, but ran towards Cinccino.  
“Alright! Keep up the energy, Darumaka! I’m counting on you to hang in there! Now use your Flare Blitz!” I shouted.  
Dana was no longer laughing as she stood up and looked down at Darumaka with an impressed glance.  
Darumaka charged towards Cinccino and flew at her, a flying fireball.  
Cinccino grabbed her white fur and raised it in front of her.  
Darumaka collided with the white fur and… bounced right off!! With a shocked cry, the flames surrounding Darumaka faded the instant he made contact with the fur on Cinccino and he was forced back, rolling on the ground, and he sprawled out on his back. He sat up and looked at Cinccino in disbelief.   
I was lost for words myself, my chest in pain as my heart beat against it rapidly in a panic, gaping in confusion and shock at Darumaka and Cinccino.  
“Didn’t you listen to your Pokedex? The oil on Cincinno’s fur can repel attacks,” Dana said with a sly grin. “Rock Blast, again!”  
“No!” I whispered, mortified, my body frozen in fear at what had just happened.  
A pair of silver, spinning slivers of energy flew from Cinccino and smacked Darumaka around helplessly.  
Darumaka pushed himself up to his feet, and then dropped again, groaning in pain.  
“I’m surprised it survived that first Rock Blast,” Dana commented as she returned her Cinccino. “Gary, I have deduced that it is quite frankly impossible for you to defeat me.”  
“What?” I cried out angrily.  
“Do you not have anything that is evolved?” Dana asked me.  
“I own a Tympole, a Cottonee, and a Drilbur, too! And they’re all great battlers!” I defended my Pokemon. “They all have helped me to win battles and earn Badges! You have no right to judge them!”  
Dana shook her head. “You know, some Gym Leaders can be far too kind.” She gave me a serious glare. “I’m not one of them. My Pokemon are all about stats. That’s what counts in every match. How hard you can hit, and knowing how to strike. Your Pokemon can never compete with mine because they aren’t evolved, where as mine all are. They have the stats to win. My Pokemon all go through a special training to specifically increase their stats to the highest possible value.”  
“Is that even possible?” I questioned, my eyes widening. “How can you train to raise a Pokemon’s stats?”  
“A long story short, it involves the use of vitamins, special kinds of Hold Items, and battling specific kinds of Pokemon, although there are other, far more complex methods used in certain cases,” Dana explained. “It requires a lot of effort and dedication, but the end results allow your Pokemon’s stats to be at their maximum, making your Pokemon the strongest they can possibly be. You’ve never even heard of this kind of training. You hold no chance to defeat me.”  
“Stats don’t make a Pokemon perfect, Dana!” I said, taking a step towards her.  
“Oh, but they do,” Dana said, fixing her glasses, glaring at me. “This is exactly why you’ll never beat me with those Pokemon you own. I mean, Pidove evolves into Unfezant, and Unfezant isn’t even top three of the birds you can choose to raise. In fact, it holds one of the weakest stats. Braviary, Staraptor, Mandibuzz, can all destroy an Unfezant. If I were using a Pidgeot, or a Noctowl, or a Skarmory, or a Swellow, then maybe an Unfezant could win, but you have nothing but a Pidove. My Pokemon are all specifically raised to improve their already naturally strong stats. For example, Braviary was raised to ensure its Attack was at the maximum potential, because naturally, Braviary are best at using Attack moves. I also made sure the Braviary I caught had Sheer Force Ability.”  
“What’s that do?” I asked her slowly.  
She snickered. “If the move the Pokemon with that Ability uses has a secondary effect on the opponent, like Paralysis, or Flinching, or anything like that, those effects no longer have a chance of occurring, but the damage of the move is increased by thirty percent. Your little Pidove was helpless, and so was Elgyem, had we hit it. Of course, even without Sheer Force, you were a goner with those two.”  
My fists at my sides began to shake with anger. She was really asking for it now.  
“Cinccino is also an Attacker, so its Attack is maxed out, too,” Dana continued. “However, in its case, it has the Ability Technician. I’ll assume that you don’t know what that does, either.”  
Her condescending tone was making it harder and harder to hold myself back from giving her what she was asking for.  
“Technician Ability makes moves of weaker damage, starting at around the, scientifically speaking, estimated strength level of sixty, and anything below that, increase in damage by half. So, a move with sixty damage would do ninety.”  
I hated math and didn’t care to check her math myself, so I just trusted what she said.  
“This made the lower damage move, Thief, a move with a strength level, scientifically speaking, of forty damage, do sixty. And thanks to it being Super Effective, since it was a Dark move on your Psychic type, the damage was doubled to one hundred and twenty. Fling attack is a move that does damage based on the item which is flung. Damp Rock is one of the items that does, scientifically speaking, sixty damage when used by Fling to attack. So, sixty damage from a Dark type move like Fling, boosted to ninety by Technician Ability, and then Super Effective damage which doubles the hit, making it one hundred and eighty. Furthermore, Rock Blast, a mere twenty five damage move, was boosted to-”  
“Okay! I get it!” I grumbled angrily, my head throbbing now from all of her stupid numbers and calculations. “Darumaka, return.” I returned my Darumaka to his Poke Ball and sighed.  
“You won’t be able to win with such weak Pokemon on your team, Gary,” Dana said gently.  
I looked up and stormed over to her.  
Dana’s eyes widened as she adjusted her glasses.  
I stopped a couple of feet away and raised a hand, pointing my finger at her face. “Stats don’t decide a win,” I growled in a low voice. “I don’t give a damn what kind of training you did. Stats are good for a battle, but Pokemon have Abilities, too. They have heart. They have spirit. They have a wide variety of moves to get around powerful Pokemon. I’ll prove to you that you can’t win with raw power, Dana! I’ll damn well prove it to you!”  
Dana burst out laughing and fell back against the tree, her arms wrapped around her stomach.  
“Come on, Gary,” I heard June whisper, and her hand grabbed my arm, gently pulling at me to follow her.  
I yanked my arm back, glaring at Dana’s laughing face, her geeky, loud laughter hurting my ears, making me desire so badly to just toss a quick fist in her direction. When June grabbed me again, I let her pull me back, not wanting to actually lose my cool and hit Dana. Struggling to keep my shimmering eyes from watering, her laughter echoed in my ears as June pulled me through the forest, even after Dana was out of view.

*

Captain Billy sighed. “Well, it was mighty kind of you to come visit me. I wish I knew what to say that could help you, but I haven’t a Japanese ghost’s clue.”  
June and I stared at him in confusion.  
“Perhaps you’re just better off leaving this island if it’s too tough. Why put your partners at such trouble over a battle?” he suggested.  
“No!” I shouted, standing up swiftly.  
Captain Billy calmly looked up at me.  
June stared at me, a worried look in her eyes.  
“She can’t go around thinking she can just sweep anybody just because her Pokemon are specially trained in stats. Stats don’t decide a match! It’s not that simple! It’s a team effort of a Trainer and Pokemon bond. It’s skill, strategy, effort, encouragement, and love! It’s not just some kind of stupid boxing match or demolition derby or something! I have to get through to her, somehow. But I won’t be able to if I can’t even prove my point. I have to beat Dana!”  
“I wish you good luck,” Captain Billy nodded firmly.  
June looked away, her eyes to the ground, not saying a word, concern on her face.  
June and I had gone to the Pokemon Center after leaving Dana laughing in the woods, and we left our Pokemon there, leaving right after to see Captain Billy by the water.   
His boat was looking clean again. It may have even looked better than when we had met him.  
June and I joined him in his boat and I had told him about what happened during my battle with Dana.  
Captain Billy didn’t seem sad or upset, but just listened quietly. He wasn’t into Pokemon battles, so his interest only went but so far, and he wasn’t able to give any advice.  
I sat down again and looked away from June and Captain Billy, out at the water.   
“Dana’s just like the townspeople,” June spoke softly.  
“Huh?” I said, not turning around, but listening to her.  
“Dana’s so exact, like everyone else on Cenumerus Island,” June said. “So mathematical and… Perfect! All the way down to how she even raises her Pokemon. The whole town is like that. It’s so disturbing.”  
I turned to June and she looked back at me. “She isn’t perfect. I’ll prove it, no matter how long it takes.”  
June didn’t answer, but instead, turned away from me and looked out to the widespread sea.


	22. Dana Diagnostics

“Pidove, use Quick Attack! Drilbur, Dig!” I ordered.  
“Piiidoooooove!” Pidove flew quickly at Drilbur, right into his stomach, knocking him over to the ground.   
“Dril!” Drilbur leaped to his feet and dug underground, his claws tearing through the sand.  
The ground began to shake hard.  
“Fly, Pidove! Get out of the way!” I shouted.  
Pidove looked around, standing still on the ground, but he didn’t move.  
“Pidove! I said to move it!!” I yelled.  
Drilbur burst from the ground and hit Pidove with a sharp punch directly under his beak.  
Pidove cried out in shock as he tumbled through the air and then came back down.  
“Pidove!” I cried angrily. “I can’t have you being forgetful at crucial moments like that!”  
Drilbur looked at Pidove as Pidove shook his head and then looked towards me sadly.  
Sighing, I gazed at Pidove with exasperation.  
Elgyem was sitting on my right shoulder, watching Pidove and Drilbur battle.  
Cottonee hovered over my head, watching the fight.  
Tympole was smiling in the water, watching the battle, June petting his head as she sat on the shore, watching as well. They seemed to be getting along really well. June was very happy around Tympole, and as soon as I sent him out, she walked over to him and apologized for her eagerness to capture him before, offering to be friends. Tympole eagerly agreed, shaking hard in the water, causing a series of ripples to spread out through it, and June picked him up, embracing him in a hug. She stayed with him by the shore, the both of them conversing while they watched me and my Pokemon train.   
Tympole seemed to get excited by something June said and he started to vibrate in the water, causing ripples on the surface.  
June laughed as she was accidentally sprayed lightly by the water.  
Darumaka was in his Poke Ball. He had been watching the training, but continued to interrupt the battle by using Flare Blitz on the two battling Pokemon. His attacks had missed the two times he tried, and then he’d run like mad around me, and sometimes would encircle Pidove and Drilbur while they were fighting. He ignored my constant demands to relax and sit down, so, having had enough, I returned him to his Poke Ball.  
Captain Billy stood in his boat, looking out at the sea, showing no interest in the training session I was putting my Pokemon through.  
The sun was high up, reflected beautifully in the blue water beneath it.  
“Pidove, come on back for now,” I instructed. “Elgyem, you’re up next.”  
Elgyem rose from my shoulder, keeping his eyes on Pidove as he flew over and landed on my left shoulder, a sad look on his face.  
I pet the tiny pigeon’s head gently and smiled. “We’ll get over this hump. Don’t feel too bad. I suppose you can’t help it.”  
“Piii…” Pidove didn’t look any happier, even while I continued to pet his back.   
“Pidove…” I said softly, starting to feel bad. Sighing, I turned towards Drilbur and Elgyem.  
Drilbur looked back at me silently.  
“Elgyem!” I said in shock as I realized he was still hovering above my right shoulder, his eyes glued to Pidove. “Elgyem?” I asked slowly, feeling a little nervous about the blank look in his eyes as he continued to stare at Pidove.  
“Pi?” Pidove looked up and noticed Elgyem looking at him.  
Elgyem finally floated over towards Drilbur, not taking his eyes off of Pidove until he was near Drilbur. He turned to Drilbur and cried out his name.  
What was that? I wondered before shaking my head. Whatever. “Alright, Drilbur, use Slash attack! Elgyem, hold him back with Psychic!”  
Drilbur leaped at Elgyem with a pair of glowing white claws.  
Elgyem’s eyes flashed blue and Drilbur was held back, twisting in midair in pain, his body outlined in blue.  
“Now, toss Drilbur to the ground!”  
Drilbur flew back fast, slamming into the sand beneath him, raising sand into the air around him. He got up and shook his head.  
“Dig attack! Elgyem, use Psybeam!”  
Elgyem raised a hand, the dots blinking before firing a colorful beam at Drilbur.  
Drilbur dug into the ground, escaping at the last second as the Psybeam hit the sand in a strong explosion. The ground quaked, and Drilbur tore through the ground underneath Elgyem, pulled back a claw, and slugged Elgyem in the face.  
Elgyem called out helplessly and hit the ground.   
“Now, use Hidden Power, Elgyem! Drilbur, attack with Metal Claw!”  
Drilbur leaped at Elgyem, raising his claws that turned to shiny metal, and then dove down at Elgyem.  
Elgyem raised both of his hands and the dots on them blinked before several gray lines fired from them at Drilbur.  
Drilbur swiped at them, knocking away the attacks, but one line that Drilbur tried to slash away didn’t dissipate when hit, catching Drilbur by surprise as his claw bounced off of the gray line and it hit him in the chest. The remaining lines hit his body, dropping him to the ground, and his claws returned to their normal color.  
“Well done, Drilbur. Take a rest for now,” I told him. “Tympole, you’re up next to battle!”  
Drilbur got to his feet and walked over to me, exhausted, as Elgyem kept his eyes on him.  
Tympole happily leaped from June’s lap, bouncing over to Elgyem.  
“Awwww!” June said sadly, reaching out feebly to Tympole.  
Tympole stopped and turned to June, squeaked out to her happily, and then bounced the rest of the way to Elgyem.  
June smiled and nodded, seeming to understand whatever Tympole had told her.  
Drilbur dropped heavily at my feet and watched the next battle.  
Elgyem silently turned his attention to Tympole.  
“Hmm,” I thought out loud. “Now what kind of a battle should these two have? What kind of moves should they use against each other to make things interesting?” I pulled out my Pokedex and scanned Tympole’s moves, and then Elgyem’s. My attention was drawn to Elgyem’s differing moves, unfamiliar with a few of them. It was then that I felt the hot stare despite the cold air blowing gently around me, and I turned to see June looking at me intently.  
Her eyes widened, but she didn’t look away.  
“What?” I asked her.  
Her eyes lowered. “Nothing, really.”  
“Don’t give me that,” I said firmly, lowering my Pokedex. “What is it?”  
June didn’t look up. “I’m just thinking that maybe we should leave Cenumerus Island,” June said in a tiny voice.  
“Why would we do that?” I was glaring at June now.  
“Gary, it’s nothing but a stupid thought,” June said, turning away. “Forget I said anything. Please.”  
“You think I can’t beat her?” My voice, like my anger, was rising.  
June sighed in exasperation. “Gary, the kind of training she described that she puts her Pokemon through is one that I’m kind of familiar with.”  
My eyes widened in surprise and my anger subsided as my interest was piqued. “What do you mean? You’ve done it before?”  
“No, not really, but I almost did back when I was a Gym Leader. It’s very mathematical, precise, and it sure as Hell isn’t easy or fun. It’s not spoken of often, and it’s a bit of a controversial topic for some, but the results are real. Her Pokemon, if she trained them as she claims, have near perfect, if not absolutely perfect, stats. She isn’t unbeatable by any means, but nothing you own is evolved. Your Pokemon’s stats are minimal in comparison to what she owns and how she raises them. Nothing you own can stand up to her because they aren’t raised in that style of training. It’s very advanced. She’s just too strong. You beating even her Braviary yesterday was nothing but luck. You don’t have the Pokemon to beat someone like her.”  
Elgyem, Tympole, Pidove, Cottonee, Drilbur, and even Captain Billy, were looking at June with stunned looks. They all slowly turned their heads in unison to stare at me.  
I was frozen still, staring at June with a hard look, unsure of what to say, but knowing that this wasn’t going to end positively. Taking a deep breath, I slowly wrapped my hands around Pidove and set him on the ground next to me.   
June’s eyes flashed with fear as I advanced over to her. She got to her feet and took a couple of shaky steps back, her mouth dropping open in shock.  
I stopped right in front of her, just a foot away. “Tomorrow, I’m choosing three Pokemon to battle Dana, and I’m going to defeat her,” I said in a slow, clear, solemn voice. “I don’t care how she raises her Pokemon. I know how to raise Pokemon! I am not some novice. Pokemon battling is not just about stats. It’s about much more than that. Pokemon Trainers don’t just walk around winning matches because their Pokemon are extremely strong, throwing their muscles around. Teamwork and skill count, too.”  
June let out her breath and crossed her arms, lowering her eyes. “Okay, Gary.”  
I could tell she still didn’t think I was going to win against Dana. “There is no bullying in Pokemon battling, June.”  
June looked up at me silently.  
I turned around to see everyone looking at me.  
Elgyem, Tympole, Pidove, Cottonee and Drilbur had serious looks on their faces.  
Captain Billy was staring at me curiously, rubbing his chin.  
“We’re beating Dana tomorrow!” I exclaimed with determination. “And if not, we’ll beat her next time. We’re here to stay until the General Badge is ours!”  
My Pokemon all cheered happily.  
Captain Billy turned back to the sea.  
I heard June sigh, which made me turn to her quickly.   
Her eyes looked into mine with worry.   
“Just you wait and see, June. Doubt us all you want. I’ll come up with something to beat her.” I turned back to my Pokemon and stared down at my Pokedex. My eyes widened in surprise.

*

My heart was beating hard the next day, June a short distance behind me as we walked through the woods where we were confirmed by Nurse Joy that Dana would be approximately four thousand feet deep into the woods by this hour, taking us about twelve minutes to find her. It seemed to be about thirty minutes of walking through the trees and low, prickly shrubs, leaves blowing into my face every couple of minutes from the strong winds that were slowing June and I down, before I heard the growling. We both stopped walking, June glaring at something straight ahead.  
I finally spotted it, too. “Whoa! What is that?”  
A hairy, large dog stepped towards us and barked loudly.  
“He wants to know who we are,” June whispered.  
Before either of us could move, something rustled the grass behind the dog, and someone stepped out.  
“Dana!” June and I both uttered loudly.  
Dana adjusted her glasses and smiled. “Oh! You’re back! How nice. It seems more than a fair deduction that you wish to challenge me again, Gary?”  
“You bet,” I nodded, my eyes going from Dana to the large dog.  
“Right. Of course,” Dana nodded. “Come, then.” She turned in her yellow jacket and dark blue jeans and disappeared into the woods.   
The large dog growled at June and I again, and then he leaped after Dana.  
June and I slowly followed after them and emerged into a large clearing.   
Dana and her dog Pokemon stood on the other end of the clearing, Dana’s arms crossed, an eager smile on her face. “Four-on-four. No time limit. We both can alternate Pokemon. Okay?”  
“A four-on-four this time? Fine!”  
Dana nodded and grabbed an Ultra Ball, throwing it. “Braviary! Go!”  
“Pidove, you’re up!” I shouted.  
Both birds appeared from their Poke Balls and eyed each other, my Pidove with a noticeably more serious look.  
Dana pointed at Pidove and laughed loudly. “It-it-it still is a Pidove?!” Her nerdy, screechy laugh was infuriating me already.  
“Gary…” I heard June whisper near me nervously.  
I ignored her. “Pidove, let’s do it! Quick Attack, now!”   
Pidove flew at Braviary, slamming into her chest.  
Braviary’s chest flashed white as a Critical Hit struck, but she didn’t seemed fazed in any way, keeping her eyes on Pidove.  
Dana had stopped laughing and smiled, watching as Pidove continually flew at Braviary with all he had in him, but Braviary was hardly flinching against the hits.  
Pidove finally stopped, flapping his wings, breathing hard as he stared at his foe.  
“Alright, now let’s wrap this up really quickly and use Crush Claw!” Dana called to Braviary.  
Braviary’s talons glowed light blue and she flew at Pidove dangerously.  
“Detect!” I told Pidove.  
Pidove’s eyes glowed light blue and he ducked directly underneath Braviary as she tried to attack him, keeping his eyes on her, not blinking.  
“Now, use Air Slash!”  
Pidove’s wings glowed white and he flapped them strongly at Braviary, several white saw blade looking circles of energy catching Braviary in the back.  
She cawed hard and flapped her wings frantically to regain her balance as she started to dive to the ground. She got back into the air and faced her opponent.  
“Another Quick Attack!”  
Pidove flew at Braviary’s chest again, the large bird appearing to not feel the hit.  
“Crush Claw! Knock that little baby out,” Dana said, moving her glasses from the tip of her nose as they slid down.  
“Detect again!” I screamed to Pidove.  
Braviary’s glowing claws crashed into Pidove as Pidove calmly hovered in the air, watching Braviary.  
The shocked look on Pidove’s face told me that he had forgotten to attack once again, and I groaned in disappointment.  
Pidove landed on the ground, his eyes closed.  
June sighed sadly, shaking her head, her eyes down.  
The enormous dog barked a couple of times and his tongue hung out as he panted eagerly, his tail wagging happily.  
“One down,” Dana laughed loudly.  
“Will you shut up?” I yelled at her, balling my fists.  
Dana continued to laugh strongly, not intimidated in the slightest by me, and I eased back a step as her dog took a step towards me, growling.  
“Pidove, come back,” I muttered as I returned him to his Poke Ball and grabbed my next selection. “Tympole, you’re next!”  
Tympole bounced on the ground for a moment and then laid still, vibrating.  
Dana let out a loud shriek that ended in hysterical laughter as she pulled her head back, her hands covering her face.  
I’d have loved to grab a huge rock and chuck it at her face at that moment. I desperately desired to drag her beaten body to Captain Billy and toss her into the sea.  
Captain Billy’s words suddenly flashed into my mind as I stared at Dana laughing. Before June and I had gone back into town to get some sleep the night before, Captain Billy told me, “I’m no fan of Pokemon battling, but I support your right to do so. I wish you the best of luck. I may not be knowledgeable about Pokemon matches, but one thing I can say about the oceans is that, no matter how majestic the ship, no matter how monstrous the wave, a hole will drown you before the calm arrives to scare you. When all around you has stopped, acknowledge it. If you can, keep going until you can’t.” Captain Billy’s words made no sense, as I’d come to expect from him, but something in what he told me gave me hope then, and remembering his words now, I felt comforted on some level, though I wasn’t sure why.  
Dana removed her glasses, wiping at her eyes, still laughing her annoying laugh.  
“Alright, it’s time to show what we’ve got, Tympole! Use Rain Dance!”  
“Braviary, Crush Claw and make this fast!” Dana smiled, putting on her glasses.  
Braviary charged at Tympole with her attack.  
Tympole bounced around the ground, his body outlined in blue, and swiftly dodged the Crush Claw attack, flipping over it, tumbling in the air.  
Braviary scooped up ground in her talons and cried out loud as she flew up.  
The blue around Tympole’s body removed itself from him and quickly soared into the sky, and with a loud POP! the sky darkened with the clouds, and drops of rain began to pour down.  
“Braviary, another Crush Claw! Don’t let that thing get away!” Dana said, looking up into the sky.  
Braviary cried out as she attacked again.  
“Dodge that!” I called out with a smile.  
Tympole easily dodged Braviary, leaping to the side at a quick speed.  
“Whoa!” Dana exclaimed, fixing her glasses, staring in disbelief at Tympole.  
“It’s gonna be a lot harder to catch us now,” I smiled widely at Dana. “Tympole has Swift Swim Ability. In the rain, his Speed boosts greatly.”  
Dana laughed. “Is this your way of trying to show me that a battle isn’t all about stats? You’re pretty funny. Crush Claw, right now, Braviary!”  
“Muddy Water!” I said to Tympole.  
Tympole bounced a couple of times on the ground as Braviary flew at him. A huge wave of brown water flushed up from underneath Tympole and rose up over Braviary.  
Braviary cried out in surprise as she flew right into it. She burst from the other side, screaming, her eyes closed tight from the dirt in them from the water, and continued flying straight, crashing into a tree with great force, and she dropped down.   
“Now use Supersonic!” I said eagerly.  
Tympole vibrated on the ground, and a shrill cry rang out, transparent lines flying from his body at Braviary.  
I covered my ears, one of my eyes closed tight as I struggled with the sharp noise, and watched as Braviary was hit by the attack.  
Dana’s dog had his eyes closed tight, his teeth bared in pain against the loud attack, his fur wet.  
June and Dana were also covering their ears, their hair also wet, looks of pain on their faces as they watched Braviary.   
I couldn’t help but think to myself that both girls looked oddly more attractive wet from the rain, but I quickly shook my head angrily and turned back to the battle as the loud screech of Supersonic ended.  
The majestic bird got to her feet and stumbled around in Confusion, her eyes glowing red, repeatedly crashing into the tree she had flown into.  
“Braviary! Shake it off and use Crush Claw! Come on!” A worried look was now on Dana’s soaked face.  
Braviary continued to slam into the tree, rocking it continuously.  
“Braviary!” Dana was looking angry now as she reached for her Ultra Ball.  
“Tympole, Muddy Water once more!” I shouted.  
Tympole created another wave of filthy water and it crashed into Braviary.  
Braviary shook her head against the water, no longer Confused.  
“Now use Crush Claw and finish this already!” Dana’s voice cracked.  
Braviary soared for Tympole, raging, but her eyes were squinting, unable to see straight, and she flew past Tympole.  
“Now, Muddy Water!”   
Tympole used Muddy Water to make a large wave that went after Braviary.  
Braviary just barely avoided a tree, both of her eyes closed, the dirt from the Muddy Water attacks blinding her, and the Muddy Water attack behind her slammed into her back, pushing her with great force into a different tree! She groaned in pain and slid down the tree, crumbling at the bottom.  
“I can’t believe this! Braviary is out! Yes! Yes!” June said loudly with a surprised smile, her eyes wide in amazement, bouncing on her feet, water running down her face.  
The rain began to slow down to a drizzle, and then it finally stopped.  
Dana’s mouth hung open as she turned to me in confusion.  
“Muddy Water,” I told her with a smirk. “It lowers the Accuracy of the opponent sometimes. You’re one down.”  
The dog at Dana’s side growled at me and shook his fur, trying to get it dry.  
“Ha! You can’t be serious,” she said as she returned her Braviary. “But if you really are, I’ll simply have to show you just how weak you really are if you want to go there. Bouffalant, I choose you!”  
Her large Bouffalant appeared from the thrown Ultra Ball and pawed at the wet ground, glaring at Tympole.  
I swallowed hard. She has a freaking Bouffalant? “Alright. I can work around this, too. Rain Dance!” I couldn’t keep the smile from my face as I said those words. This should work out perfectly.  
“Just so you know, Gary, Bouffalant has Reckless Ability. Moves that it has that hurt it from recoil, do even more damage. For example, Wild Charge!”  
June and I both gasped loudly.  
Bouffalant’s body was outlined in electricity and sparked dangerously as it ran at Tympole. Or tried to.  
Tympole’s body was outlined in blue as he used Rain Dance.  
Bouffalant ran a few feet and then slipped, landing on the muddy ground, covering himself in the wet dirt, the electricity now gone from its body.  
It was my turn to burst out laughing as I looked at Bouffalant with such a stunned look on its muddy face.  
Dana’s mouth was wide open with deep surprise. She closed her eyes and shook her head, not believing what she saw as Tympole’s Rain Dance caused it to rain again.  
“Tympole, Muddy Water, once more!” I pushed on happily.  
Tympole created a huge wave as Bouffalant got to its feet, and it was knocked back down as Muddy Water landed.  
Dana’s face no longer dared to contain a smile, fury now blatant. “Bouffalant, cut the crap and use Wild Charge, damn it!”  
Bouffalant let out a loud roar and ran rapidly at Tympole, its body sparking with electricity again.  
“Knock it down with Muddy Water!”  
Tympole repeated its move.  
“Counter with Surf! Into the water!” Dana shouted with rage.  
“Surf?” I gasped.  
Bouffalant leaped into the Muddy Water from Tympole, roaring strongly, and a second wave of fresh water rose from the ground, meeting the Muddy Water, and they meshed into one blend of dirty water. The wave then turned direction and headed for Tympole!  
Tympole whined in horror and bounced in place rapidly.  
Bouffalant was standing near the top of the wave, surfing! Its body was still sparking with electricity, and the wave itself was now flashing repeatedly as the electricity spread throughout it. Bouffalant and the wave it was riding were one large, bright wall of electricity as the wave holding the electric buffalo dove down and crashed into Tympole.  
Tympole’s scream was devastating. He was flung back with ease and landed on the top of his head right next to me, twitching, sparking, and then he stopped moving. He was clearly unable to battle.  
Dana’s dog barked happily again, panting with his tongue hanging out, his tail wagging.   
“Two down,” Dana smirked. “Cute strategy, but I’m far ahead of your thinking. You can’t beat me!”  
I knelt down and gently touched Tympole.  
He flinched and groaned at my touch.  
“That’s alright,” I whispered. “Return. And thank you.” Returning Tympole to his Poke Ball, I stood up and smiled at Dana. “I’m doing better than you thought, huh?”   
“You’ve beaten one Pokemon. Just like last time,” Dana sneered.  
“Ha, yeah. But this isn’t over, yet. Next, I choose Drilbur!”  
“Drilbuuuur!” Drilbur exclaimed. He looked up at the sky, showing visible dislike of the rain falling on him.  
“More unevolved Pokemon,” Dana shook her head, looking down at Drilbur with disgust before looking back up at me. “You’re done here, Gary. Head Charge, now!”  
“Sandstorm, Drilbur! Be careful! We can do this!”   
I gritted my teeth and watched as Bouffalant ran at Drilbur, the afro on its head glowing red, the front of it glowing a bright flash of yellow.  
Drilbur’s body was outlined in a brown color.  
Bouffalant screamed out and lowered its head, nearing Drilbur, but slipped on the ground again, stumbling, and ran right past Drilbur, tripping to the ground, and sliding fast into a tree. One of its enormous horns tore right through the trunk of one of the trees, and as it tried to stand up, it found that its horn was stuck!  
The brown color around Drilbur fell off of him and dry dirt rose up in a whirlwind, rising to the sky. It filled the area around Drilbur and Bouffalant, and the rain was replaced with a sandstorm!  
“Drilbur, let’s do this! Hone Claws!”  
Drilbur’s claws glowed white and he swiped them together to raise his Accuracy and Attack.  
“Bouffalant! What do you think you’re doing?! GET UP! COME ON!!” Dana shrieked desperately.  
“Now, use Earthquake!” I instructed Drilbur.  
Drilbur took a strong leap in the air and slammed down, quaking the ground hard.  
June, Dana, her dog, and I stumbled about through the soft, sandy ground that was now trembling out of control.  
Bouffalant roared loudly as it tried to free itself, the tree its horn was stuck in shaking hard.  
The ground stopped rocking, and Drilbur was looking at Bouffalant, just as June, Dana, her dog, and I were.  
Bouffalant let out a loud roar and forcefully got back up to its feet, yanking its head up.  
With a loud ripping, cracking, and tearing sound, the whole tree rose from the dirt it was planted in, still stuck on Bouffalant’s horn!   
Bouffalant let out a triumphant roar as it lifted its face high towards the sky. The tree, still on Bouffalant’s horn, moved with Bouffalant’s head as it screamed success and freedom, and the top of the tree was forced downwards, slamming into Bouffalant’s back with speed and power. Bouffalant’s happy yell turned to a painful scream, and it dropped down, lowering its head, removing the top of the thick tree from its back it had just slammed down into. It twitched painfully, laying on its side as it groaned loudly.   
The tree managed to get free from Bouffalant’s horn in the buffalo’s pained twitching and landed loudly on the ground near it.  
“Her back! Dana, her back is hurt from that tree! Please, return her!” June begged, raising her hands to her face fearfully.  
Dana quickly returned Bouffalant and looked at her Ultra Ball. “My poor Bouffalant. I can’t believe this!” She fixed her glasses and placed the Poke Ball on her belt. “Don’t worry. This battle will be ending in the next three hundred seconds for sure. I’ll get you the help you need at the Pokemon Center.”   
Dana’s dog growled viciously at me.  
I kept my eyes on the large, intimidating canine fearfully.  
Dana pointed her finger at me, glaring angrily. “Get him!”  
Her dog barked and leaped towards Drilbur.  
“Stoutland here has Sand Rush Ability. You can’t keep up with his Speed. It’s boosted in a Sandstorm.”  
I grabbed my Pokedex to scan Stoutland.  
Stoutland. The Big-Hearted Pokemon. This is the evolved form of Herdier. It is very clever and can be found on mountains assisting lost hikers. Its fur protects it from extremely cold temperatures.  
“Drilbur, Earthquake again!”  
“Stoutland, Ice Fang!”  
Stoutland was as fast as a lightning bolt as he flew towards Drilbur.  
Drilbur ducked under the first ice covered pair of fangs that lunged at him, and then the second pair, and the third pair as well. Despite Stoutland’s Speed boost, Drilbur was still doing great, and he leaped into the air, coming back down to stomp on the ground.  
Stoutland let out a loud howl and stumbled to the ground.  
“Now, return!” I shouted, returning Drilbur.   
Dana squinted at me through the sandstorm between us.  
Stoutland shook his head and stood back up.  
“I’ve been waiting for the chance to use this one. I think now is as good a time as any,” I said, holding up my next Poke Ball. “Elgyem!”  
“Elgyem!” Elgyem appeared in the sandstorm.  
Stoutland growled, seeming to be bothered by the sand blowing around him, occasionally hitting him in the face, lowering his stamina and health.  
The sandstorm suddenly started to die down quickly, and then faded away completely. The ground still had traces of sand on it.  
Damn, I thought in dismay. That ruined my entire plan. Stoutland’s Ability only works in a Sandstorm. Oh, well. The end result just occurred either way, I guess.  
“Come back, Stoutland!” Dana said to my surprise. Stoutland obediently ran to Dana’s side, and Dana threw an Ultra Ball to the ground.  
“Cinccino!” the little chinchilla exclaimed happily, holding her Damp Rock.  
That thing, I growled to myself. This could still work, though.   
“Fling attack, now!” Dana demanded.  
Technician Ability, I remembered. Dana told me Elgyem isn’t that fast, but… “Hidden Power!”  
Cinccino tossed her Damp Rock, which became outlined in black as it soared through the air, headed for Elgyem.  
“Elgyem!” Elgyem raised his hands and they blinked, firing a gray stream of beams at the Damp Rock.  
The moves collided in the air with a loud BOOM! and a cloud of smoke appeared in the air where the moves met.  
Cinccino watched as her Damp Rock landed on the ground several feet away from her.  
“Get your Damp Rock, Cinccino!” Dana ordered. “Don’t let them get that! Fling it at that alien!”  
Now was my chance. “Simple Beam!”  
Elgyem raised one hand, the dots blinking on it, and a tan colored beam hit Cinccino in the head.  
She froze, her paws reaching for the Damp Rock, her eyes wide. The Simple Beam attack ended and Cincinno shook her head, staring down at the Damp Rock. “Ccino!” She scooped up the rock and threw it at Elgyem quickly, the rock flipping in the air as the Dark type attack smacked Elgyem right in the head.  
Elgyem tumbled to the ground, his eyes closed, but managed to stay afloat as he shook his head and stared at Cinccino.  
“Psybeam!” I told Elgyem.  
Elgyem use Psybeam, but Cinccino raised her white fur and blocked Psybeam!  
Cinccino and Dana both laughed with delight at the failed move.  
I forgot about that little trick, I thought angrily. No. We can’t be stumped by this. We need to find a way to get that stupid oil off of her. Or maybe we should just use a different kind of move to get around it. Or maybe we could…   
“Alright, now use Thief!”  
Cinccino flew at Elgyem and smacked him down with her fist which gave off a black glow.  
“Now, one good smack with your Damp Rock to end this!”  
Cinccino scooped up her rock and turned on que, hurling it at Elgyem.  
Elgyem’s eyes closed as he fell to his back.  
“Elgyem, wait! Please, I need you to use Psychic, now! Smack her around with your attack constantly!”  
Elgyem’s eyes opened and I could clearly see the struggle, the determination, as he sat himself up and his eyes glowed blue.  
“It’s still fighting?” Dana gasped, her eyes practically taking up half of her face as she looked at my Elgyem.  
“Ccino! Ccino! Ccino!” Cinccino was now stumbling back as if something was pushing her and smacking her face around, her head turning sharply from side to side. She tripped over her feet and fell.  
“Cinccino, use Fling again!” Dana begged her Pokemon.  
Cinccino tried to pull back her paw, but the Damp Rock fell out of it as she continued to be smacked around by an invisible force.  
“Okay, Elgyem! Now give Cinccino a Psychic rub down!”  
“Eeeeellllllll!!” Elgyem cried, raising his arms, the dots on his hands blinking rapidly.  
“Cciiiiinnoooooo!!” Cinccino struggled as she was lifted into the air, her body outlined in blue. Her body tumbled around, spun, and maneuvered in circles.  
Elgyem’s hands moved around, the dots on them blinking continuously, Cinccino spinning in the motions Elgyem’s hands were moving.  
A glob of clear liquid was now forming in the air, outlined in blue, next to Cinccino, as she continued to be spun around as if she were in a washing machine.  
“What are you doing to my Cinccino? What is that next to her?” Dana’s hands were at the sides of her face.  
“Elgyem!” Elgyem finally let go of Cinccino and she dropped, the blue color no longer around her body.  
Cinccino held her head, dizzy.  
“Elgyem!” Elgyem waved his arms and the clear liquid he held in the air was flung deep into the forest.  
“Psybeam!” I said to Elgyem.  
Elgyem used Psybeam once again.  
“Cinccino! Focus! Block that!” Dana urged.  
Cinccino got to her feet quickly and raised her white scarf, but was taken aback as the Psybeam tossed her back! She landed on the ground and gasped as she noticed dirt on her body. The little clean freak desperately tried to wipe it off, but it wouldn’t come clean.  
“Cinccino! Your oil!” Dana looked ready to cry.  
“No more oil, Dana. We wiped the makeup off. And now, Psybeam again!”  
Dana shrieked desperately, her voice ringing throughout the forest as the Psybeam hit Cinccino again.  
The normally clean Pokemon was now getting covered in filth as the Psychic move got her even filthier.  
“Cinccino, just relax and fight back for now! Use Fling! That thing should be defeated already! Focus on the battle! We’ll clean you up later, I promise!”  
But Cinccino was too focused on the dirt all over her body as she used her paws to scrub at her body, but she remained a mess.  
“Psychic attack! Let’s end this already!”  
Elgyem used Psychic, his eyes glowing blue again, and he lifted Cinccino into the air, squeezing her with his attack.  
Cinccino bared her teeth, her eyes closed, and groaned in agony as Elgyem applied his pressure. With a loud gasp, Cinccino’s body tensed even tighter, and she screamed out for mercy.  
“Okay, stop, Elgyem!” I shouted at him.  
Elgyem’s eyes turned back to their normal color, and Cinccino’s body was released.  
“Elgyem did it! Cinccino is down! Cinccino is out!” June cried in disbelief.  
“B-b-but, but!” Dana pointed a shaking finger at Elgyem. “We have Technician! We did weak Dark moves! That thing should have been beaten!”  
“Normally, maybe,” I nodded at Dana, smiling. “But we did Simple Beam, which I guess you’re unaware of, Miss Know-it-all.”  
“Simple Beam?” Dana asked, a confused look on her now blushing face. “It didn’t do anything!”  
“Ha! It removes a Pokemon’s Ability. Your Technician Ability was no longer active, so your moves were just a bit weaker than you expected.”  
Dana was speechless, her eyes wide, her face reddening even deeper, obviously embarrassed that she didn’t know about that move. She pointed her Ultra Ball at Cinccino angrily and returned her. “Crunch attack!” she bellowed immediately.  
Stoutland barked furiously and leaped at Elgyem with glowing fangs.  
“Elgyem! Psychic!” I said, my heart beating hard from the fright of Dana’s order to Stoutland and Stoutland’s instant reaction.  
Elgyem’s eyes slammed shut as Stoutland sunk his teeth into him, but Elgyem placed his hands on the dog’s face and forced his eyes open to attack back, his eyes glowing blue, outlining Stoutland in the same color.  
Stoutland growled as Elgyem’s Psychic attack did its damage, but the blue around him faded, and Elgyem’s eyes stopped glowing.  
“El…” Elgyem’s eyes closed and his body became limp in Stoutland’s jaws.  
Stoutland growled and shook his head viciously, my Pokemon’s limp body in his jaws, shaking him about helplessly, and then he finally flung Elgyem’s body at me.  
“Hey!” I screamed angrily at Stoutland as I walked over to Elgyem who was a crumpled heap on the ground. “You can’t do that!” Stoutland gave me an intimidating look, but I didn’t care. Tossing my Pokemon like that crossed the line. I picked up his body and rubbed him gently. “Thank you, Elgyem. You did more than enough. This won’t be for nothing. Let’s count on Drilbur, now.” After returning Elgyem to his Poke Ball, I gripped Drilbur’s tightly. “It’s all up to you, Drilbur,” I whispered. I glared at Stoutland, hoping my face was as vicious as his was. “GO!”  
“Drilbur!” Drilbur came out, raising his claws high.  
“Sandstorm! GO!”  
“Gary!” June gasped.  
Drilbur used Sandstorm and Dana fixed her glasses on her face, staring as the area between us was invaded by sand and strong wind.  
“So, your Drilbur must have Sand Force,” Dana said, staring at him. “You’re betting on the power boost to save you.” She smiled and shook her head slowly.   
“Let’s see, then! Drilbur, Earthquake!”  
“Stop this with Ice Fang!” Dana stomped on the ground angrily.  
Stoutland was too quick and sunk his ice covered teeth into Drilbur.  
“DRIIIILLLLL!!!!” Drilbur squirmed in Stoutland’s mouth but he couldn’t break free.  
“Drilbur! No!! Come on!! Get out of there!”   
“Driiiiilll!!”  
“Slash it, Drilbur!” I called out to him.  
Drilbur’s claws glowed white and he swiped his claws at Stoutland, but Stoutland held his grip tight, refusing to let go as Drilbur cut at his face. Drilbur’s body was starting to get coated in ice.  
“Drilbur, come on! Get out of there!! You won’t last long taking that Ice move as a Ground type!”  
Drilbur kept slashing at Stoutland’s furry face, struggling against a pain I could only imagine. Half of his body was now coated in ice, and only one arm was able to move, the other one stuck in the ice that was spreading to coat his entire body.  
“Do it!” Dana screeched.  
Stoutland’s face was covered in painful looking scratch marks, dried blood all over his face, but he didn’t seem to notice as his jaws sunk deeper into Drilbur.  
“DRIIIIIIIIIIIIILLLLLL!!!!!!!” Drilbur’s body burst into a flash of light, and the ice around his body exploded.  
“Drilbur!” I stumbled backwards and tripped, landing on the ground, but I didn’t take my eyes off of my Pokemon.  
The silhouette of Drilbur’s body expanded, getting wider, fatter, taller, longer, his claws stretching even further, his snout stretching, his body morphing. He was too big for Stoutland to keep in his jaws, and Stoutland backed up, his eyes wide in amazement.   
“Drilbur! Oh my gosh!” June’s scream was in the background of my mind.  
The light vanished from my Pokemon’s body and he let out a strong cry, getting to his feet.  
Excadrill. The Subterrene Pokemon and Drilbur’s evolved form. Its drills are strong enough to tear through iron. Their homes are found underground.  
“Excadrill…” I whispered, mesmerized by my new Pokemon.  
“FIRE FANG FIRE FANG FIRE FANG NOOOOOW!!!!” Dana was jumping up and down like a spoiled child, angrily demanding her Stoutland attack my Steel and Ground type Excadrill with a Fire move.   
An Ice type move like Ice Fang wasn’t as strong against Excadrill now that he was part Steel type, but Fire moves would be Super Effective against him now.   
Stoutland howled and made a strong, high jump towards my Excadrill with his jaws set in flames.  
Excadrill reached out and grabbed Stoutland’s jaws with his metal claws, holding the large dog steady in midair, the flames on Stoutland surrounding my Pokemon’s claws.  
Dana cried out a stunned gasp.  
June made a very similar noise.  
Stoutland was staring down at Excadrill in surprise as he was held in the air by just his gaping mouth.   
Excadrill was struggling to hold Stoutland, the heat getting to him.  
We have to end this fast, I knew.  
“BITE IT! BITE IT! FIRE FANG! SINK IN!” Dana barked.  
Excadrill cried out and let go of Stoutland, dropping to his knees from exhaustion.  
Stoutland howled and fell to his knees, too.  
“Excadrill! Earthquake! Here’s your chance!”  
“Stoutland, Fire Fang it while it’s down!”  
Neither Pokemon moved, both wincing from their hard battle.  
Excadrill looked up at Stoutland through the sandstorm.  
Stoutland seemed to be struggling in the sandstorm, sand blowing at his face constantly.  
The sandstorm suddenly started to subside.  
Excadrill closed his eyes, breathing hard.  
Stoutland let out a threatening growl.  
Excadrill gasped, his eyes back on Stoutland.  
I gasped.  
June gasped.  
Dana gasped, a smile on her face.  
Stoutland collapsed.  
“AAAAHHHHHH!!!!” June’s voice rang like an alarm. “Stoutland’s out!! Stoutland’s out!! GARY WINS! GARY WIIIINS!!!”  
Excadrill dropped right after June’s words.  
“Excadrill!” I ran to him and wrapped my arm around his back. “You okay?”  
“Excadrill…” Excadrill groaned, turning to me with a smile.  
“Excadrill!” I wrapped my arms around him in a hug. “You actually did it! You made it through, and you evolved.” I could feel my heart sink at my own words. He evolved… I could hear the sound of Stoutland being returned to his Poke Ball, and I looked up.  
Dana glared at me from a distance.  
Nobody said anything.  
I rubbed Excadrill’s back, staring at Dana.  
She snickered and then let out a sigh as she walked over to me. “You won, fair and square, Gary.” She reached into her jeans and pulled out what I instantly recognized as the General Badge. “You surpassed everything I thought I knew about this match.”  
I swallowed, my dry throat hurting from all the yelling I did and the action that had just occurred, and I stood up. “The General Badge,” I muttered, swallowing again, wishing I had some water, and I took the Badge from her. But what did I really win? I thought to myself. “You were right.” My eyes focused on Dana.   
“I’m not sure what you mean,” she said curiously.  
“I won because my Drilbur evolved,” I explained. “When a Pokemon evolves, its stats increase usually. We won because of that. And because of other lucky instances. Without that final evolution, we would have lost. I know this is true.”  
Dana stared at me with a serious glare.  
“Don’t you dare minimize what your Pokemon did out there, Gary.” I turned to June as she stepped up to me, scowling. Her voice was shaking with anger at me. “Don’t you disrespect your Pokemon’s hard work like that. Ever. Ever! Your Pokemon all worked hard for this win! You pulled out their strength, Gary, and figured out a way to overcome evolution and stats. Your Tympole’s Swift Swim and Muddy Water was executed perfectly!”  
“And that Simple Beam from Elgyem took me by surprise,” Dana nodded.  
“And Drilbur was exactly the one needed to beat Stoutland,” June continued. “You beat all of the odds, and one of your Pokemon even evolved in the process, Gary. You taught me something important today.”  
“Like what?” I asked her, squinting at her suspiciously.  
June smiled. “A battle can never truly be determined by the strength of the individual Pokemon alone. Not when the opponent knows what they’re doing and is experienced like you are. It becomes a lot more than just strength. It becomes a show of the bond between Pokemon and Trainer. When a Pokemon truly loves their Trainer, it becomes its own ability, so to speak. When the Trainer truly cares for their Pokemon, that’s a power in and of itself. While witnessing the battle you two had, I saw so many things that I’ve gone through in my own battles, and have witnessed other, experienced Pokemon Trainers go through, as well. I think every truly great Pokemon battle must be combined of three different elements at once!”  
“Three different elements?” I inquired.  
June nodded eagerly. “I think all great battles are made up of three factors: strategy, stats, and luck! Those three things were prevalent in today’s match, and I really feel honored to have witnessed it. This battle has forever changed the way I see Pokemon battles. Thank you, you two. This is a philosophy I shall test and bring along with me as I continue to grow as a Pokemon Trainer!”  
Dana laughed. “I’m not so sure how accurate that is, but strangely enough, I like it! Gary, you earned that win. I wasn’t right, but I am not convinced I was all around wrong. This requires study. But I will say that you and all of your Pokemon displayed a memorable, deserving effort. Well, Pidove needs work, but the rest of your Pokemon were inexplicably used to perfection in every way. I congratulate you humbly.”  
I sighed as I thought of Pidove, but managed to smile at Dana. “Thank you, Dana. Good luck to you.”  
“And good luck to you, too, Gary.”  
I laughed excitedly and grabbed my five other Poke Balls, tossing them to the ground.  
“Coooottonee!”  
“Elgyem?”  
Tympole stared up at me, still drained from his battle.  
Darumaka leaped up and down repeatedly, excitedly.  
“Piiidove...”  
“Everyone, we earned our third badge today! The General Badge!” I shouted excitedly, holding the badge in the air. “This is our victory and we earned this! Thanks to every one of you for your support and determined battling, including our friend Drilbur, who has now evolved into Excadrill!”  
Cottonee, Tympole, Darumaka, and Pidove all cried out in shock and turned around.  
Cottonee floated over to Excadrill, hovering over his head.  
Tympole bounced over to Excadrill, and then bounced happily in front of him.  
Darumaka ran over to Excadrill and squinted at him before leaping excitedly.  
Pidove flew over to Excadrill, landed in front of him, and looked up. His head cocked sideways before he looked down at the ground and pecked at it, ignoring Excadrill.  
I sighed at Pidove’s forgetfulness. “Pidove,” I growled.  
Elgyem hadn’t moved from his spot as he stared blankly at Excadrill.  
“Excadrill!” Excadrill greeted the Pokemon.  
“Pidoooove!!” Pidove flapped his wings and took off into the air in fright, seeming surprised that Excadrill was there, as if he had just appeared from out of nowhere and hadn’t been standing there the whole time.  
Darumaka chattered at Excadrill excitedly as he leaped up and down in front of him nonstop.  
Tympole stayed on the ground, vibrating excitedly.  
Cottonee peacefully cried out to my smiling Excadrill.  
My Pokemon were all so thrilled with the good news, except Elgyem, who seemed to be more distant, silent, keeping his eyes on the group of Pokemon.  
Pidove flew over to my left shoulder and nuzzled his face against my cheek.  
“Thanks for your work, Pidove,” I said gently to him as I pressed my face back against his.  
Elgyem turned around, his eyes on Pidove, and then he floated over to my right shoulder, hovering above it.   
“Elgyem, thanks to you, too,” I laughed.  
“Elgyem!” Elgyem replied happily, nodding, and sat down on my shoulder.  
I loved Pidove a lot.   
But as I pet his head and laughed with him and all of my other Pokemon about our victory over Dana.  
As Dana waved goodbye as she headed to the Pokemon Center.  
As June talked joyously to Tympole and congratulated him on how well he did.  
In the back of my mind.  
I was starting to feel that Pidove was becoming a lot more trouble than perhaps he was worth.


	23. This Is Only A Test

My eyes opened and I witnessed the night sky above, spread out beyond what was humanly possible to witness. Stars twinkled high above, the moon destroying the competition with its bright glow. The waves from the sea splashed against the shore, rocking Captain Billy’s boat slightly as me, June, and Captain Billy himself, laid on the floor of it.  
June and I were in separate sleeping bags while Captain Billy was curled up underneath an ocean blue blanket, his head resting on a sand brown pillow. I turned to look at Captain Billy when he made a grunt in his sleep, turning around quickly, having a dream.  
My eyes wandered over to June in her sleeping bag, sleeping quietly. Wait a minute, I thought as my eyes blinked repeatedly. Where’s June?  
June wasn’t in her sleeping bag as I had thought. She had been there when I fell asleep earlier, but not now.  
I sat up and stretched my arms, groaning, and squinted at her empty sleeping bag. My left elbow cracked, but my right one didn’t, so I stretched it out again, even further, until I felt the painful crack and shook out my arm. I then stood up and looked around, wondering where June was. A very cold breeze blew around me and I wrapped my arms around my body, shivering. Even in my large, black winter coat and black beanie hat I was wearing, I felt chilled to the core.  
Captain Billy continued to murmur and twitch in his sleep.  
I gave him a long stare as I wondered what I should do, contemplating whether or not I should leave and see where June was, or maybe just walk around Cenumerus Island since, admittedly, I was now feeling pretty wide awake. Yawning, I turned towards the town nestled in the middle of the island we were on. Cenumerus Island, I thought to myself. Tomorrow morning, we’ll be headed for Nimbasa City.   
June and I had decided to spend the night with Captain Billy instead of accepting the comfort of the Pokemon Center. We didn’t want Captain Billy, who had been so nice to us so far and very helpful, to be alone on the last night we’d be here. Plus, after getting to Nimbasa City, we’d have to say goodbye to Captain Billy and travel by foot again. This would be our last night together.  
I twisted my body around a few times as I looked around, the boat moving gently underneath me, and I carefully stepped off of it. Where could June be? I turned back to Captain Billy, who was sound asleep, before looking at Cenumerus Island again. My feet moved forward before I had made the decision to move at all, and before long, I was walking along the strip of concrete between the two rows of buildings on either side of me, looking up at the sky.   
Nobody was outside at this hour, whatever this late hour was exactly. It was sometime in the early morning, for sure.   
I looked into the sets of trees that stood in between every building, leading into the forest. The woods were dark, whispering cold tales to me as the wind blew softly into them. My hands dug as deep as possible into my coat pockets as I lowered my head against the cold wind and closed my eyes. Nimbasa City, I told myself. Electric types. I can assume Excadrill will be my best bet against this Elesa woman. Cottonee won’t be bad, either. My body gave a strong shake in the midst of a sudden, powerful gust that pushed me back a few feet. My eyes opened and immediately watered as I squinted through the powerful air that I was forcing myself into, stepping forward at a slower pace until the wind calmed down to a more gentle flow, allowing me to walk easier.  
June was nowhere in sight.   
I was more curious as to where she was than actually worried about her. She was okay, wherever she was at the moment.   
I was sure of it.  
Taking me by surprise, a bright light appeared, shining at me from the woods in between two buildings I was walking by. I turned and squinted towards the white glare shining at me. “What is that?” I muttered as I stood still, frozen in place. The urge to solve this sudden mystery took over, and I walked into the tree filled area cautiously. Walking around trees, shrubs, and crunching dead leaves underneath my sneakers, I moved towards the huge, glaring light that shined so brightly, getting brighter with every step I took as I hunted after the source of this energy.  
The light suddenly faded away and a cry rang out from the woods, accompanied by another one, and there was the sound of footsteps and movements through the trees that ended almost as soon as they had begun.  
I moved as quietly as I could to locate the source of the commotion ahead, my heart beating with excitement, my head filled with curious thoughts and suspicion.   
A voice cried out, sounding almost human, maybe.   
“June?” I whispered, my feet moving faster now.  
Another voice rang out from the trees.  
By now, I was jogging quickly, snapping branches, crunching on top of leaves, my feet carrying me through the soft soil as I tried to be quiet, not wanting to scare off whatever was causing these sounds and creating the light I had seen, but wanting to get to it before it escaped.  
A familiar noise called through the forest and then stopped a couple of seconds later.  
I moved quickly, carefully, a little bit of fear mixed with slight excitement pumping through my body.  
It was at that moment that I heard the sound of crunching leaves and heavy breathing.   
I froze and listened, soon realizing that the sound was heading towards me! The noise got closer, and I stumbled backwards in fear, unsure of what direction the thing was coming towards me from, my heart now beating even quicker, harder, my eyes wide with fear. Uh, oh, I thought. I’m busted. I could now pinpoint exactly where the noise was coming from as I turned my head to the left and grabbed a Poke Ball from my waist, gripping it tightly.  
The figure burst from the trees and stopped, staring at me in shock.   
“June?”  
“Gary!”  
June and I cried out in unison and gaped at each other in shock.  
“June!”  
“Gary?”  
“What are you doing out here?” I asked her, still stunned at finding her here.  
“Me? What are you doing out here?”  
“I was looking for a bright light that shined from out here and some weird cries.”  
“What were you even doing away from Captain Billy?”  
“I couldn’t sleep,” I said shortly, crossing my arms, staring suspiciously at June. “Now stop trying to flip the conversation around on me. What are you doing out here?”  
June hesitated, staring at me uncomfortably. “I just came out for a walk through the island, and then I saw that strange light, too, and chased after it. I heard running and chased after the sound, thinking it was the source of the light, but it was only you.”  
“Oh…” I said in a low voice. For some reason, I wasn’t entirely sure I believed her.  
June walked past me quickly, and I followed after her. “It’s really late,” she said moodily. “I think we should get some sleep. Whatever it was that we saw out here is gone now.”  
“Maybe we should keep looking,” I suggested. “Maybe it’s still out here, somewhere.”  
“Then keep looking,” June said. “I’m going to bed. I’d like to get to Nimbasa City.”  
“Elesa, right?” I called to her. “That’s the Gym Leader in Nimbasa City?”  
“That’s right,” June nodded quickly. “The Gym Leader, and a world famous model. She’s easily the most beautiful woman on the planet, if you ask me, and one of the most astounding users of Electric types that I’ve ever seen. You won’t beat her easily, even with a type advantage.”  
“Yeah, yeah,” I waved away. “Any Gym Leader can overcome their type disadvantages. Nothing new.”  
“I can guarantee you won’t have an easy time against her, Gary,” June said, a hint of impatience in her voice.  
“I hope I don’t,” I replied happily, chuckling lightly. “I like a challenge.”  
“Just you wait and see!” June said angrily, stopping and turning to glare at me.  
“Huh?” I said in surprise, looking at her angry face.  
June turned and walked away even faster from me.  
I didn’t follow her. I just stood there, staring after her in shock, confused by her sudden attitude.

*

“Well, young ones, this shall be our final ride together, eh?” Captain Billy said, staring out at the sea from his chair as his boat gently glided through the waters.  
“Sadly, yes,” June said sadly. “It’s been so nice journeying with you. You’ve helped us out so much. You’re a genuine lifesaver.”  
Captain Billy laughed loudly. “It’s been a true pleasure being with you both. I’m glad I could assist you both in your quest. It will be a sad farewell, trust me.”  
“Thanks a lot, Captain Billy,” I added. “If not for you, I wouldn’t have even known about Cenumerus Island, or gotten my third badge by now. Me and June would probably still be stuck at the bottom of that cliff between the Desert Resort and Cenumerus Island.” I suddenly realized that that might not be entirely true. With the Psychic powers of my Elgyem and June’s Rotom, we probably would have made it to Cenumerus Island and then Nimbasa City just fine.  
“Well, it was fate, Gary,” Captain Billy said cheerfully. “We were destined to meet. The tides don’t quit so long as they influence that which they change.”  
What do these things mean? I wondered, staring at Captain Billy. He’s almost as bad as Prof. Oak with his poems… I thought of the professor, wondering how he was doing, and what he was doing. My thoughts soon focused on my mom and my eyes began to water a bit as worry filled my body. I missed Pallet Town, and yet, I knew I probably could never go back there. What happens after I finish up in the Unova League? I asked myself. Where do I go from there? What do I do? I hope my mom and Prof. Oak are alright. I hope Rotom and Porygon-Z didn’t hurt them too badly. Porygon-Z… Where did it go? My eyes dripped a couple of tears and I turned my head to the side of the boat, looking out at the water as my thoughts were filled with memories of Porygon-Z.  
I had captured it after being sucked inside of a virtual world for the experiments of Pokemon Researcher, Peter, who was experimenting in Triple Battles with his three Pokemon, Porygon, Porygon2, and Porygon-Z. Having won my battle against them, I was allowed to capture one for myself. Porygon-Z had been a major headache since its capture, and well before then according to Peter, but it had always been a great battler and friend, despite its habit of screeching painfully, and the rare times when it would electrify people, sometimes aggressively, sometimes just as a means to tickle them.  
And Charizard, I thought even more mournfully.  
Charizard was the Starter I had chosen in Kanto when he was just a little Charmander. We had difficulty getting along at first, but over time, we learned to understand each other and battled together as one. During one battle where all seemed lost, he evolved into Charmeleon. We fought many battles, and during one of our most difficult Gym matches that we had lost twice at, Charmeleon evolved into Charizard and finally won, defeating a Tyranitar.  
Now, both Charizard and Porygon-Z were both gone, stuck somewhere in Kanto. I wasn’t sure that they both were in Kanto, but it was definitely the last place I had seen them.  
“Kind of funny. Today’s my birthday,” June mentioned, looking out at the waters, smiling.  
“It is?” I said, taken by surprise.  
“Ah! Of all the coincidences!” Captain Billy exclaimed cheerfully. “Happy Birthday to yah, June! How old might you be, then?”  
“Sixteen!” June turned to him.  
“Happy birthday, June,” I nodded, managing a small smile.  
June turned to me. “Thanks, Gary!”  
“Since this is our last day together, I suggest that once we get to Nimbasa City, I take you all out for drinks!” Captain Billy suggested loudly.  
“Um, I’ll pass on that,” June laughed. “Just being in the company of you two guys is more than enough of a gift for me.”  
Drinks, eh? I pondered. I’d been kind of curious about alcohol for a few years now.  
“Then I’ll buy ya something at a store,” Captain Billy said with a warm smile. “Something nice. I’m still getting me a drink, though.” He laughed loudly, his voice booming.  
Suddenly, something burst from the water, right next to me, with a loud cry, splashing me with a wave of water.  
“Hey!” I shouted, closing my eyes, wiping at my face and choking out water from my nose and mouth.  
A large, dark blue snake-like creature rose high into the air from the depths of the sea and then dove back down, raising up more water that splashed in my face.  
I sputtered out water and backed up, my nose stinging from the water inside of it, giving me the horrible feeling of drowning.  
“Just great,” I heard Captain Billy say in a voice that was nothing but frustration, which worried me greatly. “An Eelektross.”  
Gasping for air, inhaling deeply, I turned to Captain Billy. “A what?”  
June was looking where the creature had disappeared, but now was looking fearfully at Captain Billy.  
“An Eelektross. One of the scourges of the sea around these parts,” Captain Billy told us in a cold voice. “We aren’t far from Nimbasa, but we sure are far enough away. With monsters like Eelektross in the way, this could be a lot more trouble than it needs to be.”  
I looked out in the direction that the boat was headed and gasped as I saw, at a very far distance, land! I could see the silhouette of tall buildings. “Nimbasa City!” I called out, pointing. I also spotted an island that was much closer to us than Nimbasa City, covered in trees.  
June turned and gasped. “It’s right there!”  
“Yes, but that’s not going to be so easy a trip with this Eelektross,” Captain Billy said gravely.  
Eelektross. The EleFish Pokemon. This is the evolved form of Eelectrik. Despite being an Electric type, this Pokemon is often found living underwater. After paralyzing its prey found on the shore, it drags them back down into the ocean.  
“It’s pure Electric?” June cried, a shocked look on her face.  
“What does it want with us??” I questioned Captain Billy frantically.  
“It’s a very vicious Pokemon,” Captain Billy said in a low voice that gave me the shivers and thrashed any hope I had of getting out of this alive. “I don’t know what its problem it, but I know it’s very territorial. I don’t encounter it often, but today isn’t our day, I see.”  
June and I exchanged fearful glances before I turned away to look out to sea.  
The water rocked against the boat, a little water getting onto the floor of it.  
Nimbasa City looked closer, but not close enough. A dark cloud was billowing from the top of the trees on the island that sat between where the motorboat was and Nimbasa City. Both places were very far apart, but I felt like we could at least reach the island. We had to be able to.  
As my eyes focused on the island and the dark cloud floating up from it, ascending into the sky, the dark blue creature burst from the waters again, making the three of us scream out.  
Eelektross cried out as it flew into the air, soared above and around the motorboat, and dived into the water on the other end, a large wave soaking the three of us.  
“I don’t like this!” I yelled angrily, dripping in water. “What is that things problem?!”  
“I wish I knew,” Captain Billy said seriously. “I haven’t solved this mystery, yet. The last time I tried, I nearly died. I don’t often need to come this way, but when I do, I usually don’t run into Eelektross.”  
“Had you told us about that thing beforehand, we would have just skipped this place!” I was getting really upset as I shivered from the cold, wet water on me, the cold air blowing, making me even more cold.  
“I suppose that’s true,” Captain Billy nodded solemnly. “I apologize.”  
“No, it’s fine,” June said firmly. “Don’t be sorry for this. I don’t know why that Eelektross is being so hostile, but hopefully we can figure it out and get to Nimbasa safely.”  
“Yeah, maybe,” I said nervously. “But what is that island up ahead?”  
“That’s nothing but a small, uninhabited island,” Captain Billy informed me.  
“But, it looks like there’s-” I started.  
SMAAAAASSSSSHHHHH!!!!!!!  
The boat the three of us were on exploded out of nowhere, and I recognized Eelektross as it burst out from underneath it, screaming out angrily.  
The three of us screamed in terror as we were thrown through the air.  
I inhaled my breath and held it, closing my eyes tight as I fell down into the water, hard. My breath immediately left my body as the cold water hit me, shocking me. Oh, no, I thought fearfully. My breath! The water was so cold, and I could feel myself sinking further down. Wait. Tympole! I grabbed Tympole’s Poke Ball and released it from my hand.  
Tympole’s cry reached my ears through the water.  
I was still sinking down fast. Save me, Tympole. Please, I begged. I need you. You’re the only one who can save me. My chest was hurting now, my lungs desperate for air. I can’t make it, I feared, my body panicking, and I could feel my arms tearing at the water, making a desperate attempt at swimming to reach the surface. My left hand slapped something, and I heard Tympole cry out. Tympole! I thought desperately, reaching out for him.  
A circular object fit itself inside of my right hand, and I felt a weak force struggle to pull me up.   
Hurry, Tympole, I thought frantically. You’re my only hope now.  
Tympole pulled me as best as he could, struggling and groaning.   
Come on, Tympole! I begged. I’m counting on you! I need you! We didn’t seem to be moving at all, just floating in the midst of the sea, and I feared we wouldn’t make it to the surface in time before I passed out. I could feel my body getting more urgent for air, but weaker on energy. This is it, I knew. My body was trying to inhale air, even though there was none to breathe. I did my best to resist inhaling, but I was struggling with the last bit of energy I had inside of me.  
Something pushed against my stomach, shoving me upwards with great force.  
I tightened my eyes and held onto the little bit of air I had within me, struggling not to gasp in shock as a new force was now pushing me upwards at a greater pace, with more speed and strength. I can’t do it anymore, I thought as my hand tightened around Tympole’s body. I can’t breathe. I need air! I opened my mouth against my will and took a large breath. Sweet air filled my nose, mouth, and lungs. I gasped even louder when I realized I was inhaling air, and took another deep gulp of air, coughing and choking out, swallowing the air. My breaths were strong, loud, and surprised. “Air!” I gasped in shock as I looked around me.   
“Vaporeon, get us to that island, now!” I heard June shout from right next to me, making me turn to her.  
“Vaporeon!” a light voice was heard. Before I could understand what was going on, something large and blue appeared in front of me, and I was being forced forward towards the island.  
“Vaporeon?” I breathed heavily.  
It was indeed a Vaporeon’s head that was underneath me, carrying me towards the island with the strange, black cloud rising from the trees.  
June was right next to me, her head visible on the surface of the water, clinging onto Vaporeon’s body that was submerged underwater.  
Tympole was on the other side of me, still in my hand, his tail flapping and splashing up water, doing his best with his tiny body to help us move faster.  
I then noticed Captain Billy ahead of us, swimming like a professional athlete towards the island, his sailor’s cap gone, his short, wavy brown hair revealed.   
“A Vaporeon?” I stared at the Pokemon in shock, and then I turned to June. “Where-?”  
“I chose a Water Stone,” June said, her determined face staring out ahead of us.  
“Huh? What do you mean?”  
June didn’t reply.  
“June?” I stared in confusion, and then it dawned on me. “June! Stone Town?”  
June nodded, still not looking at me.  
“You chose a Water Stone! You evolved your Eevee!”  
“I’m sorry I lied to you, Gary,” June said as the water sprayed our faces every other second. “I evolved Eevee this morning. That light you saw must have been from her evolving. I just wasn’t ready to introduce her to you. It’s no excuse. I shouldn’t have lied, but, I just didn’t think you’d appear there all of a sudden and disrupt that very important moment. I’m sorry for lying to you.”  
“I’m a bit surprised you’d lie to me like that, June,” I admitted.   
June lowered her eyes.  
“But, right now, I could care less,” I continued. “You saved my life!”  
“I also lied to you when Frillish took you underwater,” June said, her voice shaking now. “I had emptied my bag to find my Water Stone so I could evolve Eevee so she could save you, but the Tympole got to you first.”  
I didn’t say anything and looked ahead as the island got even closer.  
“I’m sorry, Gary. I just got scared. I wasn’t even sure I wanted the Water Stone when I chose it.”  
“Why did you choose it? You like Electric types.”  
“Vaporeon is so elegant and beautiful. I like Jolteon, too, but I think Vaporeon may be the most beautiful Pokemon in the world, to me. Believe me, I thought about it. Even when I had the Water Stone, I wondered if I had made the right choice. But I know now that this was the right choice. Not only based on this situation, but, I just think Vaporeon is amazing!”  
I smiled and nodded at June. “I do, too.”  
“I’m so sorry. I really hate myself for lying. It’s such a relief to tell you, finally.”  
“No. It’s okay, June. Just forget about it. Let’s just get out of this water and-”  
A loud scream stopped my sentence and June and I turned to see Captain Billy waving his arms at us.   
“What’s he doing? Is he okay?” I wondered out loud.  
“What is he screaming?” June added.  
I gasped. “Look!”  
“Stay off of the island! Follow me!” I could just barely hear Captain Billy’s words, and I watched as he started to quickly swim away from the island, towards Nimbasa City.  
“Oh, my goodness! Gary, LOOK!”  
I grabbed Vaporeon’s body even tighter in my hands as I looked at what June was staring at and Captain Billy was warning us about.  
“Vaporeon, follow Captain Billy!” June ordered.  
“Tympole, keep us away from that island!” I instructed.  
We were swerved away from the island as we got closer to it and our Pokemon followed Captain Billy.  
Smoke was what was rising from the island, the trees all over it on fire, blazing strongly in the cold, winter air. Several strange, loud wails were coming from somewhere near the island.   
“We have to call the police when we get to Nimbasa!” I exclaimed to June. “I can hear noises! There might be some Pokemon there in some serious trouble!”  
“I can hear them!” June’s wide, fear filled eyes were glued to the island. “They need our help!”  
“We can’t go there! It’s too dangerous! Nimbasa is right there. That whole island is on fire! Every single tree!”  
“I know, but how can we just avoid the Pokemon who need us?” The look on June’s face made me question avoiding the island, but I knew we had to.  
“June, we’re right there,” I said in a calm voice, hoping it would bring logic to her. “If it made sense to go there, I would go. You know I would. But we can’t. It’s-” My words were caught in my throat as I turned to stare at the island. I now knew where the loud cries were coming from, and my eyes widened until they hurt. “No… No! NO!”  
The trees that were on fire weren’t all trees. In fact, I would say that a majority, if not all of the trees, weren’t trees at all, but were instead Pokemon! Pokemon that I instantly recognized.   
Exeggutor! The island was filled with Exeggutor! They all seemed to be bound to the ground, sitting down, unable to escape or run or do much of anything, the top of their pineapple tree-resembling heads in flames. They all were screaming out in pain, struggling to escape, but unable to, the trees around them also burning. As we swam further away from the island, I could see a thick, black material wrapped around the middle of all of their bodies.  
“They’re Exeggutor!!” June screamed shrilly.  
“But, how?” I shouted. “Why?!”  
June closed her eyes and looked away.  
My eyes were glued to the poor Pokemon as they burned, the flames consuming their bodies as they screamed desperately for help. I didn’t look away as we were carried past them. How is this possible? I wondered with fear. What happened to them? Why are they like that?  
The five of us continued forward through the water.  
As the island shrunk further and further from view, smoke still filling the sky, I finally managed to turn away from the horrifying scene and I could see Nimbasa City more clearly.  
A long dock sat right in front of the city, a humongous ship with brilliant lights surrounding it, rocking in the gentle waves. An enormous crowd of people, many on the ship, and many others standing on the dock but far away from the edge, all had their eyes focused near the very edge of the dock where a group of people were working on something. They stood near several boxes that contained items wrapped in what looked like aluminum foil. The crowd of people on the boat, and those standing on the dock, were chanting out something.  
“What’s going on here?” I asked.  
Captain Billy called out to the people who were working with the aluminum foil objects as several bright flashes of glittering light started to shine near them. The men all turned to Captain Billy and ran over, helping him out of the water. They seemed to be having a serious conversation. Captain Billy pointed off to the side where we had come from, and the men stared at the island in shock. He then ran over to June and I as Tympole and Vaporeon continued to carry us closer.  
I finally began to comprehend what the crowd was cheering as the bright fire that was lit up near the aluminum foil objects started to make sense to me now.  
“Ten, nine,” the crowd chanted.  
“Gary, you hate the water. You go first,” June nodded.  
“Alright.” I reached up and Captain Billy and a couple of the other guys he had talked to helped me out.  
“Three,” the crowd continued to chant.  
“You alright, kid?” one of the men asked me.   
“I’m fine, but that island is on fire!!” I pointed at it.  
“HAPPY NEW YEEEEEAAAARRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!” the crowd roared.  
The fireworks blew up as the men and Captain Billy helped June out of the water.  
I screamed from the loud noise of the explosions and covered my ears, nearly stumbling right back off the dock.  
“I told them, Gary,” Captain Billy said as he placed a heavy hand on my shoulder.  
The fireworks blew up continuously as the workers maneuvered Captain Billy, June, and I away from them.  
The crowd’s attention was focused on the fireworks that lit up the sky in an array of different colors and designs in front of Nimbasa City, unaware of the smoke that was billowing from the island to the side.  
I turned to June, whose tear filled eyes were already staring at me. “It’s… New Years,” she whispered.  
I nodded silently.  
Captain Billy crossed his arms. “Happy New Years…” He shook his head solemnly, looking up at the fireworks.  
The workers were yelling at the people to get off of the dock, trying to get everyone to safety during such an uncertain situation, but with it being New Years, everyone’s main concern was celebrating, and the crowd ignored the workers’ orders as they cheered wildly.  
June walked over to me and wrapped her arms around me, holding me tightly.   
I held June closely as well as I silently gazed out at the island, smoke still billowing from the top of it. What caused this? I thought fearfully. When did this happen? Why?  
These questions, and many more, filled my head as I heard the police sirens approaching.


	24. Speaking In Platonics

June, me, and Captain Billy had been quiet following the New Year’s celebration that occurred earlier today.   
The police had shown up and tried getting everyone safely away from the long dock and off of the large ship, but in the midst of the partying, fireworks, and excited or otherwise drunken crowd, things went bad quickly and it became hectic. Once people began to see the smoke and fire from the island nearby, panic took over and everyone was trying to either get a closer look or run away into Nimbasa City. Many people were injured and arrested that night.  
June and I got out of that mess unharmed, but only because we ducked down and pushed our way through the crowd as everyone started to get reckless and upset.   
The fire was put out after boats and helicopters arrived on the island, and an investigation had begun.  
June, Captain Billy and I were questioned by the police, and while I didn’t know what my friends had told the police, I was certain our stories had to be the same. In the midst of the several hours of intense, angry questioning, yelling, and demands, I wasn’t sure any of us were ever going to get out of there. The police had called Dana, the Cenumerus Island Gym Leader, and verified that I had been there for a battle, which may have been a huge help in getting us out of the police station a little quicker. The three of us finally met up outside of the police station when the interrogations were over.   
Less than an hour had passed of us aimlessly walking around, the three of us not saying much, briefly mentioning what had happened to us at the police station before we stopped at a crowded Pokemon Center where June and I silently left our Pokemon.  
I was still trembling from what I had gone through in the police station, my heart beating rapidly, and the other two didn’t seem to be in a much better state.   
Captain Billy seemed very down about what had happened today, understandably. He’d lost his boat, and had just been yelled at by a room full of police officers accusing him of being responsible for a large group of Exeggutor that had been burned alive on an island, all right before New Year’s Day.   
According to what the police had told us, many other Pokemon also lived on that island. Some of the Flying type Pokemon seemed to have gotten away, while some of the Pokemon who could swim got into the safety of the water. Other Pokemon were trapped and didn’t make it out.  
Captain Billy shook my hand strongly, and then gently grasped June’s. Forcing a weak smile, he wished us good luck and walked away, leaving June and I in the Pokemon Center with a large crowd of other people who were chatting loudly, presumably about what had occurred earlier.  
I soon found myself waking up, lying down on a bench in the Pokemon Center, scrunched up in a tiny spot.  
June was awake, sitting next to me, staring down at the floor, lost in thought. She didn’t even seem to notice I had just woken up, and only turned to me when I sat up, groaning.  
Neither of us said a word, looking away from each other.  
It was a little after two in the afternoon, my eyes focused on the floor, and I let out a breath of air, thinking about that island with the trapped Exeggutor on it, black material wrapped around their bodies. What was that? I wondered. An article of clothing? Some kind of sign of them having a Trainer? Do all the Pokemon normally wear that on that island? I wish we’d been given more information on what they’d found there. This couldn’t have been an accident. Was that thing around them holding them captive? Who would do such a thing? My eyes closed tightly as a fearful thought popped into my mind, and I shook my head hard. No! I shouted angrily in my head. It’s all over!   
“You okay?” June asked.  
I turned to her and nodded. “Yeah.”  
We sat quietly together for a few minutes, our eyes looking at the floor again.  
“I really wish we knew more,” June said quietly. “There’s no way that was an accident.”  
I didn’t want to reply to her, so I just stayed silent and continued to stare at the clean, white floor.  
“Somebody did that intentionally,” June continued. “What do you think?”  
“I think we need to get outside and get a little bit of fresh air,” I answered, standing up. “I think we should take our minds off of all of this for a while and try to relax a bit. We hardly got any sleep and I don’t really feel like taking a nap.”  
“I can’t just take my mind off of this, Gary,” June said, a fearful look on her face. “You didn’t hear those screams from the Exeggutor the way I did. I’ll never forget it; those pleas. Ever! It’ll haunt me for the rest of my life. I’m sure of it. Whoever did that to them, has to be found, and stopped! It’s like something Team Sol-”  
“Shut up!!” I screamed at her angrily. “Just shut up already, will you?!!”  
The entire Pokemon Center got deathly quiet.  
June’s eyes were wide, shimmering with tears.  
My arms were shaking hard. I tightened up my fists to stop them, but it didn’t help. I turned away from June quickly and stormed out of the building, everyone’s eyes on me. Leaning against the front of the building, I let out a loud, weary sigh and crossed my arms in front of me.   
A strong breeze blew against me, the air very cold. The sun was behind a set of gloomy clouds, trying to break free, with no luck.  
People were entering the Pokemon Center, walking around it, and filling the streets with smiles and conversation.  
The buildings in this city promised nothing but entertainment, and I walked forward several feet as I pulled out my Town Map curiously, spotting where I was and trying to spot landmarks.  
“Gary, where are you going?” a voice called out to me.   
I turned and saw June walking quickly towards me.   
“Brrr. It’s really cold.” She pulled down on her baby blue coat and stopped next to me. “Where are you going?”  
“I was looking at the sights,” I said, ruffling up the Town Map. “There’s a lot to see here. Musicals, sporting events where you can watch games or even play against a partner, there’s a Ferris wheel, and-”  
“Ferris wheel?” June asked, her eyes widening.   
Ugh. Why did I say that? I began to wonder.   
June’s face was lighting up with hope.  
June’s been through a lot, I told myself. Especially since arriving here. Be nice this once, Gary. Give her this at least. I sighed. “Yeah, there’s a Ferris wheel.” I swallowed hard. “If you want to go…”  
June squealed with excitement and smiled excitedly. “Do you mean that?”  
“Um, I guess. Sure. Why not? It’ll be nice, I suppose.”  
June’s eyes glimmered beautifully. “And you’re gonna join me, too?”  
I looked away from her dazzling, overjoyed appearance and down to the ground. “Yeah. I guess.”  
She pulled me into a tight hug and kissed my cheek. “Thank you, thank you, thank you! You’re the best!”  
I squirmed in her grasp. “Just don’t do that again!” I complained loudly, wiping my cheek.  
June snatched the Town Map from my hands and looked down at it quickly. “We have to catch the train! It’ll be faster.” June folded up the map and gently grabbed my hand, pulling me after her as she ran into the crowd of people in the city.  
Great, I thought glumly. Just great.  
It didn’t take us too long before we were running down a stairway leading underground, the walls around us painted brown, looking clean to the touch and very smooth. June led me past a couple of groups of young kids standing by a tall, concrete pillar, laughing about something, and around a stand selling snacks and other goods, to a tall machine that stood next to three other machines that looked just like it. The machines were dark silver with a large screen in the middle, several sets of buttons underneath it. June set her large bag on the ground and pulled a small, red wallet from it, swiping her credit card into the machine, and after several presses on the touch screen, a small, white, plastic card slipped out from a slot. June put her wallet carefully in her bag, zipped it closed, and slung it over her shoulder before snatching the white card from the machine. She grabbed my arm as she led me to the turnstile. She waved the white card over a transparent section on top of the turnstile that had a red light shining through it, and with a beep, June shoved her way forward, pushing to the other side. “Here.” She reached back over and swiped her card again, and I followed after her to where she stood.  
“Now what?” I looked around.   
The floor we stood on was a shiny white, with several more stores lined up continuously for a surprisingly long stretch. There were several stairs leading down to the trains below.  
“This way, Gary! To Central Nimbasa! Come on!” June gripped my arm tightly and we ran down a set of stairs together.  
On either side of us stood a shiny train, the doors closed. Crowds of people were waiting outside of the doors, while groups inside of the train were waiting to exit. The doors opened, and those inside of the trains filed out, separating as they made their desired turns, some running to catch the train on the other end of the track.  
“This one, Gary.” June pulled me to the right, and we made our way onto train as crowds of others in front and behind us scurried inside. She sat down on one of the long, blue benches and happily pulled me down next to her. “This is so exciting, isn’t it, Gary?”  
I nodded, rolling my eyes. “This is alright, I guess.”  
“Are you sure you want to this?” June asked, her smile fading. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”  
“I know that,” I said impatiently. “I said I will because I want to, okay?”  
June smiled. “You’re sweet. Thank you so much.” She rested her head on my shoulder and squeezed my arm tightly.  
“Too far, June,” I said quickly, leaning away from her, lightly shaking her off of me, looking at the ground. “Ease up.”  
“Gah,” she responded angrily, and let go of me.  
The train had begun to move, and we were traveling quickly through a dark tunnel, occasional flashes of electricity grabbing my attention from the outside of the window.  
“Hey, Kai!” June suddenly cried out, turning to me.  
“What?! Where?!” I leaped to my feet and looked around frantically.  
“No, no. I mean, I just remembered something Kai said,” June explained.  
“Oh!” I let out a loud sigh and sat back down, avoiding the stares of everyone on the train. “Geez. Explain yourself better, will you?”  
“Sorry,” June smiled. “I just meant, this is where she wanted to go and see Ingo and Emmet. They’re the Subway Bosses or something like that, right?”  
“I don’t know much about them,” I replied. “And personally, I don’t care to see them if Kai is hoping to run into them. In fact, all the more reason why we should get out of here sooner. Right after I get my badge from here, we’re going to the next city.”  
“Okay, okay. Fine.” June gently bumped me with her shoulder.  
“How long until we get to the Ferris wheel?”  
“Next stop.”  
After a couple of minutes, the train pulled out of the tunnel, and I heard a mechanical voice announce that we were arriving at Central Nimbasa.  
June and I got off of the train as the doors opened, and June held my hand as she eagerly ran up a set of stairs. We ran through a slightly smaller floor full of stores, ran through a turnstile, and then, up another set of stairs leading outside.  
“There! There!” June clapped, letting go of my hand, and ran away from me towards a large Ferris wheel that towered behind a blue and orange archway that sat on top of the entrances to a large amount of other attractions within.  
“June, hold on! I thought we were going together!” I ran after her.  
Three men sat behind their own individual blue counter under the archway, guarding their own entrance to the amusement park. June stopped at the blue counter in the middle and dug through her bag for a moment, pulled out something and turned around, pointing at me. The man eyed me briefly as she handed him something and then he gave her something back, and she ran past him.  
“June! Wait!” I hurried after her, stopping at the man behind the counter.  
“Here you are, sir! Your girlfriend bought you this ticket. Enjoy!” He handed me a yellow piece of paper.  
“She’s not my girlfriend,” I grumbled angrily, and I took the ticket from him before chasing after June again.  
A large rollercoaster, several food stands, trees planted individually many feet apart, and lots of young people, some older than me, some much younger, made up the area before me. The Ferris wheel towered a little further down the way.  
“June!” I called out. “Juuuuune!!”   
“Gary!” I finally saw June, waving at me excitedly, and then she turned and disappeared around a corner.  
“You idiot!” I said angrily. “Don’t just leave me like this!” My feet pounded into the ground hard as I chased after her. “June! Hold on, will ya?” If she wants to go on this thing with me, she shouldn’t be running, I thought, further irritated. I don’t even wanna be on this thing. I was just being nice. I want my Badge and that’s it!  
June ran up a small set of stairs, bouncing on her heels in front of a man who was in front of the Ferris wheel. She pointed at me and urged me to hurry up as she climbed inside of the capsule.  
Panting as I reached the man and showed him my ticket, I climbed inside of the little white and red compartment with June, and the glass door closed above us. The seat was comfortable, made of a soft, brown cushion that was smooth to the touch.  
“This is gonna be so wonderful, Gary. Thanks again.” June was literally glowing like never before.  
“Sure, sure,” I nodded, keeping my eyes on the floor, my heart dribbling like a basketball low to the floor.  
The Ferris wheel began to move forward, and we were soon ascending into the air.  
“Here we go!” June grabbed my hand with her two hands.  
As our capsule rose gently, I could see the entire city.  
It looked like several parties were going on at once, with people moving through all areas of Nimbasa City with some level of excitement and smiles.   
The capsule reached its peak before diving back down again, and I could see the people below pointing at the Ferris wheel happily. As it got lower, I stared at the middle of the Ferris wheel, at the metal bars and nuts and bolts that held this contraption together. After a quick swoop down, June and I were rising up again.  
June giggled with delight and squeezed my hand even tighter as we ascended high, seeing all of Nimbasa City once again.  
My hand inadvertently squeezed June’s hands and then loosened. Damn it! I thought in a panic. Why did you do that? Stupid hand! Stop it! Relax! Calm down.  
“Gary, this is so beautiful!” June said in amazement. “Look at it all!” She gasped. “We should come back at night! That would be so wonderful, don’t you think?”  
“I think I…” I paused. Don’t ruin it for June, I told myself. Be nice. Be nice. “I’m… sure it would be nice.”  
June burst out laughing, taking me by surprise. “Oh, Gary.” She shoved me gently, smiling.  
“What?” I looked at her as if she were crazy, which wasn’t exactly the wrong word for her sometimes.  
Often times.  
“You’re trying so hard, aren’t you? I’m not going to force you to take another ride with me at night, but I will say that you trying right now is definitely one of the most sweetest things I’ve ever seen you do.”  
“Well, thanks. I guess,” I muttered, leering at her. “Just thought we could take some time and have a bit of fun, or something.”  
“Aww. You’re just too thoughtful today, aren’t you?” She pulled me into a hug as our capsule dove down again.  
I reluctantly returned her hug and rubbed her back quickly.   
“This trip was so worth it. Just for this moment, Gary,” June said softly.  
The capsule started to slow down as it reached the ground, slowing further as it began to rise.  
Oh, boy, I thought with a sigh. Here it is. I dreaded this.  
The Ferris wheel slowed down even further, coming to a stop.  
“I guess we didn’t get to the top, huh?” June said with light laugh. “Oh, well. This is really nice, too.”  
Our capsule wasn’t too far off of the ground, but high enough to reach the top of some of the low structures, like a tent that held a sign for psychic readings.  
“This is still really romantic. Just wonderful,” June said in a sweet voice, looking over at me.  
“Um, yeah. Sure.” I looked away from her, out the window near me.  
June lifted my hand and I could feel her gaze on me. “Gary? Are you okay?”  
I nodded, not looking at her, and swallowed. “I’m fine, thanks. Are you?”  
“Of course I am! I feel wonderful, because I could be here, with you.”  
I refused to say anything to that.  
“Gary.”  
“What?”  
“Will you look at me?”  
My heart was beating even faster now. Why is she being like this? I wondered. What does she want from me exactly?   
“Please?”  
How could I continue to ignore her with her begging like that? I turned around to see her looking at me, doe-eyed and filled with emotion. “June?”  
She scooted closer to me, even though we were more than close enough already.  
I leaned back a little bit. My lips parted. “June...” I uttered hesitantly.  
June’s hold on my hand tightened as she nervously licked her lips and looked down before looking back up at me. Her mouth opened slowly as she took in a breath, preparing to speak.   
We both stared at each other silently.  
I was getting more uncomfortable the more she hesitated to speak what was on her mind.  
Her eyes were filled with desperation to say what her mouth was refusing to.  
With a jolt, the Ferris wheel suddenly started to move again, causing June and I to gasp. It moved backwards this time, taking us back to the ground, and then ascending into the air, spinning in the opposite direction it had been going in before.  
“Oh! It’s going backwards now,” June laughed nervously, releasing my hand.  
“Yeah,” I muttered, grabbing my hand and staring out the window. I focused on the sights and hoped that June wouldn’t make another one of those awkward moments for us for as long as I lived. I nearly died there. I actually wished I had died, because now we’d have that strange, confusing moment between us for the rest of our lives.  
The Ferris wheel ride ended a few minutes later after a couple more turns of spinning, June and I quiet for the rest of the ride.   
I got out of the capsule and helped June out.  
“Thank you so much!” June told the man who operated the Ferris wheel.   
“You’re quite welcome,” he smiled at her, and then looked at me.  
I nodded and looked away, turning my head to the rollercoaster.  
“A rollercoaster,” June said. “I’ve never been on one before. I’ve never really been to an amusement park in my life.”  
“Really?” I stared at her.  
June nodded. “Have you?”  
“Yeah. I went with my parents a while back. My mom hates roller coasters, but my dad loved them. He took me on my first one. I wanted to go on it, but when I got on, I covered my face the entire time, peeking out from behind my fingers a couple of times. I didn’t scream. I was a little scared, but more thrilled than anything. I even ducked down at one point and the floor of the car me and my dad were in had a tiny hole in it, and I could see a bit of the tracks of the ride through there. It was kind of funny. I rode on it twice, peeking through my fingers to the hole of the floor of the car both times, and haven’t been on one since.”  
“Was it in Unova?” June asked.  
“Nah. I can’t recall where it was, but it wasn’t Unova. I’ve never been to Unova before.”  
“It sounds like your dad was a nice person.”  
“Yeah.” I sighed uncomfortably. “I guess we should find out where this Gym is at.”  
June pulled out my Town Map from her pocket and stared at it for a moment. “Ah! It’s another train ride to get there, just another couple of stops deeper into Nimbasa.” She folded up the map and handed it to me.  
“Great.” I put the Town Map away.  
“Our Pokemon are still at the Pokemon Center, though,” June reminded me.  
“Then let’s head back,” I nodded.  
We both headed out of the amusement park together.  
“We hope you enjoyed your stay! Come back soon!” the man behind the counter called out to us.  
June and I waved at him and soon we were heading downstairs to the trains. We walked through the turnstile, June swiping her card twice, once for her, and then again for me, and we made our way downstairs again, waiting for a train.   
The platform had a lot of people on it and was identical to another one across from us, with two sets of tracks on both platforms, people leaning over the tracks to see if they could see their train. Black, rectangular concrete pillars between the platforms stood about a foot apart from each other, reaching from the ceiling to the floor, about a foot in width.  
June sighed and smiled, looking up at the ceiling. “We’re about to meet Elesa herself. I really cannot wait! This is the best day of my entire life! Ever! Ever!”  
“This will be my fourth badge. I’m ready for this!”  
“Good luck, Gary. But Elesa isn’t my idol for nothing. You’re definitely not gonna pull off an easy win with her. Elesa is experienced, skilled, and hot stuff, both in battles, and her attractiveness!”  
“Fine with me. This should be a good one, then.” I began to image what Elesa might look like as visions of beautiful faced, incredibly shaped women filled my head. She’s probably toothpick thin if she’s a model, I thought in dismay. Meh. She’s probably still hot. June says she is.  
The rumble of the train made June and I turn our heads and see the lights shining inside of the tunnel. It shot by us, a burst of wind blowing into everyone before it slowed down and came to a smooth stop, and June and I got on board once the passengers had gotten off, taking a seat next to each other.  
“Do you know who you’re taking to battle her?” June asked as the doors closed.  
“Excadrill is definitely coming with me.” My heart was beating fast with excitement as the train moved forward, carrying us back to the Pokemon Center. “I don’t see a problem with Cottonee, either. Elgyem should be just fine, but Darumaka is a great battler, too. Either one will do well.”  
“I can’t wait to see how Elesa gets around her weaknesses,” June said eagerly. “In fact, I’m pretty sure I already know what she’ll use. You should definitely be prepared.”  
“What will she use?” I asked curiously.  
“Gary, I used to be a Gym Leader. I can’t just reveal my fellow Gym Leaders’ secret battling techniques and Pokemon.”  
“I guess. But, geez, you sound like you want me to lose!”  
June shook her head. “No. I don’t want you to lose. I just know Elesa won’t go down easily. I expect she will win, just to be honest. She is tough, Gary. I promise you. The Pokemon you mentioned are nice choices, but it won’t mean a thing once the battle starts.”  
“Don’t count me out,” I warned her, feeling a little bothered by her words. “I did well in the Pokemon League. You’ve seen me battle countless times. You know I-”  
The train suddenly screeched to a sudden stop, a group of people sitting next to me thrown into me, forcing me into June, squishing her against the wall at the end of the bench.  
June cried out in pain.  
People standing up were thrown strongly to the floor as other passengers who were sitting were either thrown out of their seats or amongst each other. Everyone started muttering and mumbling, groaning and complaining.  
“What was that?” a man yelled angrily.  
“What’s going on?” a woman exclaimed.  
“Why would the train just stop like that?” another woman cried.  
Everyone was confused and upset as many people got to their feet while others in their seats moved away from the people they had been tossed on top of.  
“Sorry about that,” an older woman smiled at me, laughing lightly as she slid off of me, moving down on the bench.  
“It’s fine,” I shook my head, smiling back, removing myself from June.  
A voice from the speakers came on after a bit of static. “Good afternoon, passengers, this is your train conductor speaking. Sorry for the sudden stop but we have a problem on the tracks right now. It appears there is an Aron on the tracks. Please remain calm and we’ll be moving shortly. Thank you for your patience.”  
“Who’s Aron?” I whispered to June amongst the murmurs from the passengers.  
June snickered and shook her head. “Aron is a Pokemon. I think it’s usually native to Hoenn, or maybe it was Johto. I forgot.”  
“What’s an Aron doing in the subway of Unova?” I asked, pulling out my Pokedex.  
Aron. The Iron Armor Pokemon. Found in mountains eating iron ore it digs up, sometimes food becomes sparse and it travels away from its natural habitat towards civilization to eat bridges and rails. With a strong enough charge, it can destroy a dump truck.  
The crowd was now murmuring at what my Pokedex had said.  
“Oh, my,” June muttered, shaking her head.  
“Maybe they’re fixing the issue. The guy said that we’d be moving shortly, right?” I put my Pokedex away, gazing around as everyone started to chatter nervously about what was going on.  
The conductor’s voice kicked in over the speaker with a crackle of static. “Passengers, it appears that there is indeed a problem with the tracks at this time and we will be unable to provide service. The doors to the trains will be opening shortly and you will be guided by our workers to safety. We warn you to avoid the third rail as it will give you a nasty electric shock. I apologize for the inconvenience. Thank you for cooperating.”  
The train was now filled with angry groans and yells.  
“I don’t believe this! These damn Pokemon, always ruining everything!”  
“I remember one bit me once. I didn’t even see it and it just nipped right at my ankles!”  
“This is ridiculous!”  
“I’m not going to walk through a dark tunnel! Are they crazy?”  
“I have to get my daughter home!”  
June and I exchanged fearful glances as the passengers started to get even angrier.  
“I guess we’ll be walking to Nimbasa’s Gym,” I whispered.  
June nodded quickly.  
The train doors opened at once, and I could see bright lights, like from flashlights, waving around outside of the train. Suddenly, the train shook hard with the sound of a loud noise echoing in the tunnel.  
“Whoa,” I muttered, looking around.  
The train shook hard once again, the loud sound heard for a second time.  
The crowd in the train got quieter, a few whispering in fear.  
The people outside of the train with the flashlights started calling out to each other. “Hey, George! What is that?”  
“Is that the Aron?”  
“Nah, it can’t be! It sounds freaking huge, whatever it is!”  
“Gary, I’m scared,” June whispered as she held my arm, the train rumbling again, the loud noise stomping closer.  
“We’ll be okay,” I told her calmly, though my heart was in my throat.  
The noise got louder, closer, the rumbling stronger, making the train rock harder with each loud bang.  
“Is that… footsteps?” the older woman next to me asked slowly.  
My eyes widened in shock.   
June gasped next to me.  
The men outside of the train suddenly screamed.  
A loud roar tore through the tunnel, echoing, making us all scream in fright.  
With a huge BOOOOOOOOOOOOM the train began to rock hard as it felt like we were in the middle of an earthquake!  
Everyone in the train shrieked as we were thrown around, the entire train feeling as if it had just been tossed aside. People were slamming into people, flying through the air, rolling around on the floor helplessly.  
I struggled to stay in my seat, gripping it tightly with my hands, but they slipped and I was tossed out of it, flying helplessly into the air.  
There was a loud CLANG! as someone’s head slammed into a metal pole in the middle of the train.  
The lights flashed on and off repeatedly.  
The workers outside of the train shouted out in terror.  
My shoulder bashed into the door at the end of the car and I screamed out painfully as I collapsed to the ground, landing on it.  
The train seemed to slam to the ground and remained still.  
Breathing heavily, my eyes closed tight as my right shoulder throbbed, I struggled to move. “Help…” I croaked weakly.  
All I could hear were the weakened moans of people everywhere.  
“Mom!” a man called, and I heard stumbling footsteps approach me.  
“June?” I whispered weakly, shaking hard.   
The footsteps of very few people able to get up and walk about were heard. Names were called out. Pained voices responded.  
My eyes opened and I could see the other end of the car. “Ugh…” I closed my eyes and shook my head, confused at a particular sight. My eyes opened to squint in the fluttering light at the seats of the train near my head. My shoulder throbbed as I forced myself to my feet, stumbling around as I realized that the seats of the train and the windows were underneath me! What? I looked up at the ceiling, where more seats were now at. My eyes widened. “Whoa! What?” As I looked around, I began to realize that the train was actually on its side! “June!” I called out weakly, looking about.  
People around me were either on the floor by themselves, or with their family and friends, holding them close. Many people, mostly the younger kids, but plenty of adults as well, both women and men, were crying.  
Another loud roar tore through the tunnel, making every scream in horror.  
“June!” I yelled, seeing her sprawled out on her back, blood running from her mouth to the ground. I ran towards her as fast as I could and knelt down by her side, shaking her carefully. “June, we have to get out of here, now! This isn’t safe! Something’s after us all! Get up!”  
June mumbled something, and her eyes tightened before popping open with surprise. She reached up and grabbed my coat. “Gary,” she gasped.  
“June, we have to run!”   
“It’s a… It’s a… Pokemon,” June choked out in a whisper. “She’s mad. She’s mad!”  
“A Pokemon?”   
“Hill! Please wake up, Hill! Please!” a woman begged to a man as she grabbed his large coat and tried to shake him awake.  
The man wasn’t reacting.  
The lights in the train continued blinking, making my eyes hurt.  
“Gary, we’re not safe here,” June whimpered. “She’s really mad.”  
“Who is? What Pokemon is it? Why is she mad?” I demanded.  
“Her baby. Her baby!” June screamed at me.  
I didn’t understand what June was talking about, but I gently lifted her up by her arms. “June, listen to me.”  
Another loud roar tore through the tunnels and we both looked ahead in fright.  
“June, we’re out of here! Now!” I looked at the floor, where the doors to the trains now were, and then looked up at the ceiling, where the other set of doors were. “June, you climb up there, and I’ll go after you. Come on!” I cupped my hands and knelt down.  
“Gary, are you sure?” June asked, her voice trembling.  
“We can’t stay here, June! We’ll be killed!”  
With another roar, the heavy footsteps of the Pokemon got louder and closer.  
“Oh, no!” June looked at my hands, and then put one of her sneakers into them. Her hands grabbed my shoulders as she stepped her other foot into my hands, and I carefully, shakily, hoisted her up, my shoulder throbbing even harder, but I didn’t stop pushing her upward. She gave a sharp cry and made a frantic, sloppy jump for the opening above. Her hands gripped the sides of the opening, but one hand slipped and she screamed, the people by me gasping, quickly surrounding me in case she fell down, reaching up for her. Grunting loudly, struggling, she reached her arm up and kicked her legs hard, gasping, and managed to get out of the train. “I did it!”  
“Good job, June! Can you see anything?” Something was wrong with my shoulder. I rubbed it, but that only seemed to make it worse, but by not rubbing it, it continued to burn painfully, so I just rested my hand on it as it continued to pain me severely as I looked up after June.  
The footsteps got closer, louder, the train shaking hard. Another roar beat against my eardrums.  
June reached down towards me with a shaky hand. “Gary, jump!”  
“June!” I shouted, and leaped for her arm, grabbing it with both hands.  
June grunted and pulled, struggling to pull me up.  
I screamed in agony as my shoulder exploded with pain, but I couldn’t stop now. We had to save everyone. We all had to make it up here before that Pokemon got here and killed us all. I gasped as I felt a strong push from underneath me, and I looked down in shock to see that the passengers were shoving me upwards! I smiled broadly as June gave me a strong pull, and the passengers gave me a hard shove, and I tumbled out of the train, on top of June.   
“My shoulder!!” Painful tears ran down my cheeks as I rolled off of June and grabbed my right shoulder, screaming loudly.  
“Gary, what’s wrong?” June asked in fear, blood still falling from her mouth.  
“Never mind!” I groaned, getting to my knees. “We have to get them, too!” I scrambled back to where I had crawled from and gazed down at the people inside. “Alright, let’s do this like in the movies. Women and kids first.”  
Before anyone could say a word, the roar came, and I saw a bright light flash in the tunnel. The light looked really familiar, and I squinted at I tried to recognize what it was.  
“HYPER BEAM!!!!! RUUUUUNNN!!!” June shrieked at the top of her lungs, and kept her head low as she ran away.  
The crowd beneath me screamed in a panic.  
“Damn it!” I scrambled away from the poor passengers as a loud explosion rang out in the tunnel. “OW!” I screamed as I ran, my head slamming into the ceiling above, so I kept my head low, running, leaping over the gap in between the train cars.   
Passengers in the cars June and I ran on looked up, pointing and screaming, calling out to us, many people with bloody faces, some laying on the floor, seeming unable to move, everyone terrified for their lives.  
BOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!  
BOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!  
BOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!  
BOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!  
BOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
BOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!  
It was a loud, long series of explosions that rang out in the tunnel as June and I ran, trying to get off of the train that was now exploding behind us. I refused to look down into the cars anymore. It was too painful to see all of the people that we had no choice but to leave behind to die. I could feel the heat of fire rushing through the tunnel after us, and I began to feel that this was the end for us both.   
“Gary, it’s the exit! Don’t stop running!” June begged me.  
The light up ahead was a comfort, commanding me to run, but could we possibly make it in time?   
The monster behind us continued to roar angrily, and I heard another explosion rock the tunnel, causing a continuous echo, shaking the train underneath us.  
June leaped off of the top of the train as she got to the end of the last car, and I leaped off of it right after her.  
The last thing I saw before jumping was a man, woman, and baby, huddled in the corner in the car I was jumping off of, the man with his arms around the woman, the baby in the woman’s arms.  
I landed on the ground and ran as fast as I could force myself to move, my teeth forced against each other, my eyes shut tight, tears flowing. My right shoulder bumped hard into something, and I shouted in pain, grabbing it tightly. June cried out, and I heard something that made my heart drop. My eyes opened and I saw that I was right by the platform. It was completely empty. Another step and I could climb out to freedom! But that sound I heard made me freeze. It was an undeniable sound.  
The sound of June falling.  
I turned around quickly and saw June scramble to her feet, running hard through the tunnel as a huge wave of fire chased after her!!  
“JUUUUUUNE!!”  
“GET OUT!” she screamed frantically at me.  
I turned around and took a strong leap, scrambling up the platform, and turned around to June, reaching out for her.   
June was only about three feet away from me. She reached out.  
BOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
A fresh explosion forced June forward, through the air, out of my reach, and I pulled my hand back at the last second as the fire roared behind her, keeping chase as she screamed. She flew off to the side, through one of the little spaces between the concrete pillars. The wall of fire blocked my view as she soared to the other platform.  
“JUUUUUUUUUUNE!!!!!”  
The wall of fire burned, and I couldn’t find a way around it to see where June had landed.  
“JUUUUUUUNE!!!!! JUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNNNE!!!!!!”  
The fire wall died down slightly, but the tracks on my side of the platform remained on fire.  
“JUNE!!! WHERE ARE YOU?!!” I could see above the fire now, but I couldn’t see her. “JUNE! CAN YOU HEAR ME?” She might have fallen in the tracks on the other platform, I feared. She isn’t on the platform! “JUUUUUUNE!!! JUUUUUNE!!!!”  
Loud, heavy footsteps pounded down the stairs near me, and I turned to see several firefighters! They all stopped and stared at me. “WE HAVE ONE ALIVE!” one of them shouted.  
Footsteps from the other platform made me turn around and I saw even more firefighters running down the stairs! They turned to me and pointed, shouting out something.  
“Kid, are you okay?” one of the firefighters near me said, roughly grabbing my left shoulder.   
“June!” I shouted at him. “I’m fine! June isn’t! She’s on the other side! She’s still alive! She has to be! You have save her!”  
“Okay, kid, don’t worry. That’s why we have our guys on the other side. We’ll get her. You have to come with us.”  
“Save June! Please! There’s a Pokemon in that tunnel! We have to stop her!”  
“What’s your name?”  
“My name is Gary!”  
“Gary, are you sure you’re alright?”  
“I’m fine! Just my shoulder hurts, but, June! Please, save June!”  
The firefighter bent down and lifted me up, carefully laying me over his shoulder.  
I winced in pain from my shoulder and held onto the man, looking at the firefighters on the other platform as they all leaped into the tracks that weren’t on fire.  
“June,” I whispered. “Did they find her?”  
A set of firefighters walked past me and the firefighter carrying me.  
As the firefighter carrying me took me towards the stairs, I saw a firefighter from the other platform climb out of the tracks, carrying someone under her arms, over his shoulder.   
Someone in a baby blue winter coat.  
“JUNE!” I screamed, struggling, ignoring the pain of my shoulder as it erupted in searing agony.  
“No! It’s okay!” The firefighter struggled to keep me in his arms. He was far stronger than I was, and kept a strong grip on me as he carried me upstairs.  
I saw June’s red hair, her blood soaked face, her baby blue jacket, burned and torn, streaks of blood on it.  
She wasn’t moving.   
She vanished from my view as the firefighter took me further upstairs.  
“JUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNE!!!!!!!!!!”


	25. She's The Crowd

Firefighters, police officers, nurses, and doctors ran in and out of the hospital urgently, often times bumping into one another. Many times, them running into each other would cause an angry yell or a shove to get either in or out of the building. Several people, some screaming and bleeding, were being wheeled in on stretchers by doctors and police, while other people were running in, stopping at the front desk to seek assistance of some kind from the exhausted looking receptionist.  
The lobby was packed with worried faces and injured people. One man was holding his leg, the entire leg of his blue jeans a deep, wet red while he screamed. A woman was holding her baby, bouncing it gently in her arms as she whispered to it. Another group of people all had tattered clothes, their heads in their laps, not moving.  
The TV above me was on, talking about the attack in the Nimbasa City subway.  
I moved my right shoulder slightly and groaned at the pain. It was in a blue sling, throbbing.   
A doctor had seen me immediately after I was brought in by the firefighter. After looking me over, he said that I was very lucky, but he was concerned about my shoulder. After giving me an X-ray, he determined that nothing serious had occurred, but that I should keep the shoulder in a sling for a few weeks until the pain stopped.  
I had asked about June, but the doctor treating me didn’t know anything about her. After the agony of getting my arm into the cast, I had left his office and attempted to find her.   
The hospital was huge, the white hallways the longest I’d ever seen, an endless number of doors as far as the eye could see. Doctors were rushing through the hallways, studying clipboards.  
One looked up at me and stopped, eyeing me through his glasses. “Do you need help?” he asked impatiently.  
“Yes,” I nodded quickly. “I need to find June. She’s in this hospital!”  
“I don’t know who that is, but you can’t just wander around here,” the doctor said seriously. “We’re in the middle of a huge crisis and we have enough to deal with right now. Wait in the lobby.”   
The doctor’s stern face meant nothing to me. I wanted to find June. But I also didn’t want to get in the way of the doctors healing people here, so I allowed the doctor to lead me back to the lobby where I ended up filling all kinds of forms in a small, black chair. A section of the form asked for my emergency contact number. Will they call my mom if I give them that? I wondered. I’ll give them a fake number or something. No need to worry my mom. I’m not in any serious pain, anyway. I can leave right now if I wanted to. I’m only waiting here for June.   
The explosion that sent June flying through the air and off onto the tracks of the other platform made me jump as I relived that moment. Even as a memory, I could hear it so vividly. So clearly. June, I thought sadly as my eyes closed. Where are you? You have to be here. They pulled you out of the tracks. You’re alive. You have to be. You have to be somewhere in this hospital, recovering. I can’t. I can’t go through this again. Please, June. Please, be here. Somewhere. My left hand ran through my short hair and down the back of my neck as I sighed loudly, stress, panic and fear causing my body to shake uncontrollably.

*

“Yes, June is here,” the receptionist told me. “Unfortunately, she can’t have visitors at this time. Doctor’s orders.”  
I sighed gratefully, smiling with relief. “That’s fine. I’ll wait here for her, then. I don’t care how long it takes. I just needed to know that she’s here.” The receptionist nodded and I walked back to my seat.  
It had been four days since I’d arrived at this hospital, and only now had I been able to obtain information that June was indeed here, too. She was alive. I didn’t know how well she was doing, but I didn’t care about that as much as I was with her being here at all, alive.  
During my first couple of days at the hospital, I had made it my priority to find out if June was here or not. Whenever I asked about her, I was never given a straight answer, and I continued persisting to know if she was here or not, and if she was, when I could see her.  
The receptionists often got annoyed with me, asking me to wait while they find out who June was and if she was even at the hospital, but they never got back to me with any information. In all fairness, they did look rather busy.  
Eventually, I decided to take a nearly two hour walk to the Pokemon Center to check on June’s and my Pokemon. For security reasons, Nurse Joy only let me see my Pokemon, although she knew that I had left my Pokemon here with June. I was glad to see that all of my Pokemon were doing just fine, and greeted them all happily with one armed, tight hugs and kisses, tears shedding from my eyes emotionally.   
We spent that day together, the seven of us, my Pokemon outside of their Poke Balls, Pidove on my left shoulder, Elgyem floating above my right.  
Elgyem kept staring with his wide eyes at Pidove, but Pidove didn’t seem to notice.  
I carried my cheerfully vibrating Tympole in my arm.  
Cottonee floated by my left side, near Pidove, and Drilbur walked on my left side, by my feet.  
I could have sworn that the others were purposely staying away from Elgyem by staying on my left, leaving Elgyem by himself on my right, but that thought was ridiculous.  
Darumaka was running around me in random, excited circles, making it a little bit difficult to walk. No matter how much I pleaded with him to stop, he kept on running, and, feeling too worn out and upset to get angry and yell, I let him run around as he pleased.  
Our day was pleasant enough, but quiet and freezing cold. I didn’t have much to say, and my Pokemon seemed to be feeling a little bit down, too, perhaps picking up on my depressive concerns. My Pokemon didn’t eat much when I tried to feed them, and I hadn’t taken a bite all day myself. Even my cheerful, energetic Darumaka didn’t eat very much. When I finally returned them back to the Pokemon Center, I told them to let June’s Pokemon know that she’d be back for them soon, although, at the time, I had no idea if June was even alive.  
The next day, I was in the hospital all day, yelling at the receptionist, a tall man who refused to give me any information on June and who kept saying he was too busy to deal with me. I refused to stop pestering him and he called security, who escorted me out.  
I had nothing to consume all day except for water from various water fountains throughout the city and a small bag of candy. I had considered visiting my Pokemon and trying to see if Nurse Joy would let me visit June’s Pokemon, too, but after walking for a few minutes, I began to seriously worry about June. I didn’t know where she was, but if she was in that hospital, I didn’t want to be too far away from her if she got released. I wrestled with the thoughts of being there for my Pokemon, and being around in case I found out more news about June, and I felt that I should spend the day trying to find out what I could about June, even if I had to argue with that receptionist again. I knew that my Pokemon were fine, so now, I had to make sure June was, too.  
Despite apologizing and trying to be calm and respectful to him, the receptionist yelled at me and told me to stop bothering him, and after several more minutes of trying to be reasonable, and politely asking to speak to his superiors, he threatened to call security again, so I gave up and sat down in the lobby, my eyes on the television.  
The news had stated that the police had determined that the Pokemon in the subway was an Aggron, the final stage of Aron, and was the Aron’s mother. They still didn’t understand what either Pokemon was doing in the subway, but felt that the mother was very angry because she was looking for her child. Even after finding her child, the Aggron had apparently caused more terror, even managing to escape the tunnel and started attacking the city for a few minutes in blind fury.   
That was when I saw Ruko on TV as the news showed a clip of Aggron attacking Nimbasa City, using Hyper Beam at the ground as screaming people fled in terror, all while she was holding her crying baby Aron in her arms. Ruko’s sudden appearance amidst the mayhem made me jump to my feet, and I got a little closer to the TV as she sent out a Pokemon I soon learned was a Darmanitan, the evolved form of Darumaka.   
Darmanitan used Flare Blitz to knock over Aggron, and then used its pure muscle to wrestle with Aggron, holding her down, and then pummeling her with Hammer Arm.  
Aggron was a fighter, refusing to give up, but she was badly weakened, none of her moves hurting Darmanitan much despite the obvious power she had inside of her.  
A large dome made of solid, sturdy plastic dropped on top of her from above, and as hard as she struggled to break free, she was trapped, unable to escape, still holding her baby.  
Aron continued to cry, clearly frightened and confused by what was going on.  
The police had trapped the raging Aggron, and her and her baby were taken away by helicopter, supposedly back to the wild to be released at some mountain.  
Later that day, there was talk on the news about the death of the Exeggutor and the other Pokemon on the island not far from Nimbasa. There still was no sign of cause of the incident, but the police were sure that it was no accident. They found that the Exeggutor had been individually wrapped in a strong piece of flexible metal, and that a hole was dug through the middle of the island, down into the sea. The material wrapped around the Exeggutor had been tied together and then taken underwater and held down by the dead carcasses of several Wailord. The Exeggutor couldn’t lift that kind of weight and were weighed to the ground, trapping most of the Pokemon that were between them.  
Everyone in the lobby made some kind of shocked noise as the news reporter informed us of the latest findings, except for me. I held any reactions inside and just glared at the screen as a sickening, nauseous feeling came over my body. It was deliberate, I thought fearfully. Somebody did this to those Pokemon. And not just one person. To handle the weight of several of one of the heaviest Pokemon known to man such as Wailord, this had to be the work of a lot more than just one person.  
That same night, when the staff had switched, I asked the new receptionist about June, but she said she had a lot of work to do and would let me know when she found out any information on my friend when she got the chance.  
Sighing, I accepted her answer and tried to get as comfortable as I could in the little chair I sat in. I won’t be getting much sleep tonight, I had thought. I was right. I did fall asleep, but I kept waking up every thirty minutes or so with a start. Sometimes, I had dreamed that a train was coming at me as I stood in the dark tunnel, watching helplessly, just screaming. Other times, I was being chased outside by an Aggron. In one dream, June was running away from me in the woods in terror for some reason, and I had waved at her angrily and walked away. The trees suddenly burst into flames, but instead of burning and smoking, they started to melt! The trees and grass melted into each other quickly with a loud moan until they were all gone and all that was left was the green, wet looking ground, the empty, evening sky above.  
And today, I had found out from the next staff member who came in and took the place of the last receptionist, that June was in the hospital, but it seemed that she wasn’t doing too well and she couldn’t have visitors.  
At least she’s here, I thought happily, a slight smile broadening into a wide one across my face. Just come out of this one alright, June. Screw this traveling around the world crap. Right now, I only care about you getting better.   
“Police continue to look into what caused the Aggron attack, but are so far coming up with no leads,” a newswoman spoke from the TV.  
I hadn’t paid too much attention to the news today, the volume low and hard to hear as it was, but I turned to it when my ears heard the name “Aggron.”   
“Some officials in Nimbasa City are calling it a bad turn of events that don’t seem to have any intentional origins, unlike the scary New Year’s Day find where the island nearby was the death spot for a group of Exeggutor and many other Pokemon. Some officials, however, are finding it too much of a coincidence that the two locations of the incidents are so close to each other.”  
A video of a lady with shiny black hair wearing a black suit suddenly showed a smaller video in the upper right hand corner with another woman in it wearing a red sweater and holding a microphone to her face, a young man in a black coat standing next to her, a strong wind forcing both of their eyes closed, ruffling their clothes.  
Behind them, the island that had been holding the burning Exeggutor sat silently in the far distance across the sea, several tree trunks visible, a pair of helicopters above it, a few boats surrounding the island.  
“We have Samantha on the scene, on the dock in Nimbasa City,” the newscaster in her black suit said. “Samantha, what do you have for us?”  
Samantha waited as she squinted through the strong wind with her companion, her tiny screen expanding and taking over the main screen. “Thank you, Carmen. I have Leo here, a resident of Nimbasa City. He was witness to this deadly attack that left very few people alive in the subway. What were your thoughts while this was occurring?”  
Leo rubbed his smooth chin with a thoughtful look on his face, his wavy brown hair blowing in the wind. “I heard the explosions from the subway, and I knew something bad was happening, I just didn’t know what. Then, the police and fire guys got here, and just shoved all of us out of the way. Then, that huge Pokemon, the Aggroan, started attacking like a mad beast. I’d never seen anything so powerful in person. I’m just glad it was stopped. Was just really scary.”  
“And do you think there’s any connection to what happened on the island, and what happened in the subway?” Samantha asked.  
“Well, I don’t know,” Leo said slowly, lowering his hand. “It probably is, though. They were only one day apart. But, you know, things like what happened in the subway happen all the time. Pokemon and human beings, living so close to one another, always triggers situations like this. It’s really what you have to come to expect. That incident on that island over there sounds rather fishy, but this incident in the subway could have just been really bad timing. It’s hard to say right now, you know?”  
Samantha nodded. “Not everyone is as open minded and calm as you are right now, sir,” she laughed.   
Leo smiled and nodded. “Like I said, you have to come to expect things like this. Powerful Pokemon and powerful humans. Neither are perfect beings. You have to learn to be strong in these days and times.”  
Samantha turned to the camera. “We’ll keep you updated as more information presents itself, Carmen. Back to you.” The screen she was in shrunk and then disappeared, Carmen now on screen.  
“Thank you, Samantha,” Carmen said firmly. “Checking back in on Castelia City, we have West, live.”  
A small box appeared at the upper right hand corner of the screen and a bald man stared out at me, his surroundings displaying a familiar sight. “West, how are things out there at the moment?”  
West’s screen stretched out and took over the entire screen as he stared out with glaring black eyes matching his black suit. He cleared his throat. “Carmen, it’s been a couple of weeks, but we can finally say for sure that the city is in a much better place than it had been.” West swung an open palm in front of his face, his eyebrows furrowing momentarily. “The entire city had been evacuated and fumigated, and while many insects are still in the city, including bedbugs, cockroaches, termites, and other pests, it is a lot better here, now, than it had been previously during Castelia’s attack by Burgh and his bugs. The city is completely empty aside from specialists who are working on clearing out the remaining insects. We’re very lucky to have been allowed access to this area.” West looked down at the ground and a look of disgust came over his face as he stomped heavily one good time before straightening his suit, clearing his throat, and looked back up at the camera.  
That’s the Gym, I thought to myself, looking at the three story building behind him, the old, white paint chipped and peeling, dirt and filth covering it, tree branches poking out of broken windows, vines from the trees reaching to the ground.  
A tiny box appeared on the lower left hand corner of the screen, and Carmen appeared, staring with concern. “And speaking of Burgh, what is his current condition.”  
“Burgh has been confirmed to be alive and doing well, currently being held at the Abete Mental Health Facility in Abete City and is under an intense, twenty-four hour observation. Officials are still studying the mystery serum he invented, as well as the monsters that were captured that Burgh created, using it. Scientists are currently said to be baffled by both.”  
“I see. Thank you very much for that update, West.”   
West’s screen shrunk in size as Carmen’s enlarged, West’s screen disappearing as Carmen’s took over again. She managed a smile and turned to her left as the camera backed up, revealing a man in a brown suit next to her, also smiling. “You know, during times like these, it’s nice to know we have more cheerful things to bring up, right, Adam?”  
“That’s right, Carmen, like this new segment we have today showing pictures and videos of how people around the world spent their holiday!” Adam exclaimed joyfully.  
I rolled my eyes and tuned them out as I looked down at my sneakers. That guy was right, I told myself. These two incidents could be unrelated. It’s scary thinking that they are related, but, it’s best to accept the truth for what it is and not just try to think positively. It’s best to just be open to how things are and not hide behind wishful thinking. That was my philosophy, at least. Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. I’d rather keep my mind open to the worst possible scenario than the more positive one. It’s a lot less painful lying down carefully amongst a pit of jagged rocks than trying to climb out of that pit and slip. I rubbed at my face. It felt a bit itchy and unclean. I guess it’s been a few of days, I considered. I could use a shower. My mouth also tasted like raw garbage from not brushing my teeth in a while. I had other things on my mind and I just didn’t care about the daily mundane routine of cleansing my body. What about my cast? I found myself wondering. I wonder how much more different it will be showering with this thing on. My shoulder isn’t broken or anything, just in a bit of pain. “Ow!” I cried out lightly as I moved my shoulder a little bit. A stupid move. Standing up, I waited for my shoulder to stop aching, but it didn’t, so I walked out of the hospital and took the long walk to the Pokemon Center to clean myself off.

*

The shower was a lot more difficult than I had wished it to be. I had to purchase a plastic cover for the cast, which involved me finding the right sized one. Nurse Joy was very helpful in my search for one, and in the end, I felt that it was something I could get used to in time. Luckily, I wouldn’t have to wear it for much longer.  
I still wasn’t allowed to see June’s Pokemon, but after my shower, I had my six with me at the Pokemon Center.   
They all were happy to see me, Darumaka jumping repeatedly on the bench, next to me.  
Elgyem took his spot hovering above my right shoulder, staring silently at Pidove on my left shoulder.  
Pidove was crying out happily, flapping his wings.  
Cottonee rested in my lap while I petted his head, Tympole and Drilbur on the floor looking up at me with happy smiles.  
“We’ll be on our way soon enough, you guys,” I said to them assuringly. “June still isn’t out of the hospital. I’m gonna see if I can visit her later on tonight to see how she’s doing. Just let her Pokemon know that she’ll be back to them eventually.”  
My Pokemon all nodded eagerly, except for Elgyem, who never took his eyes off of Pidove.  
“Elgyem?” I said, turning to him.  
Elgyem’s eyes flashed a brighter shade of red than normal.  
“Pidoooove!” Pidove suddenly cawed out.  
“Pidove?” I turned to him.  
Pidove dropped to the bench, shaking his head in pain.   
“Pidove, what happened?” I gasped, picking him up in my hand.  
Darumaka immediately yelled out and pointed towards me.  
I squinted at him, and then looked to my right as Elgyem’s eyes returned to their duller shade of red. “Elgyem! What are you doing?” I demanded angrily.  
“El…” He looked at me innocently, and then looked away.  
“Elgyem, what is your problem? Did you just attack my Pidove?”  
“Elgyem.” Elgyem floated away from me and sat on the bench, his back to me, his head down.  
“Pidove,” Pidove said weakly.  
“Pidove!” I turned to him and rocked him slowly in my arm. “Are you okay?”  
Pidove shook his head and turned to Elgyem angrily. “Pidove! Pidove!” He flew from my hands and started flapping his wings at Elgyem angrily.  
Elgyem turned around in surprise, staring up at Pidove.  
Darumaka was bouncing on the seat, pointing at Elgyem, shouting out angrily, and then repeatedly leaped from the bench, to the floor, to the bench, to the floor, to the bench, to the floor.  
“Will everyone stop, please?” I begged desperately.  
Pidove continued flapping at Elgyem, who turned his eyes to me, and then looked back to Pidove.   
Elgyem raised his hands and pointed them up at Pidove, and the dots on them blinked repeatedly.  
Pidove flew down to the bench and glared at Elgyem. “Pidove!” Pidove shook his head angrily, seeming to be unwilling to work with Elgyem.  
Elgyem lowered his hands and stared sadly at the bench he sat on.  
“Pidove!” He took a threatening step at Elgyem.  
Elgyem looked at Pidove and floated about an inch in the air, backing up a few feet from Pidove.  
“Pidove!” I narrowed my eyebrows as I spoke strongly.  
Pidove turned to me, a blank expression on his face, and he turned his head sideways. “Piii?” He straightened his head and then flew to the floor, pecking at something on the ground.  
“Pidove?” I said, confused.  
Pidove sat on the floor and closed his eyes peacefully.  
“Let me guess,” I sighed. “He’s completely forgotten what’s going on, again.”  
Darumaka snickered, one hand covering his mouth as he pointed at Pidove.

*

“I’ll find out for you right now,” a young man behind the front desk said with a smile as he stood up and disappeared behind a door in the back.  
I smiled and leaned against the desk, staring at the floor.   
After having spent a longer than intended amount of time with my Pokemon, which, for all the trouble it was, was worth it to see them again, I had walked back to the hospital.  
The new receptionist was kind and offered to find out what he could about June for me.  
I hope I’ll finally be able to see her, I thought impatiently. It’s been far too long to have not heard anything from her. I wonder if she’ll be able to travel with me. I wonder if she’ll be in a cast or a wheelchair or something.  
Someone walked into the hospital and I looked up. It was a girl wearing a pair of white boots, white jeans, and a white winter coat with a white, furry hood on her head. She was sniffling, her head down, covering her face in her hands, and she sat in the lobby, quietly sobbing.  
Poor girl, I thought to myself. I wonder what happened.  
The girl wiped at her eyes and looked up at the ceiling, tears twinkling in her eyes.  
I gasped and stared into those gorgeous, perfect eyes, and I immediately felt my body began to tremble nervously.  
The girl’s eyes lowered and met mine, looking down to the floor at first, but then they looked back up to me and she gasped. Frantically, she wiped at her eyes and squinted them at me, making her look rather cute. They widened in surprise and a smile that was meant to save the planet forced its way onto her face. She pulled off her hood, letting her shiny, black hair fall upon the most angelic face in the world, a black bow sitting on the right side of her head. She stood up and rushed over to me. “I know your name!” she cried out happily.  
“Ella!” I said in shock.   
“That’s my name! I need yours!” Ella laughed and reached out to me, resting her hand on my left shoulder.  
I nervously laughed with her.  
“That’s just a joke. But seriously, I met you in Nuvema Town! Darn it, why can’t I remember your name?” She looked upset at not knowing my name, her eyes red and puffy from her crying. Her gaze lowered to my sling. “And what happened to your arm?”  
“I’m Gary,” I said with a smile.  
“Gary! That’s it! Gary!” She took me by surprise as she wrapped her arms around my waist in a hug.  
I hugged her back with my left arm, stunned by this moment. She smelled like some kind of delectable fruit, and the inside of my mouth actually started salivating. I swallowed quickly. “Ella, what you doing here?”  
Ella released me and brushed away her hair, looking up at me caringly. “I came here to get a Badge from Elesa. I have four right now, and was trying to get my fifth, but Elesa won’t battle me. It was New Year’s Eve, so I decided to stay for the fireworks at least before leaving. And then…” Ella lowered her beautiful eyes and sniffled again.  
“Ella?” I wanted to wrap my arms around her and hold her for the rest of my life, but I somehow held back the urge.  
“I broke up with my boyfriend,” Ella whimpered and covered her face, bursting into tears.  
“You did?” I gasped happily, and a smile uncontrollably made its way onto my face. Ella looked up at me and I forced the smile away, hoping she didn’t see it.  
She stared at me for a moment and then nodded. “The night before New Year’s Day, at eleven-fifty. I called my girlfriend. She was telling me that he was cheating on me, and had some pictures to prove it. I called him, accusing him of it, and he admitted to it, and I lost it on him!” Ella stepped forward, crying even louder, and my arms shook.  
I felt like I was supposed to be holding her right now, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I didn’t want to freak her out by touching her while she was so emotionally distraught. It seemed wrong.  
“So, I stayed until the next day,” Ella continued, her voice shaking with emotion. “I called him up again, just to yell at him, and scream, and make him feel how hurt I was. He begged for me back, apologizing and all that crap, but I refused! Hell, no! Piece of junk boyfriend to actually cheat on me!”  
“Yeah! That ass!” The words burst from my throat, and Ella looked at me in surprise, her mouth open just slightly as I gazed back at her, my eyes wide in shock. “I’m sorry.”  
She smiled and nodded. “No! He is an ass! I don’t even know why I was calling him. I guess, I kind of missed him in a stupid way. I didn’t want him anymore, but I wanted him to feel my pain, and I wanted to know that he felt my pain. I wanted him to hear me out and then, I don’t know, maybe kill himself on the phone or something. I just hated him! How could he do this to me?”  
“Screw him!” I said, glaring down at Ella’s face that was strengthening and showing signs of happiness.  
“You bet!” Ella smiled. “I finally came to my senses the last time I called him and cursed him out before hanging up. I just stopped calling him.”  
“Good. Don’t give him the satisfaction of having you calling him. He just wants you to do that so he feels like he still has power over you.”  
“You are so right!” Ella’s eyes squinted with delight at me.  
I smiled back.  
“So, I was on my way to Driftveil City when that weird attack in the subway occurred a few days ago. Have you heard about it? It was an Aggron that blew up a part of the subway?”  
“Yes, I know of it,” I nodded firmly.  
“And something about a group of Exeggutor on an island close to here being burned alive! This is so sad. I can’t believe it. They’re even saying it all may have been intentional since both events happened so close to each other! Like, someone set it all up!”  
“It’s really scary,” I admitted. “I’m hoping it’s just something else. Someone on the news was saying that maybe it was just bad timing. Wrong people and Pokemon in the wrong place at the wrong time.”  
“That’s a lot of wishful thinking,” Ella said uncertainly.  
She was absolutely right, and I knew it.  
“So, the Driftveil Drawbridge is closed for the time being while they try to sort all of this out,” Ella told me. “That’s why I’m stuck here. Actually…” Ella looked around and her eyes widened in surprise. “Oh. Wow!”  
“What’s wrong?” I asked her.  
Ella turned back to me and laughed adorably. “I had no idea I had stumbled into hospital! I have no purpose here at all. I was crying so hard, I think I thought I’d found a store where I could purchase some chocolate to ease my emotional pain. But, here I am, in a hospital, where people are going through real problems! Ha ha! Are you stuck in Nimbasa because of the drawbridge, too? And, hey, didn’t you have your girlfriend with you?”  
“Um, she isn’t my girlfriend, but-”  
“Excuse me, Gary?” a voice called from behind me.  
Ella and I turned to see the receptionist walking back to his chair.   
“Yes!” I shouted, moving closer to him.  
His eyes widened in surprise at my shout. “June will be out momentarily.”  
“What?!” I gasped in shock, gaping at him.  
“Her doctor asked that she not check out so soon, but she is technically alright, and is refusing to stay,” the receptionist told me. “We can’t force her to stay, so she’s getting dressed and should be out in a moment.”  
“Wh-wh-wh-? Thank you! Yes!” I turned to Ella.  
She stared at me in confusion, a slight smile on her face. “What happened? Was she sick?”  
“No! During that subway attack, we got injured, and she’s been recovering for a while.”  
“Oh, no! Is that why you’re in this thing? You never answered why you had this on!”   
“I’m sorry. I must have forgotten. Long story short, we were pretty close to the attack and both of us got injured. June got it the worst, clearly.”  
“Do you know if she broke anything?” Ella asked.  
“I have no idea. This will be the first time I’ll be seeing her in nearly a week.”  
“Goodness! I hope she’s fine.”  
“She must be if she’s ready to leave,” I smiled.  
Ella smiled back and nodded.  
A door next to us opened.  
Ella and I turned sharply, moving out of the way.  
A wooden cane was the first thing that appeared out of the doorway. A leg bandaged in white gauze appeared right behind it, a thick, black medical boot over the gauze, both ending right above the knee where the black jeans leg was rolled up to. A second leg appeared in a black boot that was noticeably smaller than the other boot, and not as dark. A purple shirt on underneath a matching purple winter coat, June hobbled through the doorway, a cane in her left hand, the top of her head wrapped in bandages, a red baseball cap on her head, the bill facing forward.  
Ella and I gasped as we stared at June.  
June’s eyes widened and she let out a cry, her lips quivering. “Gary?”  
“June!” I breathed out, my heart rocking my body recklessly.  
“Gary!” June’s eyes filled with tears.  
“June!” I walked over to her and stopped short.  
“Gary, your arm!” She looked deeply into my eyes. Her face looked scratched up and bruised in some areas, but she was still just as beautiful as she had ever been in her entire life.  
“Just my shoulder,” I said. “It’ll be fine in a matter of days. Don’t worry about that.”  
“That’s great!” June laughed lightly. “I’ll be like this for a few weeks or so. Maybe less. They said I landed right on my knee at some point and then my head and arm slammed into the tracks after that explosion. It all only came back to me about an hour ago, really.”  
“I’d hug you if I could, June,” I told her.  
June’s eyes widened. “I would too, Gary. That would be really nice, wouldn’t it?”  
I nodded, completely unashamed.  
“And you two say you aren’t boyfriend and girlfriend,” Ella said slyly with a sneaky smile. “Who are you fooling?”  
“E-E-Ella!” June screeched loudly, staring at her in shock, seeing her for the first time.  
“June!” Ella ran over to her and wrapped her arms around herself. “I guess you can consider this the hug I’d give to you if I could right now!”  
“Aww! Muah!” June blew a kiss to Ella.  
“Muah!” Ella blew a kiss back.   
“My Ella! What are you doing here?” June gushed.  
Ella laughed. “Well, I won’t bore you with the details, but I was telling Gary that me and my boyfriend split, and I was really depressed and accidentally wandered into this hospital.”  
“You broke up?”   
Ella nodded, sadness coming over her face.  
“So, you’re single right now?”  
I squinted at June. Duh! Idiot.  
“Sadly, when two people split up, it’s defined as them being single in most cases,” Ella said with a sigh, looking up, trying to smile.  
June smiled as she shot me a long look.  
What? I wondered, looking at her, raising an eyebrow.  
June turned back to Ella, her smile vanishing. “I’m so sorry to hear that, hon.”  
“It’s alright,” Ella smiled stronger. “Talking to Gary made me feel a lot better, and I don’t even care about him anymore! He’s so in the past.”  
June turned to me again and a sinister smile crossed her face before she turned to Ella lovingly. “Wonderful! So, why are you in Nimbasa?”  
“Well, originally I was trying to battle Elesa, the Gym Leader here, but she refused to battle me.”  
“Why is that?” I piped up.  
“Oh, well, that’s just it,” Ella said thoughtfully. “I have no clue why. She opened the door, dressed in a beautiful, sexy blue dress, and then yelled at me to leave, saying she isn’t going to battle, and then said something about being old, and then slammed the door! I kept on knocking, but she didn’t answer again.”  
“Elesa did that?” June asked in disbelief.  
“Strange, huh?” Ella crossed her arms.  
“Very,” June nodded, and she turned to me.  
“And with that strange subway attack, the Driftveil Drawbridge is closed until further notice, so, I’m kind of stuck here.” Ella’s eyes were glued to June’s.  
My eyes on Ella, I thought about what she had told us about Elesa. She turned to me and I quickly looked away and stared at June.  
June snickered at me and then turned to Ella. “Well, Ella,” June said with a mischievous look on her face. “I say we all stick together for a while and work on getting that Badge from Elesa!”  
My eyes popped in my skull.  
“You mean, you, me, and Gary? Traveling together?” Ella whispered, an excited look on her face.  
June nodded quickly, turning to me and giving me the quickest wink I’d ever seen in my life.  
Something about that wink made me not trust her. I had a feeling that June was up to something. “Um…”  
“Deal!” Ella shrieked happily.   
“Excuse me,” the receptionist whispered loudly. “I’ll need to ask you three to either be quiet or step outside.”  
“Oh, sorry!” Ella giggled. “Come on, you two!” Ella walked ahead of us.  
June turned to me and winked again, following Ella.  
“June, what do you think you’re doing?” I whispered angrily.  
June ignored me and walked out of the hospital as Ella held open the door.  
Ella smiled and waved for me to follow.  
I had no choice at that moment, and I walked towards her and out the door. “Thank you.”  
“Of course. Now, like I was saying, Hell yeah! I mean, if Gary’s okay with it!” Ella fluttered her eyes at me.  
My eyes widened in shock and my heart fluttered like mad inside of my body as confusion caused my mind to panic. This isn’t real, I thought to myself. This is a joke. What do I do in this kind of a situation? I’ve never been in this kind of a predicament! Why me? I just want to train Pokemon! Why is this girl looking at me like this? ME?? I swallowed hard before managing to force my lips apart. “Why not?”  
“Ha! You had me nervous there for a moment!” Ella laughed. “I mean, if you don’t want me to travel with you, you can tell me. I’m a big girl. I can take no for an answer.” Ella pouted and crossed her arms, turning her back to me.  
Travel with me? I thought. It’s June and me! Not just me! Why is she acting like this? It’s so… adorable! How is she even more attractive to me now? What’s going on? “Um, no! It’s fine! Honest!”  
“No, I can travel? Or, no, you don’t want me to? Hmph!” Ella shifted her shoulders.  
If she doesn’t cut this cute act out, I’m going to propose to her, I thought, a nearly uncontrollable urge to just reach out and hold onto her making my body twitch as I struggled not to do it. I inhaled deeply. “Ella, I’d sincerely be happy to have you join June and I on our journey if you’d like to.”  
Ella flipped her hair to the side and turned her head to me, smiling. “Really?”  
Kiss her, kiss her, kiss her, a voice said in my head. Do it, man. DO IT!  
I nodded. “Really,” I said shakily.  
“Then you’ve got yourself a new traveling partner, Gary,” Ella smiled, turning around completely to face me.  
“Yyyyyes!!” June cheered happily. “Welcome, Ella!”  
“Thanks, June!” Ella smiled at June, but quickly turned back to me. I may be completely crazy, but it almost looked like Ella’s eyes slowly, seductively, blinked at me.  
“Well, three’s a crowd! I’ll see you two another time! Bye!” Ella’s last words she said to me and June before leaving us in Nuvema Town with Trixa the first time we all had met, rang through my head. “Three’s a crowd!”  
Me.  
June.  
Ella.  
That’s three people, I thought.   
“Three’s a crowd! I’ll see you two another time! Bye!”  
As June and Ella, two extraordinarily attractive girls, chatted excitedly with each other in front of the hospital.  
As my mind dwelled on the two attacks that occurred both inside and just outside of Nimbasa City.  
As I thought about my upcoming Gym battle.  
I did the only thing I could possibly do at the time.  
Looking up into the sky, the light pollution blocking out the stars, I inhaled deeply and held my breath for a while.  
My breath came out in a mixed sigh filled with confusion.  
Worry.  
Fear.  
Sadness.  
And least of all.  
Somewhere in the convoluted mix of various other emotions.  
Happiness.


	26. Banned From The Bolt

Pidove. The Tiny Pigeon Pokemon. Pidove aren’t especially intelligent, but love the company of humans. They are often located in cities.

Excadrill. The Subterrene Pokemon and Drilbur’s evolved form. Their nests are located over 300 feet underground and they build amazing mazes to keep out intruders.

Elgyem. The Cerebral Pokemon. To protect itself, it may use its Psychic powers to squeeze its opponent’s brain. This Pokemon is typically friendly but very shy.

Cottonee. The Cotton Puff Pokemon. This Pokemon can shoot cotton from its body to distract foes, preferring not to battle.

Darumaka. The Zen Charm Pokemon. It prefers to live in the desert, enjoying the rough environment. When asleep, they pull their arms and legs into their bodies and cannot be tipped over, the internal flame in their bodies then shrinking.

Tympole. The Tadpole Pokemon. Tympole can communicate through vibrations and sounds, though it unknown what it is feeling to humans.

Galvantula. The EleSpider Pokemon and the final stage of Joltik. Multiple Galvantula will occupy the same tree at one time. When attacked, they create electric barriers.

Rotom. The Plasma Pokemon. They live in electric appliances, taking over the objects they possess. By doing this, they pull pranks on people and seem to get a thrill doing so.

Vaporeon. The Bubble Jet Pokemon and one of Eevee’s evolved forms when the Water Stone is applied. This Pokemon can breathe underwater, unlike Eevee’s other evolutions and Eevee itself, and can also melt into water, walk on water, and glide in the air for very brief periods of time due to its fins.

Electivire. The Thunderbolt Pokemon. This is Electabuzz’s evolved stage. Electivire can be brutes in battle, often unconcerned with their wellbeing when going into combat.

Magneton. The Magnet Pokemon and Magnemite’s evolved form. Magneton can emit peculiar radio waves that can damage electronic equipment and also raise the temperature slightly. They usually don’t bother humans unless provoked.  
“Wow! You guys have some of the coolest Pokemon!” Ella exclaimed happily, looking up from her Pokedex.  
Servine. The Grass Snake Pokemon and the evolved form of Snivy. Servine moves very quickly, appearing to be sliding when running along the ground. They keep their bodies clean to allow for proper photosynthesis.

Pachirisu. The EleSquirrel Pokemon. Full of energy, this Pokemon tires out those pursuing it. It may shock others when its body builds up too much electricity.

Druddigon. The Cave Pokemon. It warms its body by absorbing sunlight from its wings, but usually stays inside of caves.

Boldore. The Ore Pokemon. The evolved form of Roggenrola. The energy within its body is constant and is oozing out of its body in the form of the orange crystals found on them.

Gurdurr. The Muscular Pokemon. This is Timburr’s evolved stage. This Pokemon hangs around with its friends, often boasting about their huge muscles. It always carries around a heavy, steel beam.

Musharna. The Drowsing Pokemon. Munna’s evolved form. It is often found asleep, but always wakes up when spotted, implying that it is aware of its surroundings even when sleeping, though this is not yet confirmed and arguable to prove.  
“Your Pokemon are really cool, too, Ella!” I smiled at her as I lowered my Pokedex.  
“Yeah! I’ve never seen some of these Pokemon!” June added, squinting at them. “But that one is familiar to me.” She pointed at Pachirisu.  
Ella looked down at her Pachirisu and smiled at it.  
It looked back up at her and let out a cheerful cry.  
“That’s my little Pachirisu,” Ella said, her voice lowering to a more gentle, calm tone. “They’re from the Sinnoh region, originally. Out of all the Pokemon I own, this is the only one not from Unova.”  
“How did you catch one?” June asked curiously.  
Ella didn’t take her eyes off of Pachirisu.  
Pachirisu cried out and ran up to her, its tail on end, wagging swiftly.  
Ella’s smile lessened and she kneeled down, petting her Pachirisu’s head.  
Pachirisu squealed and crawled up her arm, running quickly around her shoulders and then disappearing under her white coat.  
Ella laughed like crazy as she fell onto her back, yelling for Pachirisu to stop. Her coat swiveled and bulged as the electric squirrel ran underneath it, tickling Ella. “Pickles! Pickles!” she cried with laughter.  
Pachirisu leaped from her coat and stood on Ella’s face.  
Ella grabbed her Pokemon in her hands and sat up, breathing hard, smiling mischievously at her little Pokemon.  
“Aww! You and your Pachirisu are really close!” June commented. “It’s like you’ve known each other for years! This is such a delight to see.”  
Ella giggled. “Pachirisu is my favorite Pokemon. I love all of the many Pokemon I’ve captured, but me and Pachirisu…”  
Her first Pokemon, Servine, as well as all of Ella’s other Pokemon, had their eyes on their Trainer and Pachirisu happily.  
“What’s pickles?” I asked.  
“That’s our safe word,” Ella explained. “I say it when we’re playing so he knows when to stop. Sometimes, he’s just a little too energetic and playful.”  
“Ah, okay. That makes sense.”  
“But, where did you get him from?” June asked again.  
Ella looked down at Pachirisu and rubbed his head. “He was given to me,” she said softly.   
“As a gift? From who?” June inquired.  
The smile on Ella’s face faded, and she stood up, holding her Pachirisu. Sadness became evident and she silently returned Pachirisu to his Poke Ball. Soon afterwards, she had returned all of her Pokemon. She faced June and swallowed nervously. “I should change my shirt. He tore it up as he usually does. Excuse me, please.”  
I swallowed nervously at the mention of her now torn up shirt.  
She stood up and walked into the Pokemon Center that stood several feet away from us.  
June and I exchanged glances before turning back to where Ella had left us.  
“What did I say?” June asked, a hurt tone to her voice.  
“You were being too nosey,” I scolded her, and returned my Pokemon to their Poke Balls. “You don’t need to ask people so many questions. You must have touched a sore spot.”  
“I had no idea!” June’s eyes filled with sorrow.  
“Well, let’s just not bring it up when she gets back, alright?” I insisted.  
June returned her Pokemon and then sadly looked down.   
June, Ella, and I had been standing outside of the Pokemon Center this morning, excited about starting a new day as traveling partners.   
Ella had suggested that we show all of our Badges and Pokemon that we had in order for us to get better acquainted with one another. She had four badges, three of which were from Gyms I hadn’t encountered at all. The only Badge I recognized from her was the Trio Badge. She also claimed that she hadn’t lost to a Gym Leader so far.   
After showing her my badges, Ella and I scanned each other’s Pokemon, Ella using her Pokedex to also scan June’s.  
This is sure going to be a lot more different of a journey with me and June injured like this, I thought as I looked up into the sunny sky, a freezing cold breeze blowing nonstop into my face, forcing me to squint as my eyes watered.  
“Hey, guys!” I heard a voice call out as the door to the Pokemon Center opened, and Ella came out with a big grin.  
“Ella! Are you okay? I’m really sorry,” June apologized. “I didn’t mean to pry.”  
I just said not to bring it up, I thought angrily, glaring at June.  
Ella gazed into June’s eyes. “Don’t worry about it. Let’s just forget about it. I was kind of wondering where you guys wanted to go from here. I mean, since Elesa won’t battle me, and the news says that the Driftveil Drawbridge is still closed, the only real option we have is to head back from the entrance into Nimbasa City and get back onto Route 4, and then take a really long detour to the closest Gym, which would be…” Ella pulled out her electronic Town Map and touched the screen several times. “…Daint City. That’s where Fay, the Fairy type Gym Leader, is at. But it’s really deep in the woods and supposedly hard to reach.”  
“But, I don’t understand why Elesa won’t battle you,” I said, looking at Ella’s perfect face.  
“You can find out for yourself if you’d like,” Ella offered. “We should take a walk there. With the trains down, it’s not going to be a short trip, but we can talk on the way. We can swap stories and stuff about our adventures so far!”  
“Sounds nice,” I nodded.  
Ella’s dazzling smile glimmered at me, and I felt completely swoon by her.  
“You know, if I didn’t want to see Elesa so badly, I’d stay at the Pokemon Center,” June said mysteriously, a sinister grin on her face.  
“Huh?” Ella and I turned to June in confusion.  
“You two look awfully cute together right now,” June teased. “I feel like a third wheel.”  
My face grew intensely hot and I found myself rubbing each of my cheeks in turn with my left hand. “What are you talking about, June?” I snapped at her angrily. I was too embarrassed to even look over at Ella.  
“Oh, now June, don’t feel threatened or anything, okay?” Ella giggled.  
“Me? Threatened? Oh, not at all,” June said slyly. “In fact, I’d gladly stay behind and let you both battle Elesa, and I could visit her after you two have battled her and are healing your Pokemon, if you’d like. This will be a long walk to her Gym, right? All the more reason for you two to have a nice, roman-”  
“June!” I growled angrily. “Please, stop.”  
“Aww, Gary isn’t too interested in me, it seems,” Ella smiled at me. “I guess we should all travel together.”  
“I-” I had no idea what to say. No. I knew exactly what to say! I just couldn’t get myself to spit it out!  
Ella turned away, giving me a last second look, and led the way down the street.  
June silently motioned towards Ella, her eyes on me.  
“June, quit it!” I whispered sharply, and walked away from her and after Ella, wondering what I should say and do.  
June followed behind us, getting used to her cane and busted foot.  
Ella eagerly filled June and I in on her journey so far. She had managed to capture about forty-eight Pokemon so far, had been in about thirty battles with Pokemon Trainers, not including Gym Leaders, had lost about half of those matches, and hadn’t met Trixa at all since they split in Nuvema Town.  
I told Ella that Trixa had been with me and June for a while before an argument drove her away. Ella seemed kind of upset that we had been fighting, and I could feel my heart pounding as I worried about what she thought of me as a person. I found myself trying to downplay the argument, painting Trixa out to be the overemotional one. A part of me believed that she was, but another part of me felt that I was the one who was in the wrong.  
Ella laughed at me a little when I told her I only owned six Pokemon, but I reminded her that I also own ten other Pokemon back in Kanto before realizing that Ella still had more than twice of the Pokemon I did. Ella pointed this out, and I felt extremely stupid and got silent. She apologized to me, realizing I was now embarrassed, but I acted like everything was fine, secretly vowing to capture a truckload of Pokemon at every given opportunity.  
June spoke on her previous work as a Gym Leader back in Kanto, and the hard work and pressure that came along with it. The same pressure that made her angry with her Electabuzz’s battling skills and drove her to evolve him, resulting in the sour relationship the two had for each other now.  
Ella was drawn in by this story and gazed at June in shock, gasping as June detailed a lot of what had occurred on our journey through Kanto together.  
My eyebrows furrowed when she mentioned the fights her Electivire and my Ivysaur got into often. Ivysaur, I thought bitterly.   
I had once owned an Ivysaur, although I use the word “owned” loosely. Ivysaur was my late friend, Aly’s, chosen Starter. When the two had met, Ivysaur was only a Bulbasaur, and it was like love at first sight. They seemed like they were made for each other. But once Bulbasaur had evolved, she began to disobey Aly and would attack anyone and anything she wanted. When Aly died, Prof. Oak was having trouble taking care of Ivysaur due to her temperament, and asked me to raise her. I agreed to it, but found myself having the same problems Aly did. Ivysaur rarely listened to me, but won a few matches for me as well, usually disobeying my orders in the process. On the way to the Pokemon League, I had decided to send her out during a battle with a Trainer and realized that Ivysaur was no longer in her Poke Ball. Although June and I searched for her for a while, I soon accepted that she was gone for good.   
“And you still haven’t sorted things out?” Ella asked June, a sad look on her face.  
June smiled and shook her head. “Not yet, but I have hope that one day, we can put all of this behind us. I don’t blame him for his anger towards me. I really don’t at all.”  
Ella nodded. “That’s still so sad, though.” She turned to me. “So, you have an Ivysaur, huh? That’s really cool. Is it in Kanto?”  
“Um, she was,” I mumbled. “Ivysaur was like June’s Electivire. She didn’t listen to me. She pretty much hated me, really. She ran away from me before the Kanto League took place.”  
“I guess everyone runs away from you, huh?” Ella smiled. “I hope you don’t scare me away, too.” She winked at me in a manner that made my body tremble and weaken.  
I shook my head quickly. “She was just a more independent Pokemon, I guess.”  
“Gary tried very hard with Ivysaur,” June defended me. “She really was a hard headed Pokemon.”  
“Where are your Kanto Pokemon at? I was hoping you’d have some with you.”  
I paused, my mouth open to speak. “I’m… Just still getting used to my Unova friends, here. My Kanto buddies are still with Prof. Oak. I’ll see about letting you see them, though. Right now, I’m still getting close with these six.”  
“Hmm.” Ella’s head tilted towards me as her eyes forced their way into the very depths of my soul, to the point where I had to look away from her.  
“Hey, that wasn’t too bad of a walk, huh?” Ella pointed ahead.  
“Is that the Gym?” June gasped.  
A building ahead of us stood out stunningly with its unique design of black bricks, streaks of yellow between each individual brick, and white zigzags along the front and sides. A white design involving a Poke Ball sat at the top.  
“This is definitely it,” Ella said wearily and sighed. She turned to me. “Gary, good luck.”  
I stared at her, confused, but nodded and then led the way towards the electronic twin doors.   
The blue doors, outlined in gold, didn’t open when I stopped in front of them.  
“I had to knock,” Ella told me. “I knocked for almost ten minutes before Elesa finally came out.”  
“Ten minutes?” I raised a determined fist and knocked on the doors.  
The three of us waited.  
“You’ve got to do better than that,” Ella informed me.  
“Fine,” I replied, glaring at the doors, and knocked much harder and louder.  
The three of us stared at the doors.  
“Why wouldn’t Elesa be here?” June questioned.  
“She’s here,” Ella answered as I banged on the doors repeatedly. “I’m certain that’s not the problem at all.”  
“You mean, you don’t think she’ll battle Gary, either?”  
I didn’t hear Ella say a word as I banged even harder on the doors. “HEY! I’VE COME HERE FOR A POKEMON BATTLE! LET ME IN, PLEASE!” I shouted before angrily slamming against the doors again. “ELESA! ARE YOU HERE? ELESAAAAA!”  
Suddenly, the doors slid apart and we all gasped, taking a few steps back.  
“ELESA!” June screamed, and hobbled past me, grunting in pain, stopping in front of the woman before us.  
The woman was tall and had short, messy blonde hair on top of her head that didn’t even reach her shoulders. She looked tired, dark bags under her blue eyes, and was clearly not wearing makeup. She also looked very furious. She was wearing a black and yellow nightgown that reached her knees, and long, black socks that stopped at her ankles. “GO AWAY!!! LET THIS OLD, DYING WOMAN FADE AWAY, WILL YOU?!”  
My eyes were wide in shock as I stared at her. “Elesa?” I squeaked.  
“You can’t even tell it’s me, huh?” Her eyes suddenly filled with tears, his face twisting into sadness. “Just go away! I know I look like death! I am death!” She wept in front of us, tears rolling down her cheeks. “Just let this shadow of a former, glorious beauty wither away into eternity! Please!” Her eyes narrowed at June, and then at Ella. “You!” Elesa hissed at Ella. “How could I forget you?! Come back to rub your youth in my face, and also bring a young girl equally as glamorous?” Elesa’s eyes hardened as they landed on me, but then she burst out crying again. “DON’T LOOK AT ME!!!” She backed away from the doors, and they slid shut.  
The three of us stood there with our mouths to the floor, none of us speaking a word.  
“Well, she was there for you longer than she was for me,” Ella said slowly.  
I turned to June and Ella.   
June turned to Ella and I.  
Ella stared at June and me.  
“I guess I met my idol,” June said sadly, lowering her head.  
“What… was that?” I exclaimed.  
A loud cry from behind the doors rang out, making the three of us jump, and we turned around as the doors slid open again, Elesa glaring out at us, tears pouring down her cheeks. “What was that? What was that??!!” she screeched. “That horrible, ugly, vicious, stomach churning, nightmare creating thing was me!! ELESA!! The world’s ugliest living creature!!!!” She backed away from the doors and they slid shut. The sound of her hysterical cries from behind the doors faded until they could no longer be heard.  
The three of us stared at the doors, stunned.  
“I-I-I-I-I d-didn’t mean it that way,” I stammered.  
“I know,” Ella said, crossing her arms. “I don’t understand what’s going on. She acted just like this when I was here alone.”  
“Why would she say she’s ugly?” June asked. “She looks like she needs some sleep, and she has not a spot of makeup on, but, damn it, I’d love to look as good as she does, even on some of my best days!”  
“I agree,” I told June and Ella. “She looked great! What’s wrong with her?”  
“She called herself old,” Ella noted. “Elesa’s only about twenty-eight, maybe. Late twenties, but not even thirty I’m pretty sure! I’m kind of worried about her. Looks like we may have to head to Daint City after all.”  
“This doesn’t make any sense! She’s a Gym Leader!” I yelled, turning to the Gym building. “She can’t just refuse our challenges!”  
“Well, I’m not willing to try bothering her again. I really think we should just leave Nimbasa City.”  
“But…” I glared at the door.   
“Gary, I’m freezing,” June complained. “Can we discuss this inside or something?”  
“Yeah, June’s right,” Ella said.  
I was just about to agree that I was rather cold as well when a gentle hand landed on my left shoulder. I turned around to see Ella staring into my eyes.  
“Could we warm up together, inside? Please?” Ella begged innocently. “It’s just too cold out here to discuss this.”  
My entire body warmed up immediately, but I nodded. “Sure. Let’s go inside for now.”  
Ella smiled and clasped her hands together. “You know what I was thinking, actually?”  
“What?”  
“You and I should have us a Pokemon battle! And then, we should head back to the Pokemon Center to heal our Pokemon and warm ourselves up.” She gently bumped me with her elbow, which, for some reason, made my face flush with red hot embarrassment.  
“Um, whatever you say,” I replied nervously. I noticed June staring at me from the corner of my eye and I turned to her.  
She was smiling broadly and nodding her head quickly, her eyes bright.  
I shot her a dirty look before looking back at Ella.  
“A battle will get us warmed up, and since Elesa won’t battle us, we might as well do so.” Ella backed up several feet away from me and grabbed a Poke Ball. “I was thinking that we should have a three-on-three match. How’s that sound?”  
“Works for me, Ella.”  
“I’ll referee, then!” June hobbled over to the side, away from us. “This will be a three-on-three battle between Ella and Gary! There’s no time limit! First person to lose their Pokemon is out!” June smiled sneakily. “You two play nice, not naughty, okay?”  
“June!” I shouted at her, baring my teeth.  
Ella giggled. “I’ll behave if Gary will.” She stared at me seductively.  
No. There must have been a different word for it. I just didn’t know what it was.  
“Let’s go!” June exclaimed.  
“Servine, you’re up first!” Ella tossed her Poke Ball at the ground.  
“Servine!” her snake exclaimed, standing up tall.  
Hm, the Grass type Pokemon, Servine, I thought. “Pidove, I’m going with you, first! GO!” I threw his Poke Ball.  
“Piiii!” Pidove cried out, flapping his wings in the air.  
“A good choice, Gary,” Ella nodded. “Obvious, but good. Good luck. We’re here to do our best!”  
“Same to you, Ella,” I nodded. “You should go first.”  
“How gentlemanly of you!” Ella fluttered her eyelashes at me.  
I could feel my cheeks getting hot in the cold and I looked down, struggling not to smile too hard.   
“Servine, use Growth!” Ella said strongly, taking me by surprise as I looked up at her.  
Servine’s body was outlined in a light green glow that faded after a moment.  
“Pidove, use your… um…” I froze. She’s so pretty, I thought as Ella stared at me with a determined glare, waiting for my move. I’m really battling Ella right now. She’s traveling with me. This is like, a dream come true! I should ask her out. When we’re alone. When June isn’t around. When it’s just me and Ella…  
“Um, Gary?” Ella called out to me, staring in confusion.  
“Gary! Pay attention, will you?” June yelled at me.  
I glared at June. “I am! I was just… thinking about something.”  
“Oh, I’m well aware. Try thinking about the battle!” June said seriously.  
“I was thinking about the damn battle!”  
“Well, I think we’ll just go first again! Servine, use Leech Seed this time!” Ella ordered Servine.  
A seed poked out from the leaf on top of Servine’s head and shot out at Pidove.  
“Pidove!” I shouted. I opened my mouth to order him to use Gust, but my eyes focused on Ella as she balled her fists, glaring at the battle between our Pokemon, completely focused on it.  
She looked so cute being so serious. Seeing her in battle mode was amazing. It was easy to see how badly she wanted to win and how serious she was about it. I was taken aback by her in this moment, and watched as her face slowly eased up and she looked at me in surprise. “Gary? What’s wrong? It’s your turn to attack.”  
“Gary!” June yelled at me.  
“What?” I shouted back, and then I noticed my Pidove.  
He was on the ground, the seed on top of his head, vines from the seed wrapped around his body, sapping his health!  
“Pidove! No!” I shouted. “Oh, no! Pidove, get out of there!”  
“What is wrong with you, Gary?” June screamed at me angrily.  
“Are you feeling alright, Gary?” Ella asked with concern. “Are you sure you want to battle? You don’t seem too focused right now.”  
“No, I do!” I shook my head hard. “Pidove, try to use your Air Slash!”  
Pidove was unable to move, screaming out as his health was sapped from him.  
Ella sighed and stared down pitifully at my Pidove. “Servine, end this now! Slam attack!”  
Servine moved really fast as she sped towards Pidove, lifted him in the air, and with a strong jump, slammed his body to the ground.  
“Leaf Tornado, now!” Ella commanded.  
Servine, still in the air, spun in place, turning upside down, and a light green, green, and dark green tornado with glowing, light green leaves inside of it appeared at the end of her tail. She spun her body fast, her tail controlling the tornado as it lowered the tornado onto Pidove and she stopped spinning, her body flipping right side up, and hovered in the air.  
The tornado sucked up my Pidove helplessly and spun him around, finally crashing to the ground before dissipating.  
Pidove moaned weakly.  
“Pidove is out. Servine wins,” June said, staring at me with disappointment.  
“Yes! I can’t believe this! Servine, that was great!”  
“Pidove!” I cried. “I’m so sorry! Come back! Where was my head at? This was my fault, not yours.” I returned him to his Poke Ball.  
June shook her head at me, but I ignored her.  
“Gary, I know you can do better than that,” Ella smiled at me. “Show me what you’ve got!”  
“Okay, this time, it’s on!” I grabbed Darumaka’s Poke Ball. No, I told myself. That’s a bit mean. That’s not very fair. I clipped the Poke Ball back on my belt and grabbed a different one. “Tympole, go!”  
Tympole appeared from his Poke Ball and bounced along the ground happily.  
June gasped, staring at me as if I had lost my mind.  
“Tympole is a Water type!” Ella said, confused. “Why a Water type against my Grass Pokemon?”  
“Um, well.” I took a moment to think up a reason. “You beat my Flying type with a Grass type. Type doesn’t really matter much, now does it?” I smiled, satisfied with my answer.  
“Hey, good point!” Ella said excitedly. “Alright, then! Servine, use Leaf Blade, now!”   
Servine ran towards Tympole, her tail glowing light green.  
“Tympole, use Rain Dance, now!”  
Tympole cried out as he was slashed by the Super Effective move and bounced across the ground. He struggled as he turned to Servine, groaning, and he started bouncing hard, faster and faster, his body glowing blue, until he looked like a bouncing blue ball. The blue raised itself from his body and into the sky, exploding sharply, and the clouds immediately darkened and moved to block out the sun. With a rumble of thunder, it began to pour rain. Tympole bounced even quicker.  
Ella pulled her hood over her head and smiled at me, seeming thrilled by my choice of a move. “Servine, Leaf Blade again!”  
“Tympole, dodge that and return with Supersonic!”  
Servine tried to slash Tympole, but Tympole was a lot quicker, avoiding her attacks as both Pokemon moved like lightning, Tympole jumping and ducking Servine’s powerful, fast strikes. He bounced off of the ground as he avoided another Leaf Blade and bounced off of Servine’s head, getting higher into the air. My Pokemon opened his mouth and let out a shrill cry, circles of noise hitting Servine in the head.  
Servine grabbed her head and screamed, and her eyes turned red. She stumbled around, Confused.  
“Okay, now use your Uproar!”  
Tympole landed and opened his mouth wide. A loud cry emitted from his mouth.  
June and I could only raise one hand to one of our ears in a poor attempt to block out the ear piercing scream, Ella raising both of her hands to her ears, but still scrunching up her face, the noise coming through.  
Servine stumbled back, covering her ears, her eyes closed, crying out.  
“SERVINE! STOP IT!” Ella begged.  
Servine stumbled around the field, seeming unable to focus. Her eyes suddenly opened and she glared with her Confused, red eyes at Tympole. In a flash, she ran towards him.  
Ella had one eye open as she watched Servine charge at Tympole.  
“Finish it with Leaf Blade, now!”  
Servine’s tail glowed light green and she leaped at Tympole.  
“Tympole, keep it up! Dodge those swipes!” My eardrums began to throb.  
Tympole bounced at high speed, dodging Servine’s moves and still deafening everyone with her Uproar.  
“That’s right! Take it out, Tympole! GO!”  
“Serviiiiine!!” Servine slammed her tail down upon Tympole’s head, finally catching him.  
Tympole was silenced and remained still, a worn out look in his eyes.  
I lowered my hand from my ear and sighed from the relief my ears were getting.  
June was sitting on the ground, wet from the rain, rubbing her bandaged head. “Could you not do that again?” she moaned.  
“Are you alright, June?” Ella asked her, a worried look on her face.  
“I’m sorry, June!” I said sincerely. “I wasn’t thinking.”  
“That’s twice today,” June said, a displeased look on her face. “Tympole is defeated! Servine wins this one as well!”  
“Tympole, thanks for a great battle. Return!” I smiled down at Tympole’s Poke Ball before putting it back on my belt.  
“That was fun, Gary! I can’t wait for what’s next!” Ella’s face was getting soaked in the rain, her hair pressed against the sides of her face underneath her hood. It seemed she looked enchanting no matter what she was doing or what condition she was in.  
“Okay, let’s see,” I said, staring at my belt. Servine’s still Confused, but won’t be for much longer, I thought. What should I use to beat her? Alright, I guess it’s his turn. I can’t look bad and get swept like this. “Darumaka, I’m counting on you!”  
Darumaka landed on the ground, immediately looking up at the sky, displeased with the rain.  
“I guess you ditched the types don’t matter strategy?” Ella smiled at me.  
“Um, I guess,” I laughed a little, unsure of what to say, feeling embarrassed. My eyes lowered away from Ella to Darumaka. “Darumaka, pay attention! It’s time to win this one! Use your Fire Punch and take out Servine, now!” I instructed him.  
Darumaka let out a cry and ran towards Servine with a blazing fist.  
His punch went right over Servine, Servine stumbling, Confused, but not really moving anywhere.  
Darumaka swung again with his other flaming fist, missing, and stumbled past Servine.  
“She’s right in front of you, Darumaka! Just hit her!” I shouted.  
Darumaka shouted angrily and finally slugged Servine in the face.  
“Viiiine!” Servine dropped onto her back, but she still got back up slowly, shaking her head. The red in her eyes was gone as the Confusion faded.  
“Darumaka, use another Fire Punch!”  
“Leech Seed, now!”  
Darumaka ran at Servine as Servine launched a seed at him.  
“Darumaka, Flare Blitz instead!”  
Darumaka lowered his head and his body was set ablaze. Flying into the air, he collided with the Leech Seed, making the tiny seed burst into flames, and he flew right into Servine.  
Servine screamed loudly as she collapsed.  
Darumaka landed a few feet away, the flames gone from his body, and he flinched as the pain from recoil hit him.   
“Servine has been defeated! Darumaka wins!” June stated.  
“Alright! That’s how to do it, Darumaka!” I congratulated him.  
Darumaka faced me and nodded happily.  
The rain suddenly calmed to a drizzle, and the dark clouds lightened. In a matter of seconds, the rain stopped and the sky was back to its early afternoon, wintery, gloomy brightness, the sun shining above doing little to add warmth to my body.  
“Guess Rain Dance is over,” Ella said, looking up into the sky.  
Darumaka leaped in the air repeatedly, happy about this.  
A suspicious look came over Ella’s face. “Hm. Alright, let’s see how you react to this! I choose you!”  
“Druuudigon!” Ella’s Dragon type roared.  
“Oh, crap,” I said, my left shoulder dropping. “Fire moves won’t do well against a Dragon type.” I pulled out my Pokedex to check Darumaka’s other moves since I couldn’t remember them at the moment.  
“Druddigon, let’s start this off with Dragon Claw!” Ella wore a stern look, pointing at Darumaka.  
Druddigon roared angrily and charged ferociously at Darumaka, both of its claws glowing light blue. It swiped at Darumaka, flinging him back easily.  
Darumaka gasped in pain, holding his stomach.  
“Darumaka! Can you keep going?” I shouted to him. “Darumaka!”  
Darumaka pushed himself up and stood strong, jumping up and down, glaring at Druddigon, showing his energy.  
And here I was trying to be fair and easy on her, I thought, staring in shock at Ella. What was I thinking? As a Pokemon Trainer, I should be ashamed of myself, and I am. What took over my mind? Those perfectly shaped eyes? Those slightly pouty lips? Her noticeably curvy hips? How tight her jeans fit on her body?  
“Gary!” June’s voice ripped me from my thoughts.  
“What?? Um! The moves!” I remembered. “Darumaka, use your Headbutt!”   
Darumaka ran quickly with his head lowered, aiming for Druddigon.  
Druddigon braced itself.  
Darumaka soared into the air, flying past Druddigon, and landed on the ground, stumbling around in confusion. He looked back at Druddigon angrily.  
“Why is he missing?” I shouted.  
“I own a Darumaka myself, Gary,” Ella informed me. “They have an Ability called Hustle. It makes their moves very powerful, but it also results in loss of Accuracy. It can be frustrating.”  
“Well, that explains it,” June said.  
“Darumaka, try your Thrash, then!”   
Darumaka leaped, chattering angrily, and slugged Druddigon in the face.  
Druddigon cried out, shocked and stumbling back.  
Darumaka closed his eyes and stopped attacking, holding his fist.  
“Darumaka, what happened now?!” I was getting tired of all of these weird surprises during this battle.  
Darumaka glared at Druddigon and jumped high, kicking Druddigon in the face.  
Druddigon was knocked over and Darumaka landed on his feet.  
My Pokemon lifted his foot that connected with Druddigon and grabbed it, bouncing up and down on his other foot.  
“Somebody, please, explain this to me!” I begged weakly.  
Darumaka reached out, running in fury towards Druddigon before jumping into the air, and he landed on top of the other Pokemon, kicking and punching and clawing at the Dragon type, but it seemed like every hit was delivering pain to Darumaka as well!  
“Druddigon, get Darumaka off of you and use your Dragon Rage!” Ella told Druddigon firmly.  
Druddigon’s tail smacked Darumaka back, and it was able to get to its feet.  
Darumaka landed on his back, but he jumped back up and with a mad screech, leaped at Druddigon.  
Druddigon opened its jaws, and with a loud, threatening roar, fired a blue and black beam at Darumaka. The beam took the shape of a blue and black dragon and collided with Darumaka in a powerful, loud explosion.  
Smoke filled the area between Ella and I briefly, blocking our Pokemon from view. When it cleared, Darumaka was on his back, beaten.  
“Darumaka is out! Druddigon wins this match!” June smiled at Ella. “Ella is the winner!”  
“ALRIGHT! Druddigon, we did it! Yes!” Ella ran over to her Druddigon and hugged it.  
Druddigon smiled and leaned against her.  
“Darumaka.” I walked over to him.  
Darumaka opened his eyes and looked up at me. He sighed as he sat up and lowered his head.  
I sat down on the ground and rubbed his back. “Don’t feel bad. That was pretty tough, huh?”  
Darumaka nodded, still upset over his loss.  
“Gary, you did really good,” Ella said from close by.  
I saw that Ella was standing right behind me, her Druddigon a few feet away. My eyes remained on the ground as I slowly climbed to my feet, refusing to look her in the eyes, and I kept my head down, embarrassed. Her hand extended towards me, and I looked at her. She was smiling, and it made me smile, and I grabbed her hand gently, shaking it. The feel of her skin on mine was magic, lightning itself lifting me off of my feet for as long as we were touching.  
“Thanks for battling me, Gary,” she said softly.  
“Thanks for the battle,” I nodded. “I learned a whole lot. Except, what was up with Darumaka in the end with attacking your Druddigon? He kept getting hurt whenever he landed a hit.”  
“It’s an Ability called Rough Skin, Sugar Lumps.”  
My blood ran cold as I turned around in shock with a startled jump and a gasp.  
“Courtney?” June gasped.  
Courtney.  
She stood in a pink winter coat with a hood on her head, wearing a pink beanie hat, her blonde hair peeking out from under it, a few strands in her face. On her nose sat thick-framed, pink glasses. She had on white jeans and pink, fur boots, a pink backpack hanging tight on her shoulders. Her hands were inside of large, white gloves.  
“Druddigon’s Ability, Rough Skin, hurts the opponent that attacks it with a Physical move,” Courtney explained. “That being said, the Pokemon with that Ability won’t harm anyone it knows and trusts. The Trainer is usually safe to touch the Pokemon if they have a good relationship. I must admit, it’s cute how after all this time, you still seem to know absolutely nothing.” She laughed for a moment before staring at Ella. “Well, well, got rid of that other girl you had for this little cutie pie. We’re a ladies’ man in Unova, are we, Gary?” She turned to June and sneered. “I see you still can’t get over the redhead, though. At least you’re considering better options, I guess.”  
“Courtney, I’m going to f-!!” June moved as quickly as she could with her cane and wrapped up leg, ready to attack.  
“June!” I wrapped my arm around her waist and held her back.  
“Gary, that hurts! Get off of me!” June struggled.  
“Ow, June! You’re hurting me, too! Stop acting like an idiot for once, will you?” I screamed at her.  
“Yeah. What did happen to you two?” Courtney asked calmly as June and I struggled with each other.  
“Never mind, Courtney. Just beat it, will you? What are you doing in Nimbasa, anyway? Are you here to battle Elesa?” I demanded.  
“Huh? What did you say? Just beat it? Sure thing,” Courtney winked. She turned to Ella and smiled sweetly. “I hope he ends up with you, personally. I’d take him myself if I were single. You’re not crippled, so you’re in the lead in two categories! Bye, now!” She strolled away from us, laughing.  
“OW!” I screamed as June struggled even harder in my grasp, making my right shoulder move painfully. “June, please! Calm down!!”  
“Gary, let go of me! MY LEG!! OOOOWWWWW!!!! My head is splitting apart!! GET OFF! IT HURTS!!” June shrieked.   
“Then stop trying to attack Courtney!!” I begged her, my shoulder burning now. “AAAAHHHHH!!!!!”  
“I’ll do what I want!!”  
“You guys, please! I don’t understand what’s going on!” Ella cried frantically.  
There were people outside, a few of them stopping to watch, some of those few even taking pictures and filming a video of this bizarre scene, while others just watched as they walked by us, some smirking, others laughing, the rest looking confused.  
Our original concern had been figuring out what we were going to do about earning our next Badge if we couldn’t get Elesa to battle us.  
Now, my main concern was stopping a physically, and perhaps, slightly mentally, handicapped June from killing Courtney.


	27. In The Eye Of The Bolt Holder

“You really think this is going to work?” June asked me.  
“As a Gym Leader, you’d think she’d have to accept challengers,” Ella sighed wearily. “For us to go through this is ridiculous.”  
“Well, if this doesn’t work, we’ll have to backtrack our way out of this city and onto Route 4 to try and find that place Ella told us about,” I stated.  
“Daint City,” Ella reminded me. “The home of Fay, the Fairy type Gym Leader. But, like I think I told you before, it’s hidden very deep in the woods and from what I’ve heard, just about nobody makes it there.”  
“Then it’s settled,” I nodded. “We have to get our Badge from Elesa. The Driftveil Drawbridge is still locked down.”  
“But if this plan doesn’t work, then what are we gonna do?” June asked.  
A light drizzle of rain fell from above as the three of us stood outside of the Nimbasa City Gym, looking at the twin doors in front of us.  
“She might not even answer,” June added. “I don’t even think I want her to at this point.”  
“Why? Isn’t Elesa one of your idols?” I joked, turning to her with a big smile.  
“Shove it, Gary,” June said seriously.  
I snickered before turning back to the door.  
“I’ll get the doors for you.” Ella walked up to the doors and raised both fists, proceeding to beat against them repeatedly. “ELEEEEESAAAAAAA!!!! OPEN UP!!! WE WANT TO BATTLE YOU, PLEEEEASE!!!”  
“Ella!” I called out. “You have to be nicer about this! You can’t start off by yelling at her like that.”  
“I know, I know,” Ella smiled. “I just want to grab her attention. She won’t even open the doors unless we can lure her here.”  
“I guess...” I replied uncertainly.  
Ella winked at me and I was forced to smile back, her utter cuteness insisting on it. She turned back to the doors and beat against them some more, screaming for Elesa to open them.  
I turned around to see people walking by, staring at us as if we were a group of crazy children, which I guess is what we looked like. Some stopped to watch us, and I shot them dirty looks to scare them off. Only a few people walked away at my glare, while others stood their ground and stared back at me silently.  
“PLEEEEEEASE!!!! ELEEEEEEESAAAAAAAAAAA!!!” Ella continued. “It’s three in the afternoon!! You have to be awake right now so GET YOUR PRETTY SELF OUT HERE!!!”  
I sighed and turned to June.  
June brushed her hair aside and watched Ella intently.   
Ella kept calling out to the building she was beating her fists against, raising her leg a couple of times to kick it hard, the doors thumping against her foot.  
She’s in there for sure, I thought, glaring at the doors. She just has to come out. This has to work. Come on, Elesa. Open up.  
“IF YOU DON’T OPEN THIS MOTHA-!!!” Ella stopped and watched as the doors slid apart. “Oh. Hee hee.” She moved to the side, out of the way.  
June edged away from me slowly as well.  
Elesa glared down at the three of us, her short blonde hair still a mess, as if she had just gotten out of bed. She was wearing the same black and yellow nightgown and black socks we saw her in last time. The bags under her eyes showed an immense lack of sleep on her otherwise surprisingly gorgeous face. Her blue eyes went from Ella, to June, and then to me. Her eyes were cold as ice on the two girls, but they seemed to soften just a little bit when they landed on me.  
Swallowing hard, I took a step up to Elesa. “Good afternoon! It’s a beautiful day today, and I can see that you’re looking lovely as well,” I greeted her nervously with my best smile. “I think we got off on the wrong foot the other day, so I really was interested in starting over anew. These are for you, ma’am.” From behind my back, I pulled out a bouquet of roses. “I hope you like these.”  
Elesa’s eyes didn’t even blink as they remained glued to my eyes. Her eyebrows furrowed and I immediately knew I had done something wrong. “Ma’am?!?!” she screeched through gritted teeth.  
“Wait!” I pleaded.  
Elesa smacked the roses out of my hand and they fell to the floor near Ella.  
Ella looked down at them and then back up to Elesa, fear in her eyes.  
“Come to rub in my face how old and ugly I am, huh?!!” Elesa barked.  
“No! I wasn’t trying to say that! I was trying to be polite!” I tried.  
“Trying to show respect to your elders, were you???”  
“No! No! Elesa, please! You don’t look old at all, for crying out loud!”  
“LIAR!!!”  
“Eighteen is not old!!!” I screamed at her angrily, taking a step towards her.  
Elesa’s eyes bulged out and she gasped.  
There was silence amongst the four of us, all eyes now on me.  
Elesa’s face turned from shock to a slow, threatening anger as her eyes gave the warning of danger, her lips curled back in a snarl that reminded me of an attacking, vicious dog, and her hands turned to fists that went to the sides of her face. An inhuman growl came from her throat. “You have the nerve to now RIDICULE ME?!?!”  
What did I say now? I wondered, taking a couple of steps back, my eyes wide with fear.   
“Do you take me for an IDIOT?!?! EIGHTEEN?! I haven’t been eighteen in AGES!!!!!” Elesa bellowed.  
Don’t give in, Gary, I instructed myself. Keep going. “WHO CARES???” I shouted, stepping towards her again. “You look amazing at whatever age you are!! I don’t give a damn how old you are!! I just think you’re an extraordinarily beautiful woman and I came back here to let you know that! You’re the most attractive woman I’ve seen during my time in Unova! Period! I couldn’t sleep after the last time we met when you mistakenly thought I said something about you being unattractive! I know I’m just a little boy with no hope of being with someone as stunning as you, but what people say about how remarkably attractive you are is an understatement to your beauty in person, and I’m developing a hard crush on you!”  
Elesa’s face softened to a blank stare as she stared down at me.  
I was trembling on the spot, my left arm in a tight fist at my side, glaring up at her, my heart knocking rapidly against my chest.  
“What did you say?” Elesa whispered, her voice trembling, her eyes filling with tears. She raised her hands higher, her wrists pressed against her face, her elbows pressed together underneath her chin.  
“I-I said I have a crush on you,” I stammered. “I-I-I think you’re b-beautiful.”  
“Gary means it!” June chimed in. “That’s why me and Ella are here. He was too nervous to tell you to your face, and was hurt about what happened last time between you. We told him he just had to tell you how he felt!”  
“Yeah,” Ella agreed. “He was so shy, though. How adorable is that?” Ella smiled at me.  
I could feel my face getting really hot all of a sudden.  
“It is cute…” Elesa said softly.  
“Huh?” I stared with wide eyes into Elesa’s smiling face.  
She walked up to me and knelt down onto one knee, her nightgown rising up her legs. Her right hand gently caressed my face and she leaned in even closer.  
My eyes nearly popped out of my skull as I froze, unsure of what to do next. This wasn’t a part of the plan at all.  
“What happened to you, cutie pie?” she cooed. The bags under her eyes were even more evident up close, and I could see that her eyes were red. She clearly wasn’t getting a lot of sleep. Her eyes also looked puffy, as if she spent a lot of time crying.  
“I, um, huh?” I trembled, my chest beating from my heart kicking it so hard.  
“Your sling,” she said, not taking her eyes off of me. “You’ve been in some kind of accident, haven’t you?”  
I nodded slowly. “Well, there was this incident in the Nimbasa Subway. I was down there when the attack happened, with-”  
“You poor, sweet angel!” Elesa cried. She wrapped her arms around my neck gently.  
Admittedly, I really liked the attention she was giving me. It was a struggle not to smile in the moment. I inhaled the sweet aroma of perfume coming somewhere from her body.  
“You said something about your time in Unova, right?” Elesa was now rubbing the back of my neck. “Are you not from here?”  
Her touch tickled me, and my face broke into a smile as I snickered a little bit, trying not to laugh. “No. I’m from Kanto, actually.”  
Elesa tsked softly as she shook her head. “Poor baby. I apologize that your first trip to Unova has given you such a terrible memory.”  
“Thank you, Elesa.” I smiled more as the back of her hand rubbed against my right cheek.  
“You really think I’m the prettiest girl you’ve seen in Unova?” Elesa whispered, moving her face even closer to mine, our faces nearly touching.  
I nodded quickly, focusing my eyes on Elesa’s, determined not to lose contact. “You’re perfection, Elesa. I’d love to know more about you. I’m just a silly little kid with a silly little crush, but if there were any chance of it happening, I’d love for it to become more.”  
Elesa’s face turned a deep red very fast and she smiled, her eyes lowering.  
This is really working, I thought in disbelief. Just stay on the path. Don’t swerve. “I’ve heard a lot about you. I know that you raise Electric type Pokemon and are the best when it comes to using those types.”  
Elesa looked up at me lovingly. “I love Electric type Pokemon with all my heart, but how about you and I talk about that later. You’re welcome to come in and we can talk all about each other, if you’d like.”  
“Um…” I turned to Ella, who had her arms crossed, staring at Elesa in confusion and shock.  
“Unless you’re only being sweet on me to battle me for a Gym match for you and your girlfriends, and then will just desert me if you win!” Elesa snapped suddenly, standing up and crossing her arms, glaring at me.  
“No! It’s not like that! These aren’t my girlfriends! I’m not seeing anybody! It would be an honor to battle you, but, it’s not a priority of mine at all! I came here for a battle, but then I saw you and I think I’ve realized that I want more out of life!” Good one, I told myself. That might just work.  
Elesa let out a thrilled cry and wiped at her eyes.  
Great, I thought. What have you gotten yourself into, Gary? “I’ll bet you’re every bit as strong as you are beautiful.”  
Elesa’s hand went to her cheek as she looked up into the sky, blushing.  
“So, since this will be my last day with my two friends, will you honor us both with a Pokemon battle?” I asked her. I could feel June and Ella’s stunned eyes focusing on me, but I maintained eye contact with Elesa.  
Elesa brushed aside her hair and smiled down at me. “Yes, I gladly will,” she nodded. “Oh, I feel like I’m sixteen again!” She sighed happily, her eyes closing. “Okay.” She turned to Ella and June, a look of disgust on her face. When she turned back to me, she wore a winning smile. “If it’s alright with you, please come back in about three hours. I need to call up the referee. I haven’t seen her in ages and I hope she’ll come around to judge our match. I also need to get into some more appropriate clothing.” She giggled lightly. “I’ll see you soon, sweetie pie.” She winked.  
I smiled and nodded. “Thank you, Elesa.”

*

“I think she’s nuts,” June said. “I totally think she’s lost it completely. I’d rather just go to this Fairy Gym at this point. I mean, she’s in her twenties, right, Ella?”  
“Late twenties, at least...” Ella nodded silently, staring at the ground.  
“And you’re thirteen, Gary!”  
“I just want the damn Badge, June,” I said angrily. “Let’s just battle her, get that Badge, and run like Hell.”  
“She’s insane, Gary! She’ll probably kill herself or something if you do that! You built up her confidence just to battle her! She’ll never trust men again!”  
“That’s not my problem,” I shrugged. “I mean, I don’t wanna be like that, but, like you said, she’s out of her mind. We need to maybe call the police or the Pokemon League officials or whoever to see her. She needs help.”  
“Yeah, but you’re still about to battle her right now,” June said disapprovingly.  
“She probably thinks I’m older than I am,” I reasoned with June. “She can’t be that desperate to want to be with some random kid. She’s a doll! She could get any man she wants!”  
We stopped in front of the Nimbasa City Gym and looked up at it. It was three hour later, and the three of us had returned, as promised.  
“I don’t feel good about this,” June said warily.  
“It’ll be fine, just watch. Me and Ella will get our Badges, and then we’ll figure out a way to just go,” I told her reassuringly.  
“Maybe you could say you’ll come back after you challenge the Unova League,” Ella suggested. “If things go wrong, I mean. You could convince her that you’ll return to her as something really great and respected. You could tell her that you’ll defeat the League in her name and honor! It’d be like a love story! How romantic would that be? What girl wouldn’t want to be with a Pokemon League Champion?”  
“Good idea, Ella!” I said happily. “We’re all set. Let’s get that Bolt Badge.”  
I stepped up to the twin doors to knock on them, but to my surprise, they slid apart immediately.   
We walked into a small room.   
The red walls had yellow protrusions reaching from the floor to the ceiling. A blue door at the end of the room slid open once we reached it, revealing a room that looked similar to the one before it, except, on the wall to the left stood a large blue door with a yellow lightning bolt design on it, and in front of us sat a track car on a track that lead into a dark tunnel.  
“Hey! That’s how you reach Elesa!” Ella said excitedly. “You get in the car and it takes you on a roller coaster ride to her. It’s supposed to be really fun!”  
“That sounds nice, but what’s that?” June walked over to the car and picked up a piece of paper that was taped to the back of it. “Gary, please take the elevator to your right to reach my Gym. The others can take the roller coaster.” June lowered the note she read and looked at me in confusion. “Is she serious?”  
“Great. We’re just ‘the others.’” Ella rolled her eyes. She shook her head, sighing. “Well, I guess we better just do what she says.” She placed a hand on my left shoulder. “Good luck, Gary.”  
“But why?” June questioned, looking down at the note again.  
“Let’s just do what she says, regardless of why,” I suggested. I walked over to the elevator and it opened immediately. The inside was a silver, metallic color with a blue hue. I stepped inside and turned to June and Ella.  
“June, get in quickly!” Ella urged as she climbed inside of the car.  
June turned to me uncertainly as she slowly got into the car.  
The elevator door closed.  
Where are the buttons? I wondered as I looked around.   
I gasped as the elevator suddenly started moving, taking me down silently. In what couldn’t have been more than five seconds, the elevator stopped smoothly and the door opened.  
“My sweet, sweet Gary!”  
Something wrapped around my neck carefully before I could see what it was, but I knew who it had to be before I finally recognized her.  
“My sweet love, how are you? It’s been too long since we saw each other.” Elesa removed me from the elevator and pressed me up against the wall next to the door. She was now wearing black high heels, yellow and black striped pantyhose, and a stunningly tight yellow dress that showed off every imaginable curve on her thin body.  
The small room we were in looked just like the rooms before, closed twin yellow doors at the end.   
We were alone.  
“You’re so cute. You know that, right?” Elesa said softly, her face mere inches from mine. She was wearing makeup now, black mascara around her eyes, her face now containing a glow to it that wasn’t there earlier, and even the bags under her eyes seemed to be almost entirely gone, though her tired eyes still looked red.  
“Th-th-thank you. You-you’re looking amazing, as always.” My eyes kept moving up and down her frame, mesmerized by the shape of her body in what she was wearing, unable to stop my eyes from checking her out as my heart beat nervously, wondering what was about to happen next, and what that amazing scent that was coming from her body was.  
“You seem a little nervous, Shnookums.” She leaned her face in even closer. Her lips, slightly red from a light amount of lipstick on them, puckered out towards me.  
This is wrong! I thought frantically. She’s about to give me my first kiss! This isn’t how I imagined it would be, nor the person I imagined it might be with! She’s a Gym Leader! An adult! No, no. She can’t! She won’t! She wouldn’t!  
Elesa closed her eyes and leaned in even closer, her lips ready to touch my mine.  
My eyes widened as I swallowed hard, and I closed my eyes, preparing for the kiss.  
A sound near the end of the room, followed by a few gasps, made my eyes open.  
Elesa had her eyes open wide as she stared at me.   
The slightest movement forward from either of us would have caused our lips to touch.   
She turned around and gasped.  
Ella, June, and another woman were standing by the now open doorway, shocked looks on their faces.  
“Elesa?” The woman squinted at Elesa. She wore a pair of black sweatpants with one yellow stripe on each leg. Her hoodie was striped in yellow and black. Thin white gloves covered her hands. Her short, dark blonde hair bounced lightly as she shook her head in disbelief. “What are you doing?”  
“I was just…” Elesa said nervously, her face turning red. She turned to me quickly and then turned back to the woman. She didn’t speak for a while, everyone staring silently at her. “…giving him a little hug. He seemed nervous about battling me. Anyway, let’s all get to the battlefield, shall we?” Elesa turned to me and winked before walking away, swaying her little hips, stepping through the doorway.  
The woman with June and Ella stared at me for a moment before following Elesa.  
Ella and June ran up to me.  
“Are you okay?” June whispered.  
“Looks like we got here at the right time,” Ella said. “That roller coaster ride sure was fun, though.”  
“I’m alright. Who’s that woman?” I asked.  
“That’s the judge Elesa told us about,” Ella answered. “She was just outside the door when we got here, wondering where Elesa was.”  
“Good thing she found her,” I sighed. “Let’s get this battle over with. At this point, I’m thinking I’d rather battle Fay.”  
The three of us walked after Elesa and the judge, who were standing in another small room, and the yellow doors slid shut behind us. A short, wide, blue platform was in front of the door we stepped through, and we stepped down from it, walking over to Elesa and the judge in this new brown room. We all stood near a closed set of purple twin doors with a yellow lightning bolt in the middle.  
“This is where we’ll be battling,” Elesa waved at the doors, turning to smile at me.  
I nodded with a smile as the doors slid apart before us, a bright white light shining through the opening.  
“Wow!” June, Ella, and I exclaimed as we stared at the huge battlefield before us.  
“This is huge!” I cried excitedly as Elesa and the judge led the way inside, and the doors slid shut behind us.  
The entire Gym was painted yellow, with lights along the ceiling and walls, pink hearts and blue and yellow circles painted all over the walls. Two large balconies hung near the ceiling, one over each side of the battlefield, but no one was in them. The battlefield wasn’t a flat portion of the floor, but rather its own risen platform built up. Most of it was yellow, outlined in white, and the rest of the small area around the white line was black, outlined in a light blue. A thin path resembling a runway extended from the field to the door we had walked through, the other end reaching to closed twin doors on the opposite side of the room. The path reflected our images like a mirror. The closed doors behind us were colored a deep sea blue with a thin, pink circle, the closed twin doors on the opposite side of the room matching them. The remaining two walls held more designs and paintings, one containing a Poke Ball design. A circular blue platform sat on either side of the battlefield where me and Elesa would stand, made of the same reflective glass material that the runway had.  
Elesa walked like the professional model she was down the runway and to the end of the battlefield, and the referee walked to a short, blue stand outside of it.  
I turned to Ella and June.  
June nodded determinedly. “Good luck. She may be out of her mind, but she’s still a Gym Leader. Please, be careful.”  
“Hurry up so we can get out of here,” Ella winked. “Take her out, then I’ll have a go, and we can figure out what’s next.”  
I smiled and turned to walk away.  
“Hey,” Ella said suddenly.  
I stopped and turned back to her. “What?”  
“Even after we beat Elesa, if the Driftveil Drawbridge is still closed, we won’t have much of a choice but to try and find Daint City,” Ella realized.  
She’s right, I thought as I lowered my eyes. Without a word, I turned away from them and left them by the door as I walked to my end of the battlefield. My eyes met mine in the reflection beneath me. How could someone looking like that be sweeping an angel like Elesa off her feet? Age aside, I pondered miserably at myself.  
“This will be a three-on-three Pokemon battle between Nimbasa City Gym Leader, Elesa, and Gary from the Kanto region!” the referee shouted. “Only the challenger is allowed to substitute Pokemon. When one trainer is out of usable Pokemon, the match is over. There is no time limit. Let the battle begin!” She waved her hand.  
Elesa raised her hand to her mouth and blew me a kiss. “Good luck, baby. It’s time for the battle you desired. Now prepare to watch me glow! Emolga, dazzle for the stage!” She threw her Poke Ball.  
“Emolga!” a cute rodent Pokemon cried as it stretched out its wings and glided around the field.  
Emolga. The Sky Squirrel Pokemon. Using their cape-like membrane, Emolga can glide from tree to tree. It sometimes shocks people and Pokemon for fun as it glides away, leaving the victim confused.  
“Emolga. Electric and Flying??” I gasped. “No way!” This must have been what June was talking about, I realized. Excadrill won’t be much use. “Alright, then let’s start things off with Darumaka!”  
Darumaka jumped around excitedly on the battlefield as he appeared from his Poke Ball.  
“I insist that you have the first move, honey,” Elesa said lovingly. “The bright light is shining on you!”  
“Um, thanks,” I said, blushing. I shook my head hard and focused. “Let’s begin with Headbutt!”  
Darumaka lowered his head and ran at Emolga.  
“Emolga, use Discharge!” Elesa said with an energetic, captivating smile, her blue eyes twinkling lovely.  
Emolga’s body was covered in a bright flash of electricity and several bolts fired at Darumaka.  
Darumaka leaped around one, but got zapped by the next jolt. He dropped to the ground and remained still.  
“Darumaka!” I stared down at him, my eyes wide. “Darumaka, get up!”  
“Her Pokemon are really powerful, Gary!” June called out to me.  
“Darumaka, we’ve got this! Get up and let’s keep fighting!”  
Darumaka’s eyes closed even tighter, and he pushed himself back up, turning quickly to Emolga with an angry look on his face. He jumped repeatedly, yapping sharply.  
“That’s the spirit, Darumaka! Don’t give in! Now use-!”  
Darumaka’s body suddenly glowed in a bright flash of light, interrupting my orders.  
“Darumaka!” I gasped, taking a stunned step back.  
Darumaka’s body widened and lengthened, strengthened and bulked up. When the light faded, my new Pokemon flexed his muscles and roared his name threateningly.  
Ella and June gasped behind me.  
Elesa and Emolga wore matching, shocked faces.  
The referee stared at my Pokemon in disbelief.  
Darmanitan. The Blazing Pokemon and Darumaka’s evolved stage. A very physically strong Pokemon, some have been recorded using Psychic abilities even better than their physical prowess in rare, specific circumstances.  
“My Darumaka evolved into Darmanitan!” I cheered. “Alright! YES! Congratulations, Darumaka! Um, Darmanitan!”  
“Daaaaarmanitaaaaaan!!!” Darmanitan flexed his arms.  
“Alright! And Hustle is no longer your Ability! You have Sheer Force!” I noted gratefully, putting away my Pokedex. “Let’s continue with the battle and use Roll Out!”  
Darmanitan leaped into the air and curled up into a ball. He rolled as he landed on the ground and flew right into Emolga.  
“Emooool!” Emolga was forced through the air and landed hard.  
“Emolga, no!” Elesa reached out to her Emolga who was just a few feet away.  
Emolga shook its head and stared in shock as Darmanitan crashed into it again, with even more force. “Mooooooolga!” Emolga uttered. Sliding on the ground, it bared its teeth and struggled back up.  
“Emolga, use your Volt Switch, now!” Elesa begged.  
Darmanitan moved quickly to roll into Emolga again.  
Emolga hopped to its feet and leaped high. It put its hands together and a large ball of electricity appeared. It tossed the ball at Darmanitan and it hit, outlining his body in yellow as he roared in pain. Emolga suddenly glowed red and vanished.  
A white beam hit the ground, and a new Pokemon stood there!  
“Hey! What? You just retreated Emolga!” I accused her.  
Elesa looked stunned at my accusation. “I would never cheat! Volt Switch is a move! I didn’t substitute the Pokemon!”  
“Volt Switch?” I pulled out my Pokedex.  
Volt Switch. The user attacks the opponent, and is then switched out with another Pokemon in its Trainer’s party.  
“Oh…” I said stupidly.  
“Volt Switch does not count as substituting a Pokemon,” the referee declared. “The match may continue.”  
“Fine, so what’s that thing?” I asked.  
Stunfisk. The Trap Pokemon. They are tickled when they are hit with Electric attacks or use their own Electric moves. Despite being an Electric and Ground type Pokemon, they are often found at the bottom of lakes. When washed up on beaches, they shock those who step on them.  
Darumaka was still in the midst of his Roll Out and slammed into Stunfisk.  
“Stun! Stun! Stun! Stun! Fiiiiisk!” Stunfisk’s body flapped wildly like a fish out of water as it was sent flying.  
“Stunfisk, Earthquake, now!”  
Stunfisk stopped flapping about and with surprising force, it slammed down to the ground, rocking the field.  
Darmanitan unraveled from his attack as the Gym quaked, tossing him through the air, and he came crashing down heavily. “Dar…” he moaned weakly.  
“Darmanitan! Don’t give up!” I shouted.  
“Darmanitan is unable to battle,” the referee waved at Elesa. “Stunfisk wins!”  
“Didn’t the spark of that battle just tickle you?” Elesa gushed, her eyes squeezed shut, smiling adorably, shaking her shoulders in excitement.   
“That wasn’t bad at all,” I admitted, returning Darmanitan. “That was full of surprises. But now, I’m going with Cottonee!”  
“Coooottoneee!” Cottonee cried out happily as he was sent from his Poke Ball.  
“Cottonee, use Stun Spore, now!”  
“Stunfisk, use your Bounce attack!” Elesa ordered.  
Cottonee’s Prankster Ability let him move faster as he sprayed Stunfisk with Stun Spore, Paralyzing it.  
“Stun! Stun! FIIIISK!” Stunfisk’s body sparked, showing signs of Paralysis, but then the sparks ended, and Stunfisk now seemed to be laughing! It leaped into the air, flapping its fins almost as if it were flying!  
“Whoa! What’s that?”  
Stunfisk turned around in the air and flew back down, right into Cottonee with the Super Effective move.  
“Cottoneeeee!!” Cottonee was forced down, bouncing along the ground before coming to a stop.  
“I wouldn’t try to Paralyze my Stunfisk,” Elesa giggled. “Its Ability, Limber, makes Paralyzing it impossible.”  
“Limber…” I whispered. “Hmph.”  
“Dizzying, wouldn’t you agree?” Elesa winked, staring at me seductively, one finger to her mouth.  
“Then use Giga Drain, Cottonee!”  
“Fly out of the way!” Elesa commanded.  
“Fly?”   
Cottonee’s body glowed green, the two leaves on the sides of his body glowing the brightest, and a pair of light green beams flew from his leaves, reaching for Stunfisk.  
Stunfisk leaped quickly, out of the way, and flapped its fins. To my complete amazement, Stunfisk was hovering in the air!  
“No way!” Ella shouted.  
“Go, Stunfisk! Illuminate brightly for all to see!” Elesa laughed, extending her arms into the air excitedly.  
Stunfisk flew around as Cottonee tried to grasp it with Giga Drain. It flew around in poor fashion, but good enough to stay out of the way of getting hurt.  
“Now it’s our turn to Paralyze you, sweetie!” Elesa blew me a kiss. “Thunder Wave!”  
“Poison Powder!” I reacted quickly.  
Cottonee moved first, spraying a purple and black powder on Stunfisk.  
Stunfisk coughed and choked on the powder, dropping to the ground. It continued to cough hard as its face flushed with purple.  
“Stunfisk!” Elesa’s face was shocked.  
“Now we’ve got it! Giga Drain it!” I told Cottonee.  
Cottonee attacked with Giga Drain and caught his prey, sapping its health and restoring his own.  
“Stuuuuuuunnnnn!!” Stunfisk wailed as it struggled to break free.  
“Drain it, Cottonee! Finish it off!” I urged.  
“Stunfisk, no!” Elesa’s hands rose to her cheeks.  
After another moment, Cottonee’s Giga Drain ended.  
“Fiiisk…” Stunfisk uttered in a low voice.  
“Stunfisk is unable to battle! Cottonee is the winner!” the referee waved to me.  
“Alright! Cottonee, you did it! That was great!”  
“Cottonee! Cooottoneee!” Cottonee was flipping in the air.  
“Return,” Elesa said sadly, returning her Stunfisk, slouching her back. She wiped at her eyes, but then stood up tall, keeping her eyes closed, and took a deep breath. Her smile returned to her face and her eyes opened as she went for another Poke Ball. “We’re far from done. It’s time to shine bright! Go, Emolga!”  
“Emoooolgaa!” Emolga flew out from its Poke Ball, soaring around.  
“Use Stun Spore, now!”   
“Emolga, Thunder Wave, quickly!”  
Cottonee Paralyzed Emolga with Stun Spore, but right after, Emolga stunned Cottonee with Thunder Wave.  
“Return!”  
Cottonee was returned to his Poke Ball.  
Elesa stared at me, a slightly surprised look on her face.   
“Okay, this time I’m going with Excadrill! Go!” I threw his Poke Ball.  
“Excadriiiiiill!” Excadrill leered at Emolga.  
“A Ground type! I was wondering if you had brought one or not,” Elesa commented.  
“I wasn’t sure if I would use him or not, but I think it’s time. Use Rock Slide!”   
“Emolga, watch out! Double Team!”   
Emolga’s body split into multiple copies rapidly as Excadrill called to the skies, creating white circles in the air that dropped enormous boulders. Many of the rocks tore through the clones of Emolga as they all tried to avoid getting hit.  
“Emoooool!” Emolga was hit, the rest of the copies disappearing instantly. Emolga hit the ground and its little body twitched as it struggled to get back up.  
“Slash attack to wrap this one up!” I called out.  
Excadrill’s claws glowed white as he charged at Emolga and slashed at the downed squirrel.   
Emolga’s painful cry rang out through the Gym as it was forced back, flying right into Elesa’s arms.   
“Oh!” She stumbled backwards, finally falling. “Emolga!” She looked up at me, her eyes watering, giving me a hurt look.  
“Elesa!” I took a step towards her.  
“Emolga is unable to battle! Excadrill wins!” the referee said, waving to me.  
“Are you okay?” I called.  
She sadly lowered her head and let out a hurt cry, returning her Emolga. She wiped at her eyes with both hands and stood up. Managing a smile, she lowered her hands, but I could see the lightly smeared mascara on her face. “You’re quite amazing, I must say. But, I’m not out of useable Pokemon, yet. I still have one more left. I absolutely have to win!” She glared at me, which took me by surprise. “Eelektross, my Electric Queen, shine brighter than the sun!” She sent out her final Pokemon.  
“She has an Eelektross!”  
“Yes, my dear Eelektross,” she said, a hint of pride in her voice. “My most powerful Pokemon.”  
“We’ll see just how powerful it is,” I said eagerly. “Excadrill, use Earthquake and take that thing out!”  
“Excaaadriiiill!!!” Excadrill jumped high and came back down to the floor, shaking the Gym with tremendous force.  
The referee cried out as she was easily tossed to the ground.  
Elesa also fell onto her back from the strong quake.  
June and Ella called out from behind me.  
I stumbled around uncontrollably.  
Eelektross’ body sparked with electricity as she… immediately hovered in the air!  
My eyes widened as I tried to make sense of what I was seeing.  
Eelektross was in the air, outlined in electric sparks, avoiding the Earthquake attack!  
When Earthquake ended, Eelektross gently descended, and the sparks around her body disappeared.  
“Impossible! What was that?” I couldn’t believe what I had just seen!  
Elesa got to her feet and dusted off her clothes with a smile. “Honey, Eelektross’ Ability is Levitate,” Elesa explained. “Ground moves will not work on her.”  
The referee climbed to her feet, shaking her head, and then maintained a focused glare at the battle.  
I swallowed nervously. Elesa really knows what she’s doing, I thought. I wasn’t prepared for this. Okay, so Ground moves won’t work, and Steel moves on an Electric type aren’t very strong. “Excadrill, use your Slash attack!”  
“Cadriiiillll,” Excadrill groaned. He was bent over, his body sparking.  
“Gary, he’s Paralyzed!” June informed me.  
“Huh? Why? From what?!” I turned to her.  
“When he used Slash on Emolga! Emolga’s Ability is Static! Contact with that Pokemon may cause Paralysis!” June told me.  
I angrily turned back to the battle.  
“Eelektross, let’s truly sparkle this time! Flamethrower!” Elesa twirled her hand above her.  
“She knows Flamethrower?!” I shouted in horror.  
Eelektross cried out and a stream of fire flowed from her gaping jaws, burning Excadrill.  
My Pokemon fell to his knees.  
“Excadrill, don’t give up! We can win this battle!” I encouraged.  
Excadrill struggled to get back up after the flames had finally died down.  
“Excadrill, Swords Dance, now!”  
Excadrill raised his claws and they glowed a dark purple as he slashed at the air, boosting his Attack.  
“Hone Claws, Eelektross!”  
Eelektross’ claws glowed white as she slashed at the air to increase her Attack and Accuracy.  
“Slash attack!”  
“Eelektross, use Brick Break!”  
“Excadriiiiiill!!” Excadrill’s claws glowed white as he ran at Eelektross.  
Eelektross raged loudly as she flew at Excadrill.  
Excadrill’s claws swiped at Eelektross as Eelektross swung a glowing white fist down on Excadrill’s head.  
Eelektross flew back, sliding on the ground on her feet.  
Excadrill staggering about lazily, finally dropping.  
Eelektross shook her head and then roared victoriously to the ceiling.  
“Excadrill is unable to battle! Eelektross is the winner!!” the referee announced, waving at Elesa.  
Elesa giggled. “Looks like all you have left is that cute little Cottonee. You’re a great Trainer, Gary. You’ll be a wonderful boyfriend.”  
The referee’s eyes widened to the size of basketballs as she whipped her head to Elesa and then to me.  
I turned away from the referee and forced a smile at Elesa. “I… can’t wait!”  
Elesa blew me another kiss, and I slowly, nervously returned it with a kiss of my own.  
I have to win, I thought. I can’t give in this fast. There must be a way out of this. “Cottonee! You’re my last Pokemon! Let’s give it our all! Go!”  
“Cooooottonee!” Cottonee sang out.  
Now what’s the better option? I thought quickly. Stun Spore, or Poison Powder? Stun Spore lowers the Speed, but-  
“Allowing us to go first?” Elesa asked. “You’re just too sweet.” She winked at me. “Flamethrower! Now!”  
“Wait! Um!” I was lost for words as Eelektross attacked.  
Cottonee screamed out shrilly as he was consumed by the flames.  
No! I screamed angrily in my head. This can’t be the end. There has to be a way out of this! We can’t lose like this! We can’t lose at all! Me and Ella have to beat Elesa!  
The flames died down and Cottonee was on the ground, eyes closed.  
“Cottoneeeeeee!” I called out to him.  
“Gary!!” Ella shrieked.  
I turned to her and saw the fear in her eyes.  
June’s eyes were staring intently at Cottonee.  
“Cottonee is unable to battle!” the referee declared, turning my head around quickly.  
“Cottoneeeeeee!!” Cottonee’s body was consumed in a burst of flames and he screamed out. As the fire faded, he opened his eyes and glared at Eelektross.  
Eelektross let out a stunned cry.  
Elesa gaped down in horror at Cottonee. “But, how?”  
“Cottonee is Burned!” June pointed at Cottonee. “He’s still able to battle! If he were beaten, he couldn’t be Burned! This battle has to continue!”  
The referee looked down at Cottonee, shocked. She looked at June with the same glance before turning back to Cottonee. “This battle may resume!”  
Elesa shot June a look promising an early death.  
“Cottonee, we don’t have much longer! It’s our turn to fight! Endeavor, now!” I screamed desperately.  
“Endeavor!” Elesa gasped.  
“Cottoooooooneeeeeeeeeeee!!!!” The shrill screech that rang out from Cottonee made my ears hurt, ringing like an alarm inside of the Gym, but I didn’t move a muscle, keeping my eyes on him as his body became outlined in white. He flew at Eelektross and slammed into her face, knocking her over.  
Eelektross roared loudly as she collapsed to the ground.  
“Eelektross, please! This can’t be! Get up! One more Flamethrower!” Elesa begged.  
“Giga Drain!”  
Eelektross rolled over onto her stomach, struggling hard to push herself up. Her arms shook hard, but she started to get to her feet.  
“Cottoneeeeee!” Cottonee screamed as he wrapped up Eelektross in his Giga Drain and sapped her health.  
Eelektross was helpless as she screamed, her remaining energy leaving her body. With a final heave, she drooped in Cottonee’s hold, silent. The light green beams around her body disappeared and she fell to the ground.  
Cottonee screamed as the Burn returned, surrounding him in flames temporarily. He descended, hovering just an inch above the ground, breathing hard.  
“Eelektross is unable to battle! Cottonee wins!” the referee said with a smile, waving her hand to me. “The winner of this battle is Gary, from the Kanto region!”  
A scream burst from my throat as I ran to Cottonee and wrapped my arm around him. “Cottonee! I knew you could do it!! WE REALLY WON!! WE WON THE BOLT BADGE!!!”   
Cottonee sang happily in my arm as his soft body rubbed against my face.  
With excitement, I threw my other five Poke Balls to the ground and sent out the Pokemon inside.  
“Pidooove!” Pidove immediately flew to my left shoulder.  
Elgyem hovered over my right shoulder, being careful not to sit on it as he watched me.  
Darmanitan and Excadrill both looked exhausted, but looked up at me expectantly.  
Tympole bounced along the ground.  
“We won our fourth Badge, everyone! The Bolt Badge is ours! YEAH!” I cheered.  
Everyone leaped up for joy over our victory.  
“Endeavor, huh?” Ella said from close behind me.  
I turned to her and smiled proudly.  
“A move that lowers the opponent’s health to match the user’s,” Ella nodded. “Good one!”  
June, standing next to Ella, nodded, smiling. “Congratulations, Gary.”  
A loud shrill shriek broke our joyful gathering and we all turned to see that Eelektross was no longer on the field.   
Elesa was on her knees, screaming up mournfully to the ceiling.  
“Elesa!” I wasn’t sure if I should run over to her or not, so I just remained with my friends.  
“I’m… ugly!!! I’m just an ugly, old, WITCH!!!” she sobbed openly, her mascara running down her cheeks.  
“Elesa,” I said, taking a step towards her.  
“You said it yourself!” Elesa was now glaring at me. “You said I’m as good a battler as I am beautiful! And I lost! I llllooooost!!”  
“But you battled amazingly! You were great, Elesa!” I tried, not sure if I should be consoling her or running away, but then I remembered that I didn’t get my Badge from her yet.  
“NO! I sucked!!! I lost to a Cottonee!” She covered her face. “I raised this Eelektross from a Tynamo since before I was even a Gym Leader, and I lose to some Cottonee! It’s the proof I’ve always needed! I’m UGLY!!! I can’t be a Gym Leader anymore! I’m never showing my ugly face to the world again!!” She threw something to the ground and ran to the doors behind her. They slid apart and then closed when she ran through them.  
Ella, June, the referee, my Pokemon, and I, all stared at the closed doors silently. Slowly, we all turned to face each other.  
The referee walked over to the object Elesa had tossed and bent over to pick it up. With a sigh, she turned and walked over to me. “You earned your Bolt Badge,” she said with a smile. “I apologize for misjudging your Cottonee.” She smiled down at him. “It’s made of some tough stuff!”  
“Thank you,” I said appreciatively, taking the golden Badge in the shape of a lightning bolt, the upper quarter of the inside being orange, while the bottom was yellow.  
“But, what about my battle…?” Ella asked meekly.  
“Miss, I think you’d be better off trying for another Gym, to be honest,” the referee told Ella, shaking her head. “Elesa hasn’t been herself in the past few years. She hasn’t appeared on a runway in ages. She doesn’t really battle anymore, either.”  
“But, why?” I asked.  
“Well, when she turned, I think, about, twenty-four, she felt like she was too old to model anymore,” the referee revealed to us. “It’s a lot of pressure being a model. I can only imagine. Once she stopped modeling for magazines and whatnot, she just didn’t care about Gym battles as much, and it was a wrestling match to get her to battle. She would rarely show her face in public, and always kept her head down when she did go out, refusing to sign any autographs and just being miserable and self loathing, pitying herself. She even neglected all of her good friends. I don’t know what you two had going on, but I thought for a moment that maybe the old Elesa had come back to us when she called me to referee your battle. The last battle I judged for her was over a year ago. I couldn’t believe it when I got that phone call. She sounded so happy.”  
“She really believes she’s old and ugly. I tried to be a bit nice to her and convince her that she’s gorgeous because she wouldn’t battle me because she kept freaking out about her looks! I didn’t intend for her to end up being all over me! She actually… liked me!”  
“How old are you?” the referee asked.  
“I’m just thirteen.”  
“Yeah, that could have been awkward, not to mention illegal. Elesa’s like twenty-nine, if I’m not mistaken.”  
“Isn’t there a word for people like that? A tiger?” I tried to remember.  
“A cougar, silly,” Ella laughed. “And that applies to much older women liking younger guys. Although, I guess, since you’re so young, it could apply.”  
I sighed. “Whatever. The point is, we won the Bolt Badge!” I raised the Badge high in the air to my Pokemon’s cheers.

*

“Well, that really sucked,” Ella complained. “We went through all that and I didn’t even get to battle Elesa.”  
“Yeah. Just make sure you don’t lose that Town Map of yours,” I warned Ella. “If we’re going to be hunting after some Fairy Gym in the middle of nowhere, we’re really going to need that map.”  
“What happened to yours?” Ella asked. “Didn’t Prof. Juniper give you one, too?”  
“Yeah,” I nodded. “But… I lost it.” I nervously chuckled.  
“Oh, Gary,” Ella rolled her eyes with a sweet smile.  
“Well, let’s first just make sure that this bridge is still closed before we start worrying about that Fairy Gym,” June said.  
It was the next day, the middle of a freezing cold afternoon, as June, Ella, me, and my Pidove, sitting on my left shoulder, made our way across a yellow pathway with a white barricade, overlooking the water as we walked towards the Driftveil Drawbridge.  
Boats sailed by, some fast, while others cruised slowly.  
A guy and girl stood close together, overlooking the water, leaning on the barrier.  
Other people, some alone, some in small groups of three or four, some just as couples, walked by us, caught in their own conversations or the surrounding atmosphere.  
Ella nudged me in the side lightly. “Romantic, don’t you think?”  
“Um…” I replied nervously.  
“Or, it would be if it were nice and not freezing cold,” Ella continued, looking away from me. “Or maybe if you were here with a different girl, eh?” She turned to me slyly with a sneaky smile.  
“No! I mean, I think it’s romantic,” I said quickly. “I mean, I don’t need to walk here with a different girl. I mean, not that I need to walk with anybody, but if I did walk with somebody, you’re perfectly fine. I mean, like, uummm…”  
Ella burst out laughing at my nervousness.  
June sighed with a smile and shook her head, gazing at me sympathetically.  
“There’s Officer Jenny,” Ella pointed. “Let’s see if she knows if we’re allowed to cross yet.”  
We both moved a little bit quicker, making sure June didn’t get left behind, as we reached Officer Jenny.  
She stood by a red bridge and smiled at us. “Hello. Are you kids trying to cross here?”  
“Yes! Is the bridge open?” Ella asked quickly.  
“You bet! It opened up this morning. You’re all free to cross whenever you’d like.”  
Wow, I really miss Kanto, I thought to myself with a smile as I scanned Officer Jenny’s body. My eyes got stuck on her long, smooth legs in her short skirt for a moment.  
“Gary?” a voice called out.  
I looked up. “Hey! Wait for me!”   
Ella and June were already on the bridge, looking back at me in confusion.  
I ran up to then with a nervous laugh, and together, we walked across the Driftveil Drawbridge.  
On our way to Driftveil City.  
On our way to the beginning of a relationship none of us could’ve dared imagined.


	28. Wicked Games

“Driftveil City looks pleasant,” I commented cheerfully as June and Ella walked by my sides, looking around at the buildings surrounding us.  
Several people were outside on this gray, freezing cold morning. The fog within the city was thin, a light mist of rain being blown all around, a light layer of moisture on our clothes and faces. A tree was planted every few feet apart in front of the buildings, their branches swaying lightly in the wind, the leaves rustling against one another, several of them falling off of their branches while the leaves already on the ground swirled into the air, meeting with the falling leaves, spinning together.  
“Driftveil City?” Ella asked me.  
“We can finally earn our next badges!” My eyes were focused ahead, looking for the Gym. “You said his name was Clay, right?”  
“Yes, Clay is who runs the Gym in Driftveil City, Gary,” Ella told me. “But we’re not in Driftveil City.”  
“We’re not?” I turned to her. “But, I thought it was right after the Driftveil Drawbridge!”   
“Well, almost,” Ella said, staring at her Town Map. “We should be there soon, but there’s still a little bit of a walk to go. Not much further, though.”  
I sighed with disappointed as she turned her sweet eyes and angelic smile to me, immediately cutting my sigh short as I smiled back. “Great! No big deal, then.”  
“As long as you have Ella with you, everything will be fine, right, Gary?” June chimed in, a sinister grin on her face as she eyed me.  
“Wha-? I… Well, she has the electronic Town Map, so, yeah, I guess with her around, we have no real worries,” I replied nervously.  
“Oh, I see,” Ella said sadly, lowering her head. “This is all about my Town Map. Here I thought maybe it was something more special…” She whimpered.  
She’s joking, I was sure, and yet, I felt like a sucker as a regretful feeling filled my heart. “No, Ella, it’s not that,” I tried.  
“That’s exactly what you said.” Ella closed her eyes as she held her Town Map out to me. “Just take it, then. You can use it since this is all that matters. Silly me, thinking we had something going.” She turned to June and grabbed her shoulder gently.  
June stopped walking and stared at me with a smile that showed she was on the verge of busting out laughing.  
Ella leaned on the arm that was attached to the hand holding June’s cane, and she started crying loudly, obviously faking.  
“Ella, I’m sorry, really,” I said, uncertain of how to act in this situation. “I-you-I…”  
“No, no. I’ll be just fine.” She placed her hands, still holding her Town Map, over her heart and walked ahead of us, sniffling hard.  
A couple of people were staring at us now, watching Ella and then turning to me and June.  
I looked away from them and stared at the ground. Some people get shot in the head and die, I thought, a feeling of embarrassment mixed with sorrow and confusion swirling through me. Me? I get to deal with this… Some people have all the luck. I knew Ella was just playing, but it was a game I wasn’t very good at. In fact, I was downright horrible at it, having exactly no experience in the field. Not to mention, I had no idea what Ella was going for with her game. I walked as quickly as I could after her, June hobbling after me.  
“This sure is a cute little place,” Ella said, touching her Town Map screen. “It has something called a Pokemon Performance Competition where Pokemon and their Trainers can perform and do all kinds of cool tricks using their attacks, or dancing, or whatever original ideas the Pokemon and their Trainers can come up with!”  
“Oh, like the Musical in Nimbasa City?” June asked.  
“Yeah, or like a Pokemon Contest!” Ella said to her happily. “That might be nice to see, don’t you think?”  
“Oh, I think that would be just looooovely,” June turned to me, a mischievous grin on her face. “What do yooooou think, Gary? You want to find Driftveil, right? We don’t have time to stop and see the sights, riiiiiight?”  
I swallowed hard, wanting to strangle June. “Um, I just think it might be a better idea to just stay focused on the path ahead, instead of getting sidetracked,” I said in a low voice, turning my eyes to the ground as Ella looked up at me, wide-eyed. “But, if you guys want to see the sights or whatever, I guess we could take an hour or two…”  
“Well, that’s a first,” June laughed. “See, Ella? You must be special! He never let me or Trixa go where we wanted to go! It was always, ‘Grr! I’m the boss. We’re not going there. We have to catch Pokemon. Badges. Rah rah rah.’”  
Ella laughed loudly.  
I could smack her right upside her bandaged head and not think twice about it, I thought viciously as I leered at June who was smiling broadly back at me.  
“You’re just saying that, June,” Ella smiled at her, and then she turned to me. “Gary’s a sweetheart.” She leaned her head towards me and fluttered her eyes.  
My face grew hot as I looked around frantically, not really looking for anything. After I’m done traveling through Unova, I really need to go back to basics and start traveling by myself again, I thought wearily.  
It wasn’t much longer before we had made our way out of the town we were in, Ella saying she was more interested in reaching Driftveil City than stopping for a Pokemon Performance, and she would rather see a Pokemon Musical from Nimbasa than a smaller scale one here.  
This made me start to wonder if Ella was a more high maintenance type of girl.  
June didn’t seem bothered by Ella no longer wanting to see the Pokemon Performance and happily continued with us. We eventually found ourselves walking through a wooded area.  
“Oooh, so scary, huh?” Ella said, giggling lightly as she nudged against me, pretending to shiver and be scared.  
Her body against me made my heart beat, even after she had moved away and was looking around.  
Little light made its way through the treetops, making the woods look even scarier, grass rustling around us, cries from strange creatures surrounding us, a thickening mist making it harder to see, the presence of monsters behind every tree.  
“I wonder what kind of Pokemon live in here,” Ella brought up.  
“Yeah,” I muttered, but suddenly remembered that I had six Pokemon already. I couldn’t capture anymore Pokemon at this point. Any other Pokemon I caught would be sent directly to Prof. Oak. He’d know I was in Unova if I sent him a Unova Pokemon. I needed to seclude myself from him entirely until I sorted all of this out. “OW!” I screamed and grabbed my head with my left hand, stumbling back. “What was that?” I looked up into the trees above me, but I couldn’t see anything, so my eyes went down.  
“Hey!” Ella pointed at the thing on the ground.  
“Is that a nut?” I asked.  
The nut moved and then, from underneath it, two tiny stalks sprouted and it stood up! Its head rose towards me and I could see two circular, black designs. The designs looked like eyes and seemed to blink as it cried out.  
I stumbled back in fear. “What’s that thing?” I cried, my eyes wide.  
“Seedot!” June smiled at the Pokemon.  
I pulled out my Pokedex with Ella and we both scanned the Pokemon at once, my attention focused on what my Pokedex had to say about it.  
Seedot. The Acorn Pokemon. They suck up nutrients and moisture by hanging from tree branches using the top of their heads. Once full, they drop to the ground. Sometimes, they do this on purpose to startle people and Pokemon.  
“Hey, that’s a Hoenn region Pokemon,” I mumbled. I could catch that, and Prof. Oak might believe I’m in Hoenn or something! Or should I just wait and try to sort things out with him instead. Ugh! I’m not sure what to do at this point at all! Are all of my Pokemon from Unova? Pidove, Darmanitan, Tympole, Elgyem, Excadrill, and Cottonee. Yup, all Unova Pokemon. What should I do? I sighed.  
“It’s really cute, huh?” Ella took a step closer to the Seedot.  
“Seedot!” it spoke out, keeping its eyes on her.  
“Hi, little baby! My name’s Ella. Did you jump down from a tree branch to say hi to us?” Ella asked caringly.  
“Seedot!” Seedot took a small jump.  
“Aww! This little guy is so-OW!”  
Something fell from above and landed on Ella’s head.  
“Seedot!” Another Seedot landed on the ground next to the first Seedot.  
“That really hurt!” Ella complained as she stood up and rubbed the back of her head.  
“Ella, are you-ouch!” I grabbed the back of my head as I stumbled forward, something landing on it painfully. Whipping around, I turned to see a third Seedot on the ground, standing near the other two.  
“It’s a third Seedot!” Ella pointed. A smile came over her face. “Well, at least we won’t have to fight over which of us gets to capture one. There’s one for us-AAHH!!”   
Ella’s sentence was stopped as a few more large items dropped from the trees on top of her head.  
“OW!” I screamed angrily.  
“Whoa!” I heard June cry out. “Watch out!” June had backed up as several more Seedot landed from the trees near her.  
“June, be careful! Your head!” I warned her. I screamed out in pain as something heavy landed right in my face, taking me to the ground.  
“Gar-UGH!” Ella was interrupted.  
“Ella?” I opened my eyes and turned to her.  
Ella was rubbing the top of her head, her eyes closed.  
“You guys, we need to move!” June called out to us. “It’s raining Seedot!” A shrill screech burst from her throat as a Seedot fell and landed on her bandaged head. She gripped her head with her right hand and moaned weakly.  
“JUNE!” I leaped to my feet and ran towards her. “Come on! Let’s get out of here! Ella!”  
Ella turned to us, and suddenly, a continuous amount of Seedot started raining down on us!  
We all screamed and I covered June’s head with my arm, though it wasn’t really any protection, as we ran as fast as we could.  
I quickly took my bag from my left shoulder and held it high over June’s head, trying my best to protect her, my arm shaking from the weight. Seedot dropped heavily onto the bag, making it even harder to hold up, but I refused to weaken my arm, determined to keep June safe.  
Our feet pounded uphill, following Ella who was leading the way. It was a lot easier for her to run since she wasn’t physically handicapped in any way like June and I were. Not to mention, I was keeping a slower than usual June, safe, my heavy bag over her head, as the continuous downpour of Seedot continued.  
“Where are they all coming from??” Ella wailed in a panic.  
“Why are they doing this crap to us? What did we do to them?!” I demanded angrily as I stumbled over a fallen Seedot. My right shoulder was in pain as I moved urgently, but I gritted my teeth tightly and let out the pain in a furious, determined growl.  
“The Seedot! They-ow! Ow!” June gasped out, trying to catch her breath as the uphill path we were on released itself to a flat surface and we all seemed to move a little bit quicker now.  
The cry of the Seedot surrounded us, and my head started aching, my ears ringing.  
“June! Gary! You can do it!” Ella encouraged us from far ahead, looking back.  
“Just keep running, Ella!” I yelled back at her.  
Ella slowed down and started to remove her light blue backpack.  
“Ella, I said to move it! Don’t stop!”   
“I’m not leaving you two behind!” She started to slow down to a stop, and her eyes widened. “WHOA!” She screamed as she startled to stumble and lose her balance. “Oh, no!” Ella tumbled on her feet, running rapidly now, downhill!  
The raining Seedot finally seemed to let up, and once June and I reached where Ella was now running down far below, the Seedot seemed to have stopped dropping entirely.  
June and I started to come to a stop as I kept my eyes on Ella screaming as she frantically swung her arms out at her sides, her feet a complete blur as she ran down the hill.  
June gasped as she stumbled on her cane and slammed into me.  
“HEY!” I grabbed June for balance, accidentally gripping her left arm.  
June cried out in surprise as the cane slipped in her left hand and she reached out for me, grasping both of my arms, making me scream painfully as she grabbed my right arm which was in its sling, my right shoulder now burning strongly. Before I knew what was happening, June and I were both screaming, both from pain and fear, stumbling down the hill rapidly, June hopping on one foot, desperate not to land on her other one.  
Ella let out a scream, June and I tripping over rocks, each other, and things in our way. In the next instant, June and I crashed into Ella and we all collapsed, groaning.  
I opened my eyes slowly and saw Ella’s beautiful eyes staring right back at me, something heavy sitting on top of me. “Um, Ella?” I gasped. I just breathed on her, I thought in a panic. Does my breath smell? Is the toothpaste from earlier this morning still noticeable? Do I smell fresh? I showered today!  
Ella smiled. “Yes, Gary?’  
We both stared at each other, my heart racing, my face so close to the face of the most beautiful girl in the world.   
“Man, isn’t this romantic?” June said from on top of me.  
“WHAAAA-???” I freaked out and struggled out from underneath June.  
“Hey!” June dropped on top of Ella, their eyes wide as they stared at each other.   
They both smiled at once.  
“Sorry, Gary, but I don’t swing that way,” Ella said, not taking her eyes off of June. “That’s one level of coaxing that’s never gonna happen. Nice try, though.”  
June climbed off of Ella, gasping and crying out in loud whispers as she got to her feet.  
Ella stood up and dusted off her clothes. “You two okay?”   
“Yes, thank you. I’m a bit sore and dizzy, but I’ll be fine. How about you?” June asked.  
“I’m okay,” Ella nodded.   
Both girls turned to me, but I was already walking towards them, making my way past, and continued on the flat path laid out in front of us.  
“Gary?” June called out.  
“Come on, let’s keep going,” I called back to her.  
“Are you alright?” Ella called to me.  
“I’m just fine,” I answered, though my right shoulder was throbbing really badly and my head was spinning.   
A sharp whistle ripped through the forest, and I instantly felt chills all around my body, goose bumps up and down my arms.  
“What is that?” June questioned with fear.  
“I don’t like this one bit,” Ella’s voice quivered. “Gary, what’s going on?”  
A strange melody whistled through the trees, surrounding us, and I shivered hard as if I had stripped myself of my clothing in the middle of this winter weather. It was hard to explain, but I felt like all hope was lost all of a sudden. “You said we aren’t far from Driftveil, right?”  
“Yeah. After that run and tumble, we should be there in no time,” Ella said as she and June walked quickly to catch up to me, looking around in fear into the tall trees, through the dimming fog, the frightening tune traveling through the air.  
“Then let’s keep moving,” I urged, and we kept close together as we moved forward.  
Before long, the woods separated, and the whistling finally faded away as we stepped out into an open plain, grass as far stretched as the eye could see.  
I gave a set of hard shivers from my body before taking a deep breath, the feeling of despair and nervousness gone from my body now.  
“That was really strange,” June whispered behind me.  
“But this is so beautiful!” Ella clasped her hands together. “Just look at it all! What a place to relax and take a break. What do you say?”  
I sighed and dropped to the ground, exhausted. Even if I had wanted to say no, I couldn’t. My head was throbbing, my shoulder was really hurting me now, and my body was drained of energy. “Okay, just for a few minutes,” I agreed, breathing hard.  
Ella sat next to me, smiling.  
My heart beat faster as I stared back at her.  
June slowly knelt down, groaning loudly, and got to the ground, her left leg outstretched in its oversized, black medical boot. She set her cane down beside her.  
“I’ll bet our Pokemon would like to see this beautiful stretch of land, too, don’t you think?” Ella turned to me.  
“Yeah, a little break would be good for them,” I agreed, digging through my bag for a bottle of water. “They can take some time to eat and maybe even take a freaking nap. I have to admit, I’m spent.”  
“Mhm.” Ella took off her bag and pulled out six bowls from it, getting onto her knees as she set them a few feet apart from each other.   
My eyes widened as I pulled out my water bottle and watched her, her behind in the air as she set up the bowls. Swiftly, my eyes turned to June, who was already staring at me, a wide smile on her face as she squinted at me.  
I scowled and shook my head hard, denying whatever stupidness she was accusing me of.  
This only made June smile ever broader.  
Ella took out six different bags of food, pouring some food from each bag into a specific, individual bowl.   
How does she fit all that in there? I wondered as I sipped my water, watching her put the food bags back into her backpack.  
June began shuffling through her own large bag.  
“Okay, now, let’s start with you three!” Ella threw her first three Poke Balls into the air.  
“Servine!”  
“Boldore!”  
Pachirisu ran around in rapid circles.  
“Hey, by the way, June,” Ella said as she grabbed her final three Poke Balls, her Pokemon approaching their food bowls. “You said something about the Seedot back there. What was it?”  
June turned to Ella, a tired yet scared look on her face. “Well, I was trying to hear the voices of those Seedot-” June stopped her sentence and turned to the direction of the forest we had just come from, and a look of horror came over her face. Quickly, crying out in a struggle, she got up to her feet as she stuttered an incoherent jumble of words.  
Seeing June so scared, I froze in place, afraid to see what had her so stunned.  
Ella immediately turned and then shrieked.  
A low rumble of words could be heard from the forest the three of us had just gotten away from.  
Slowly, my head turned. My throat closed at what I saw.  
A colossal amount of Pokemon were running from out of the forest, the ground starting to rumble under the stampede as they charged at us.  
Nuzleaf. The Wily Pokemon. This is Seedot’s next stage. If you hear the whistle of a song when traveling through the woods, and feel a sudden feeling of discomfort and distress, it is caused by a Nuzleaf.  
“So that’s what we were hearing!” Ella was gripping her Pokedex in her shaking hand.  
“They’re after us, too! Just like the Seedot!” June hobbled off as fast as she could, away from the group of Nuzleaf approaching us in what appeared to be a number somewhere in the hundreds!  
“We can’t escape!” Ella said determinedly, facing the Nuzleaf. “With June so injured, we’ll be captured in no time. We’re not leaving her behind, so we have to battle!” She threw a Great Ball. “Musharna, help us out!”  
“Musharna!” The Pokemon appeared.  
“Psychic attack! Hold them back, Musharna!”  
“Musharna!” Musharna’s eyes glowed light blue, but the Nuzleaf continued charging at us.  
“What’s wrong, Musharna? Psychic attack!!”  
Nuzleaf. The Wily Pokemon. They live deep in forests. They don’t like to have their noses pinched, as it causes them to lose their power. This Pokemon is part Grass and Dark.  
“Damn it, they’re Dark types, too!” Ella stomped the ground angrily, glaring at my Pokedex I had just used. “No wonder Psychic won’t work!”  
“Ella, we’ve got to run! Get your Pokemon!” I grabbed her arm.  
“Musharna, get back!” After returning Musharna, she returned Pachirisu who was watching the oncoming Nuzleaf in shock, along with her stunned Servine and blank-faced Boldore.  
I pulled Ella with me as we scooped up our bags.  
“Wait, the bowls!” Ella reached back for them as I yanked her hard. “OW!”  
“I’m sorry,” I apologized. “We’ll buy more at the store, Ella! Come on!”  
Ella reached down and grabbed one of the bowls desperately. “Leave us alone!” She flung the bowl like a Frisbee at the oncoming Nuzleaf.  
“Nuzleeeeeeaf!”  
I heard one of them and turned my head to see one of the Nuzleaf drop to the ground, tripping a Nuzleaf behind it, and causing a few more Nuzleaf to trip, several more Nuzleaf dropping right after that. Many Nuzleaf were falling, but plenty were now leaping over the fallen Nuzleaf and continuing their pursuit of us.  
“That bought us a little time!” I turned back around, June far ahead of us, moving incredibly fast for a girl in her physical state.  
“Yeah?” Ella gasped happily.  
“I mean, like a second or two. Sorry.”  
Ella moaned as I continued pulling her with me, not letting go of her arm.  
“There’s a forest up ahead!”  
“I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not!” Ella responded.  
“Well, maybe Driftveil is right after this!”  
June entered the forest first, Ella and I right after her, and soon, we had caught up to her.  
“June! Come on!” I pleaded as Ella and I ran past her.  
“I can’t run much faster, Gary!” June said weakly.  
“Juuuuune!” Ella reached back for her desperately.   
“Not a good idea for a crippled girl, Ella,” I warned her as we continued running.  
“But we can’t leave her!” Ella was starting to slow down.  
A strong gust a wind came from out of nowhere, causing Ella and I to cry out as we were forced back several feet, and we stumbled past June.  
June was screaming loudly in the wind, struggling not to get blown back, but she stumbled and tripped, her arms flailing.  
“June!” I let go of Ella and caught June, wrapping my left arm around her waist, twisting my body so that she wouldn’t fall on my right arm.  
June managed to stand up against me, visibly shaken.  
The wind died down suddenly and I looked up to see something leap from the trees.  
We all let out a shrill shriek that easily could have been mistaken for three girls.  
A large, vicious monster tackled me to the ground.  
The scream that ripped through my throat was not only from complete terror, but also from pain as the monster landed on my right arm, forcing my shoulder to move sharply.  
“A MONSTERRRR!!” Ella burst out.  
I heard the rustle of grass all around me, and the muttering of familiar creatures, but I didn’t remove my eyes from the growling, glaring monster that pressed against me, on top of my body.  
“Oh, no!” June whimpered. “We’re surrounded, now.”  
“June, what’s going on?” Ella demanded fearfully.  
“Seedot, Nuzleaf, and Shiftry, which is on top of Gary. That’s their final form,” June informed us.   
“Shiftry?”  
Shiftry. The Wicked Pokemon. This is Nuzleaf’s evolution. They are known to appear deep in forests in the dead of night during cold weather. The leaves on their hands can create gusts of wind at over 100 feet per second in speed. They are known to lead groups of Seedot and Nuzleaf.  
“A Wicked Pokemon? What does it want with Gary?” Ella sounded so terrified.  
At the sound of Ella’s worried voice, I wanted to flip this ugly creature off of me and face it in hand-to-hand combat with me coming out the winner, but at the moment, I was more focused on struggling not to scream out in desperation as Shiftry continued applying pressure to my body, including my sore shoulder.   
“They’re…” June stopped for a moment.   
“Huh?” Ella turned to her.  
Shiftry looked me over a couple of times, growling.  
“The Seedot, dropping down on us from above,” June said in a low voice. “The Nuzleaf, hunting us down, leading us here, and now, surrounding us.”  
I didn’t look around to see the Nuzleaf around us, my eyes glued to Shiftry, but I could hear them muttering closeby.  
“This Shiftry on Gary…” June went on.  
“What does it mean? What do they want from him?!” Ella yelled at June.  
Shiftry stood up, its feet on my stomach, making me choke out, and it raised its arms to the sky. It let out a loud roar that sent a chill throughout my body.  
“This is all just a game to them!” June revealed. “All of this is just some kind of sick prank! They want to harm and terrify us!”  
“What?!” Ella’s scream was the last sound I heard before Shiftry looked down at me.  
The Nuzleaf around Shiftry screamed in unison.  
Shiftry swung a blow to my face, and stomped down hard on my chest.  
I gagged out hard as my breath was stolen from me.  
Shiftry continued to step on me harshly, and before I knew it, I felt like I was being bombarded by groups of attackers, being kicked, punched, and helplessly beat up.  
“Garyyyyyy!!” Ella and June’s shrieks reached my ears.  
The painful blows kept coming, punch after punch, hit after hit, swing after swing, hitting me in the face, stomach, pained shoulder that still remained in its sling, and every part of my body possible.   
My eyes closed and I just laid still, hoping that, at the very least, I’d end up dead here and not have to live in constant pain for the rest of my life.  
The attack ended not much longer after it had begun, the flurry of sharp hits still felt on my body, but my now open eyes displayed the Shiftry and its Nuzleaf friends behind it. All of them staring at me silently.  
I wondered just how long the attack had lasted if I could still feel the hits, but was no longer under attack.  
“THAT TEARS IT!!!!”  
My throbbing body made me moan out just from using my eyes to look towards Ella, but I couldn’t see her.  
Her feet stomped over and stopped just close enough for me to see her blue and pink sneakers from out of the corner of my eye. “Shiftry, you don’t play fair at all! If you’re so damn tough, and you’re the leader of this sick little group of pranksters and heathens, then I challenge you to a Pokemon battle, right now! Just you and I, a one-on-one Pokemon match! Do you accept, or are you that much of a punk?”  
My head turned towards Ella painfully, stunned by her words, and a gasp escaped my throat.  
Ella’s eyes were practically on fire, flaring out at Shiftry who was glaring back at her, though in a much less intimidating manner, comparatively. She raised a fist out towards Shiftry. “Do you accept, you filthy cretin? Battle me right now! Enough is enough, Shiftry!”  
“SHIIIIIFTRYYY!!!” Shiftry leaped at Ella!  
Her thumb slipped inside of her fist as she pulled it back and hurled the enlarged Poke Ball.  
My eyes shut tight as my body gave out an involuntary jump and I grit my teeth hard, willing away the pain.  
“Pachirisu, Gunk Shot!”  
My eyes reopened at Ella’s call.  
Pachirisu screamed out joyously as he soared at Shiftry. His throat expanded and then returned to normal size as his cheeks stretched out several times their normal size. He spat a purple, glowing bag of garbage at Shiftry.   
The bag exploded on contact with Shiftry and it dropped to the ground from the Super Effective hit.  
“And now, you’re Poisoned!” Ella laughed. “How do you like that? I personally find this hilarious. Not so funny when the tables are turned, huh?”  
Pachirisu landed and happily chattered at Shiftry.  
The group of Nuzleaf had backed up, staring at their leader in shock.  
I groaned, trying hard to hold it in as I struggled to roll over and watch the battle between the two Pokemon.  
Shiftry, its face flushed in purple, managed to get back up, growling ferociously at Pachirisu. It raised its arms, breathing hard, and its body was outlined in a turquoise color. From out of nowhere, glowing leaves swirled around its feet, rising up its body, finally reaching its hands. The turquoise color faded from its body and it pointed its hands at Pachirisu, causing the leaves to fly at him.  
Pachirisu cried out helplessly as the leaves cut at his body and he was flung back.  
“That was Leaf Storm!” June told a shocked Ella.  
“Pachirisu, get back in this and use your Quick Attack!”  
Pachirisu flew at Shiftry in a flash, forcing it back.  
Shiftry vanished in a flash, appearing behind Pachirisu, and it swung a kick that hit him directly underneath his belly.  
Pachirisu screamed and slammed into a tree, sliding down on his back.  
“Pachirisu! Please get back up! We can do this!”  
“Feint Attack,” I choked out to Ella, letting her know what move Shiftry had just used.  
Ella stared at me and nodded, and then turned back to Pachirisu. “Gunk Shot, once again!”   
Pachirisu hacked up another toxic attack at Shiftry, but this time, it leaped over the attack and it exploded on the ground beneath it.  
Shiftry closed its eyes and flinched from the Poison, collapsing to the ground.  
“Quick Attack, now!” Ella said quickly.  
Pachirisu knelt down and gathered energy, finally charging at Shiftry incredibly fast, tossing it through the air.  
“Swift attack!” Ella told her Pokemon.  
Pachirisu cried out happily as several golden stars flew out at Shiftry from his eyes, colliding with Shiftry’s body.  
Shiftry landed on the ground and groaned as its body laid flat.  
“Alright, let’s do this! GO!” Ella tossed a Great Ball at Shiftry!  
The Great Ball bounced from Shiftry’s body, into the air, and opened, pulling it in with a red beam. It hit the ground and shook.  
It shook again.  
It shook some more.  
The Great Ball burst open and a white beam sent out an angry Shiftry, heaving heavily, bent over. The Great Ball flew back to a shocked Ella, who caught it.  
Shiftry’s eyes glowed gold and a multicolored beam fired at Pachirisu.  
Pachirisu was tossed back, sliding along the ground.  
“Pachirisu, don’t!” Ella begged. “Please!”  
I groaned as I struggled to my knees and grabbed my sore right shoulder as it throbbed relentlessly, feeling as if it were burning. “Pachirisu,” I groaned, my eyes closed. My breathing was shaky, my teeth grit tight. As my eyes opened again, I could see Pachirisu, shivering on the ground, his eyes closed, trying to find the energy within him to fight. “Please, Pachirisu.” The pain was too great, and I fell down, making sure I landed on my left shoulder, but I screamed anyway as pain ripped throughout my entire body, my right shoulder hurting the worst as it exploded in agony, hot tears burning in my closed eyes. With a low whimper, I opened my eyes once again, struggling to see through my shimmering tears.  
Pachirisu now had his head up and was staring right at me.  
“Gary,” Ella’s weakened voice reached me.  
Pachirisu seemed to look toward his Trainer before looking down to me again, a look of awe on his little face.  
The Nuzleaf around us were smiling, edging closer, very slowly, closing in on us.  
Shiftry flinched and fell from the Poison it was suffering from.  
“Pachirisu, I believe in you! I know your power!” Ella said with newfound strength, taking a deep breath.  
Pachirisu turned to her and smiled, shook his head, and leaped to his feet, facing Shiftry on shaky legs.  
“Ella! Pachirisu!” June said happily. “Be careful!”  
“Hyper Fang!” Ella pointed at Shiftry.  
Pachirisu ran forward and then leaped into the air, landing on the weakened Shiftry. He opened his jaws and sunk his teeth into Shiftry’s neck.  
“SHHHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIFFFFT!!!” Shiftry raged.  
The Nuzleaf all backed up at Shiftry’s scream.  
Shiftry raised a hand and smacked away Pachirisu.  
Pachirisu tumbled, getting back up on all fours, heaving with his eyes on Shiftry.  
Shiftry glared back at Pachirisu, its legs shaking hard.   
Suddenly, Pachirisu let out a pained whine and collapsed!  
With a weak growl, Shiftry raised its arms into the air.  
Pachirisu opened one eye, unable to move, and watched Shiftry helplessly.  
At the same time Shiftry had raised its arms, Ella raised her own arm and let out a desperate yell.  
The Great Ball flew through the air, bounced from Shiftry’s body, and the red beam pulled it inside.  
The Great Ball shook strongly.  
It shook some more.  
It shook a couple more times.  
PING!  
The red light on the front of the Great Ball remained, but the Poke Ball was now motionless.  
A collective gasp rose from the Nuzleaf around us as they stumbled back.  
Breathing out happily, I struggled to my feet, my body shaking with pain. “Ella!” I gasped with joy.  
Ella had a large smile on her face. “Damn right! YES!” she cheered, and ran up to her Great Ball, scooping it up. With a scowl, she turned to the surrounding Nuzleaf.  
The Nuzleaf all remained still, staring back at Ella.  
“Beat it you bums!” Ella screeched out, birds in the tree branches above fluttering away.  
The Nuzleaf all took off in different directions immediately, and only a second later, it was just me, Ella, June, and Pachirisu.  
“Pachirisu,” Ella said gently as she knelt down next to her rodent Pokemon. “Oh!”   
The Great Ball in Ella’s hand suddenly glowed white and in seconds, had vanished.   
“There goes another Pokemon to Prof. Juniper,” Ella smiled, and then she turned back to her Pachirisu, extending her arms.  
Pachirisu got to his feet and let his owner wrap her arms around him, kiss his head, and snuggle her face against his.  
“Pachirisu, you’re the best Pokemon of them all. I just knew you would pull through. You were great.”  
“Yeah,” I agreed, taking slow, pained steps towards them, smiling.   
Ella and Pachirisu turned to me.  
“Pachirisu, you saved me there,” I thanked him. “That was amazing. I really appreciate what you did out there. Thank you so much.”  
Pachirisu chattered out happily at me.  
“Pachirisu was just incredible!” June gushed, making her way over to us. “How brave! How powerful! Oh, and just too cute!”  
Pachirisu was thrilled with the attention and struggled from his Trainer’s grasp, running around like a wet dog, scurrying around all of us collectively and individually, nearly impossible to trace.  
I turned to Ella and was surprised to find her smiling back at me. “Ella.” I hesitated. “Thank you.”  
“What’d you expect me to do?” she winked.  
“Nothing less, ha,” I smiled back.  
“Okay, enough Pachirisu,” Ella laughed, reaching out with her arms.  
Pachirisu leaped into them and then laid peacefully, curling up, surrounding himself comfortably with his tail and resting his head on it, finally seeming to have tired himself out.  
Ella giggled and turned her back to June and I. “Return back, now.” Ella returned Pachirisu and whipped back around, beaming lovely at me. “Gary, hon, are you okay?”  
My heart beat even faster and a warm feeling took over my body at the word “hon” that Ella used on me. Term of endearment, I reminded myself. Term of endearment…  
“Yeah, that Beat Up attack was really uncalled for,” June nodded. “That was merciless.”  
“They took the phrase ‘play hard or go home’ a bit too far,” Ella frowned, looking around our surroundings.  
“I’ll be just fine,” I nodded. “Let’s just get out of here, please? I really want to see a Pokemon Center right about now. I could use a rest.”  
Ella pulled out her Town Map and played with it for a moment. “Ha! Well, good news! We’re like, less than a day away. We could be there by nightfall depending on how quick we move!”  
“Good enough for me,” I said gratefully.   
“I’m so upset over what happened, but at the very least, we got to Driftveil a lot quicker, you know?” Ella said, gazing into my eyes.  
“And you caught a new Pokemon,” I added, grinning back at her.  
“Yeah! I’m definitely gonna be using him soon.”  
“Her, actually,” June informed us.  
“Really? That’s so funny.” Ella burst into laughter. “Your ability is so cool, June.”  
June’s face went a little red. “Thanks, Ella.”  
“Come on, then,” I told them. “Let’s get out of here already and get ready to battle Clay.”  
“Okay,” Ella nodded with June.  
I hobbled weakly, Ella walking carefully, slowly with me, June by my other side, deeper into the lightly wooded area, on our way to Driftveil City.  
A city unlike any place I’d ever been in my life, to battle Clay.  
A Gym Leader unlike any I’d ever encountered, and would probably ever meet again.


	29. Clay Rules Everything Around Me

June and Ella, each girl on either side of me, looked around our new surroundings as we stepped out of the darkness.  
I looked up into the pitch black sky briefly, noting the couple of stars twinkling high up.  
We had just walked out of a large, concrete tunnel, cars and trucks driving out of it, only mere feet away from us, an enormous mountain on the other end of the road we were all following.   
“Look!” Ella pointed, stopping and leaning over a metal barricade.  
“Oh, how beautiful!” June cried out in awe as she joined Ella, looking out at a wide stretch of water below, extending beyond our vision, waves crashing amongst the water.  
“That had better be Driftveil City,” I said lightly, not moving any closer to them, gazing at the amazing sight before us.  
A city on the other side of the sea sat with flashing, glimmering, and blinking lights, floodlights in the sky, waving from side to side. Almost every building I could see reached into the sky, every light on in every window, the light pollution heavy. It was like a celebration!  
“There’s no mistaking it, Gary,” Ella smiled to me. “There’s no place in Unova like Driftveil City. Clay put his heart, body, mind, and soul into making this city what it is today. You’d be hard pressed to find anything this flashy in the Unova Region. I bet there aren’t even too many places like this in the world!”  
Celadon City, Vancteck City, Goldenrod City. Nope, I thought to myself. Not even close. As fancy as those places were, Driftveil City clearly takes the cake!  
“Well, let’s take a closer look and see just what that city has to offer,” I told the girls. “Let’s go.”  
They turned to me eagerly and Ella nodded.  
“You know…” Ella smoothly got closer to me. “It is pretty late and Clay is probably getting some sleep right now. No way he’s up at this hour. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to maybe explore the city together, and have a little time to relax.” Her face leaned in closer to me. “What do you think?” she whispered.  
“Uh-uh-uh,” I stammered. “Yes. The three of us checking out Driftveil sounds alright for tonight.”  
“Oh, don’t think I’d interrupt on such a romantic evening between you two,” June smiled broadly. “I’ll be well on my way exploring by myself, or, better yet, just getting some sleep.”  
“That is, unless you just want to be with June, or just don’t want to venture around with me,” Ella pouted, staring at the ground, her shoulders slumped.  
I hesitated. She’s waiting, you idiot!! I screamed in my head. Say yes, for crying out loud!!! Where is your backbone??!!  
She isn’t waiting, I argued with myself. She’s just joking. I’m not gonna make myself look stupid by misreading her.  
I will kill you in your sleep if you don’t start manning up, Gary!! I argued back.  
With a sigh, Ella turned around and walked down the road.  
“Gary!” June whispered loudly, glaring at me. She pointed at Ella.  
I blinked at June in shock, and then turned to Ella. “Wait! Ella!”  
Ella stopped walking, but she didn’t turn around, her head still drooping low.  
“Ella, I wouldn’t mind exploring Driftveil with you at all,” I said, and my heart practically had a seizure in my chest.  
Ella’s head lifted and she smiled brightly at me. “Really?” Her hands clasped together in front of her face. “This will be fun!’ She turned to June. “Are you sure you don’t want to come with us?”  
June shook her head gently and then rubbed it. “I has a headache,” she said like a little baby, pouting out her lip.  
Keep it up, June, I thought in my head. I’ll shove you right over that bridge without batting an eye. We’ll see how bad that headache of yours is, then.  
“Well, in that case, I’m really dying for our date to start.” Ella’s eyes were fluttering at me.  
People use the word “date” all the time, I told myself quickly, trying to calm down my frantic heart. Friends go out on dates. There are business dates. Nothing strange about what she said. Just the word “date.”  
But what’s with her fluttering her eyes at me?  
Jokes, Gary, jokes. She’s just very playful.  
“Right,” I laughed nervously, and walked over to her.  
We stared at each other, Ella smiling joyfully, me trying to smile calmly, though I felt terrified on the inside.   
June kept behind us as we turned and walked together down the road, approaching Driftveil City.  
My head was spinning with a mix of delight and terror at what was going on as I tried to calm my heart down, which was impossible with Ella walking so close to me.  
“Hey, what’s that?” Ella pointed.  
“Looks like a tollbooth.” I squinted ahead.  
A horizontal, glimmering golden pole attached to a concrete booth stretched in front of a large truck that had driven past us moments ago, lifted until it was vertical, and the truck drove through, the pole returning down again.  
As the three of us reached the booth, a voice called out to us, “Hey, kids!”  
We looked through the window of the booth to see a man in a blue and yellow uniform and a matching hat, smiling at us. “Do you have an ST-Pass, or will you be paying now?”  
“Paying?” the three of us gasped.   
“For what?” June asked.  
“What’s an ST-Pass?” Ella asked.  
“Well, you can’t just get into Driftveil City for free, kids,” the man laughed. “You have to pay to get through. An ST-Pass is a card you get that you can pay for. Depending on how much money you put on the card, you can not only get into Driftveil City, but you can also use a lot of the attractions offered here.”  
“We have to pay to get into the city?” Ella gasped in disbelief. “Why would we have to do that? That’s not right!”  
“I’m sorry, lady,” the guy replied, smiling uncomfortably. “I just work here.”  
“But, we’re Pokemon Trainers!” I informed him. “We want to challenge Clay, the Gym Leader!”  
“Well, I hate to be a halter on your little quest, there, but I can’t let you through unless you pay,” the man said, looking at us wearily.  
I sighed and dug into my pockets. “I guess I have some money to get in if I have to pay…”  
“Ridiculous,” Ella muttered, pulling out a wallet from her back pocket.  
June sighed angrily as she dropped her bag to the ground and dug through it, standing up a moment later with her credit card in hand.  
“So, are you just paying to enter? Are you exiting as well?” the man asked after he collected me and Ella’s money and June’s credit card.   
I was embarrassed that I had to give the man a mix of dollar bills and change, while Ella’s wallet was stuffed with paper money.  
He faced a small computer in the booth, typing quickly. “Oh, that’s right. You’re Pokemon Trainers, so you won’t be staying. An exit fee will be applied. You’ll need a hotel to stay in, too.”  
“We have to pay to leave, too?” My voice was rising with anger.  
“A hotel? We can’t just sleep at the Pokemon Center?” June screamed at the man.  
“Please, don’t get so angry at me,” the man said, backing deeper into his booth. “Again, I only work here. I don’t make the rules.”  
“Well, who the hell does?” June demanded. “This is crazy! Next, you’re gonna tell us we have to pay to challenge Clay!”  
“Well, no, battling Clay is free, but anyone who wants to view the match has to pay,” the man told us. “And, Clay himself runs this town, and makes all the rules. He’s practically, and literally, built this city. He improved on its development from its early days of being a lot smaller and more humble, and made it into what it is today. He found ways to put more money into the city, creating the Pokemon World Tournament, which is held at various locations around the world at certain times, funded the building of hotels and other attractions for the city, and it beat out even Nimbasa City in both expenses, population, and visitors.”  
The three of us were speechless, gaping at the man in shock.  
“So, a lot of prices increased for purchasing things within the city, and now, Clay’s Pokemon battles are televised events you have to pay to view,” the man continued. “The paths in and out of Driftveil City actually used to be free.”  
“This stinks,” I muttered.  
“Well, we’re not made of money,” June said, disgruntled.  
Ella let out a sad cry. “So much for that date.”  
I turned to Ella. Great, I thought sadly, watching at her stare glumly at the ground. Now everything is ruined. I sighed, my eyes tearing up slightly at the sight of Ella’s sadness.  
“Well, we just want to enter and leave,” June explained to the man impatiently. “We don’t care about staying. We want to just go right after we beat Clay.”  
“Okay. And how long do you think you’ll be staying at the hotel?” the man asked.  
“A day? Two if he won’t battle these two on the same day,” June answered.  
“What about you?” he asked.  
“I’m not battling. I’m with them.”  
“Ah, so you’ll be staying in the hotel during the battle?”  
“No, I’m going with them to watch!”  
“So you’re paying the ticket fee.”  
“What ticket fee?!”  
“Well, as I said before, if you want to view the battle, you have to pay,” the man explained. “You can either pay to watch the fight on TV, or pay to have a seat to watch the battle.”  
“Are you MAD?!?!” June screamed furiously. “I’m with these two! Why do I need to pay for tickets when I’m with them?! I’ve never had to deal with such foolishness at the other gyms!! Why is this being televised?! How money hungry can you people get?? I demand to speak to this ass. Immediately!!”  
“Clay doesn’t really speak to people for any reasons other than business.”  
“Oh, I have some ‘business’ to work out with him, alright!”  
“Listen!” I said loudly, tired of all the yelling. “The three of us want to enter. Ella and I want to battle Clay, and then the three of us want to get the hell out of here. We’ll be staying here for two days. If we don’t beat him in that time, we’re just going to leave. The end.”  
The man nodded and turned to his computer, asking Ella and I for our names and where we were from as he typed.  
June grumbled angrily, shaking her head.  
“I’m sorry, Gary, but you don’t have enough money to-”  
“Charge my damn card for whatever he can’t cover!!!” June screeched.  
The three of us stared at June in fright.  
The man quickly turned to his computer and his fingers flew over the keyboard. “Enjoy your stay at Driftveil City,” he said in a shaky voice, his eyes wide as he handed June her credit card. He then quickly passed out three plastic, money green cards to us.   
The front of the card was blank, but the back contained the words: Straight Through, in thick, red letters.  
The golden pole rose into the air, and after a growling June snatched her ST-Pass from the man, the man cowering further into his booth until he bumped into the other side, the three of us walked past it.  
What seemed to be about ten minutes later, we stepped into Driftveil City, gasping at once, gazing at the stunning sights.  
The buildings were even taller than they had appeared from outside of the city. The lights were blinding, and even though a cold breeze blew around us, I could feel the heat of the lights and I considered taking off my coat. People smiled and laughed as they walked or ran by us, entering and exiting buildings, stumbling around in a drunken state, men carrying large bags while they struggled to keep up with women wearing far too much makeup. Trash littered the streets, paper, plastic bottles, broken glass, clothes, and other things I couldn’t make out, scattered about.  
“This place looks like what I’d imagine Vegas to look like,” June squinted against the lights.  
“Or New York,” I muttered.  
“It’s… pretty bad,” Ella muttered. “I’ve been here maybe twice, and my parents used to tell me that it was much nicer back in the day. It’s so mainstream, now. There’s just too much!”  
“No wonder this city is so expensive,” I said, unzipping my coat in the warmth that was becoming overwhelming. “It must cost a fortune to keep this town running. Let’s find that Pokemon Center and get our Pokemon healed for the fight tomorrow. We only have two days, so let’s make sure we wipe this guy out. We can find the hotel after we locate the Pokemon Center.”  
After walking through the city for a while, trying to find the Pokemon Center, I was actually sweating, and the three of us removed our coats, putting them in our bags.  
“Ella, doesn’t that thing tell us where the Pokemon Center is?” I asked her, my throat dry and sore.  
“It does, actually,” she said, her eyes already on it.  
I hadn’t even noticed that she had pulled it out in my exhaustion.  
“It’s a little bit further down. I’ve been keeping my eyes on the map. Don’t worry.” Not much longer after her words were spoken, she crossed in front of June and I and walked down a street that was loaded with more lights and advertisements, brighter than the block we had been on.  
A group of several young teenagers walked by us, one of them with his eyes closed, walking about lazily. His shoulder slammed into my right shoulder, which was still in its sling.  
“Hey! What’s your damn problem?!” I screamed at him angrily, grabbing my arm as it stung harshly.  
The group of kids froze before turning around to me.  
The guy walking with his eyes closed now had them open, squinting angrily at me. “What?” he demanded angrily. “What up, huh?” He reached up to adjust his backwards cap a little bit.  
“You act like he did it on purpose?” one of the girls yelled at us.  
A couple of guys in the group, along with a girl, pulled the angry teenager with his backwards cap away from my much smaller group, while the three of us glared at them, shaking our heads.  
“We need to get this Gym match over with already, before we get into trouble here,” Ella said nervously.  
“Let’s find that Pokemon Center and then the hotel and not leave until the morning,” I suggested.  
Ella looked down at her Town Map, and then looked up. “There we go!” she pointed.  
We all turned to where she was pointing at and spotted the glowing, red ‘P’ atop the building several feet away.   
“Yes!” I cheered, and we all ran towards the Pokemon Center.   
I entered the building first and skid to a stop. “What?”  
June and Ella gasped in surprise after they ran into the building after me.  
It looked more like we had entered a fancy, high society party than a Pokemon Center! The walls were gold and were literally sparkling! The golden carpeted floor had a red carpet leading deeper inside. People were holding glasses of drinks and chatting amongst each other, laughing. Soft music played at a low volume through the building.  
“Ella, are you sure we’re in the right building?” I asked, looking up at the chandeliers and people holding small plates of food.  
“The Town Map says this is it,” Ella checked.  
“But, where’s Nurse Joy and Audino?” June questioned.  
I stared at the red carpet and followed it with my eyes, seeing it end at a large counter far away, a lady behind it, standing next to a pink creature. “I think I just found them.” I walked down the carpet, towards the counter, as Ella and June carefully walked beside me.  
“Hello, and welcome to the Driftveil City Pokemon Center,” Nurse Joy greeted us with a loving smile as we reached her. “Do you need any Pokemon care?” She stood behind a very shiny, brown, wooden counter that reached up to her chest. A tall, gold chair, the seat and back of it holding a comfortable red cushion, stood behind her.   
An Audino stood by her side, smiling.   
“As long as we’re not being charged for that, too,” June cracked.  
Oh, wow, I realized. That’s a good point. Are we being charged for that?  
Nurse Joy laughed. “Oh, that was a good one. I don’t get to meet too many witty people here. At least, not with the kind of comedy I prefer.”  
“I’m serious,” June said flatly.  
Nurse Joy laughed again, her Audino smiling widely at June. “I know. That’s what’s so funny about it, to me. We don’t charge for Pokemon care services, although Clay did try to implement that a while ago.” She sighed, her smile fading slightly.  
“What is wrong with that man??” June asked angrily, her voice loud.  
Nurse Joy shook her head, lowering her gaze to the counter in front of her, her smile further fading. “Well, it was highly frowned upon by the citizens, but Clay didn’t care. The only reason the charge wasn’t implemented was because it was illegal. He couldn’t do it by law. But, everything else around here rose in prices when that didn’t go through. In fact, at one point, this Pokemon Center was more of a club than anything else! The music was loud and vulgar, and the Pokemon resting here couldn’t... well, rest! We even had a DJ, believe it or not! Clay just wanted to attract the youth, and their parents money... But, anyway, please, I’ll happily take your Pokemon now.” Her cheery smile returned to her youthful face as her eyes rose to our faces.   
I just couldn’t get over how young the Nurse Joys in the Unova region looked compared to the ones in Kanto, Sinnoh, Johto, and Hoenn. The Nurse Joys I was used to looked very young and beautiful, too, but the Nurse Joys in Unova looked like they were still Juniors in High School!  
Before either of us could move, a loud shriek from behind us made us all turn around with a jump.  
Something leaped from in front of us before I could see what it was and tackled June.  
June screamed as she stared at her attacker in horror.   
“It’s Juniiiiiii!!!” the person screeched with excitement. “Super mega glomps!!”   
“Hey, you! Easy, will ya?” June snapped, glaring at her attacker, stumbling back into the counter behind her. “I’m not in the best shape right now, if you couldn’t tell from the cane and my obviously busted foot?! And who the hell are you, anyway?”  
Looking up, smiling, the girl exclaimed, “I’m me, Ruko! Remember? We met at the train station in Castelia City!”  
“Ruko!” I remembered, and my smile faded slightly when I remembered a little bit more about her. Particularly how she obtains and uses Pokemon.   
“And Gary!” Ruko released June and stepped up to me. “You alright?” She squinted at me. “You look in a bit of rough shape, too! Scratches and dried blood and things on your face. What have you and Juni been up to?”  
“It’s a long story, Ruko,” I sighed, shaking my head. “What are you doing here?”  
“I was getting my Pokemon back from the Pokemon Center here. I won my seventh badge against Clay!”  
“Wow! Seven badges?” My mouth dropped open.  
“Ruko, congratulations!” June congratulated her. “That’s amazing! You’re almost there already!”  
“Thanks so much, guys,” Ruko beamed. “Hey, who’s your new friend?” She looked eagerly at Ella.  
“Hi, my name is Ella,” Ella introduced herself, extending her hand.  
They both shook hands.  
“My name is Ruko. It’s so great to meet you! This little group is slowly building, huh? It was just June and Gary before. Now, it’s Ella! Friends!!! WOOO!”  
“Um, right,” I muttered, embarrassed now. “So, you’ve beaten Clay?”  
“That’s right, and it was no sweat at all. My Pokemon are tough!” She laughed.  
“Still using Pokemon traded from others?” I asked, trying hard to hide my anger.  
“Yeah!” Ruko exclaimed, oblivious to how bothered I was by it. “I just recently got a bunch of boss Pokemon, too! Hey, do you guys want to battle? I only have time for one quick round, though.”  
“Wait, what do you mean, Gary?” Ella asked me quietly.  
I turned to her, my eyebrows furrowed. “She’s given away every Pokemon she has ever owned in exchange for better, more powerful ones. She then uses them to win her battles.”  
“Ha! You almost sound bothered by that, Gary. I’ll bet you have some cool Pokemon I wouldn’t mind trading for! I’ll teach you their moves and how you should use them, too!”  
I turned to Ruko, rage on my face at her words, and watched her smile fade. “Ruko, that’s not how you use Pokemon! You’re supposed to catch Pokemon and raise them on your own! You can’t just go around trading for stronger Pokemon like that! It isn’t right!”  
“I don’t understand…” Ruko’s voice got low, a confused look on her face.  
I wanted to explain my point to her, but I wasn’t sure what else I could say. What didn’t she understand?  
“Hey, are you trying to say you want to see how strong my Pokemon are? I’ll battle you, Gary,” Ruko challenged with a grin.   
“Hey, hold on! I want to see just how tough you are,” Ella stepped up. “You intrigue me, Ruko. Could we have a quick match instead?” She turned to me pleadingly. “If you don’t mind.”  
My eyes widened. “Um, of course you can, Ella. But, why do you want to?”  
“I don’t know,” Ella smiled, turning to Ruko. “Ruko seems so innocent and yet strategic. I’m not sure exactly how to put it. I’ve never met a Trainer like this before. And, Ruko only has time for one of us. I’m really curious about what kind of Pokemon I might face.”  
“I’m with whatever!” Ruko glanced at her large watch. “But it has to be really quick.”  
“One-on-one?” Ella suggested.  
“Great!”  
Ella nodded and pulled out her Pokedex.  
“I’ll leave my Pokemon with Nurse Joy, then,” I said, turning to her and placing my six Poke Balls on the counter.  
“Mine as well.” June placed her large bag on the counter and pulled out her five Poke Balls.  
Nurse Joy and Audino smiled as they scooped them up.  
“And these five, too, please!” Ella added, placing her five Poke Balls on the table and scooping up one.   
“Let’s take it to the streets!” Ruko ran alongside the red carpet, towards the front door.  
“What Pokemon did you choose?” I asked Ella.  
She winked at me and then ran after Ruko.  
June and I walked after them, leaving the Pokemon Center moments after they had run through the doors.  
Ella and Ruko were already facing each other, a large space in between them, holding their individual Poke Ball in their respective hand.  
I turned amongst the bright lights and electronic advertisements lining the city to see a trailer playing on a screen on the front of a building.   
A couple was running down a hallway towards a set of stairs leading down. Suddenly, their movements seemed to be slowed down drastically, and something flew past them in a blur, blocking the stairway. In slow motion, the couple’s mouths dropped open, their mouths widening in horror.   
The creature in front of them was shown to be a Porygon2, and it let out a shrill screech.  
The couple shook their heads, still moving strangely slow.  
A multicolored beam fired from Porygon2’s eyes at the couple as a scream from them was heard, and the screen went black.  
Pory Normal Activity 8.   
Coming soon.  
“Again with these movies?” I heard someone mutter, and I looked down to see a man with a disappointed look on his face, his arms crossed, shaking his head. “How many more can they possibly make? It’s getting ridiculous. Who’s still seeing these things?”  
I’d never seen any of the movies in the series after the first Pory Normal Activity. I didn’t like horror movies and seeing the original one was scary enough for me. But I was intrigued to know what it was about.  
Porygon-Z… I suddenly found myself thinking. Charizard. I really need to call Prof. Oak, badly. This is driving me mad. I need to know my Pokemon, and him, as well, and my mom, too, are all okay after what June and I put them through. A sharp pain was drilling through my chest, regret hurting me. Maybe I was stuck at home with my mom, and maybe she had lost it a bit, trapping me at home, losing it on me when I tried to get away, but she only did that out of love, and I knew it. She didn’t want to lose her hard headed son. Her only child that she still had contact with. My mom had lost contact with her only two kids due to Pokemon. And her husband, as well.  
“Are you two battling or what?” a voice yelled, pulling me out of my thoughts, and I looked up.  
The sidewalk on both sides of the street contained a large group of people, most of them looking at the trailer that was now playing on the screen showing a man and a Pokemon, Jynx, holding hands, walking down a snow covered plain together, smiling at each other. The crowd started losing interest in the video and turned back to Ella and Ruko, who didn’t seem to have moved from their spots, gripping their Poke Balls tightly.   
“I guess I’ll judge this match fairly.” June walked over to the side, away from the girls.  
“Yeah! You’d be best to judge, being a previous Gym Leader,” Ruko nodded at her before turning back to Ella.  
“This is a one-on-one Pokemon battle without any time limit!” June informed us all. “The first person whose Pokemon is beaten is out! Begin!”  
“Jellicent, to the front!” Ruko shouted, throwing her Poke Ball.  
“Shiftry, it’s time!” Ella tossed a Great Ball.  
“Jellicent!” A pink, floating Pokemon appeared, resembling an octopus.  
“Shiftryyy!!” Shiftry made its debut with Ella.  
“Shiftry?” I gasped, June looking at her in shock.  
Ella nodded and pulled out her Pokedex, not taking her eyes off of the two Pokemon in front of her. “I made a little switch before giving my Pokemon to Nurse Joy. I want Shiftry with me for a while.”   
Jellicent. The Floating Pokemon and Frillish’s evolved stage. It can absorb seawater and then spray it from the top of its head. It moves forward by spraying seawater stored in its body.  
Ella hit buttons on her Pokedex as she stared down at it.  
I shivered, staring at Jellicent. Come on, Ella. Beat that thing, I thought, remembering my encounter with a Frillish on Captain Billy’s boat.   
“Now, Shiftry, use-!” Ella started to call.  
“SHIIIIIIFTRYYYY!!” Shiftry attacked with Leaf Storm, her body glowing turquoise as she raised her arms, a swirl of glowing leaves appearing from the ground and rising to her arms. The glow from her body faded as she pointed at Jellicent, the leaves colliding with Jellicent’s body.  
Jellicent cried out, floating backwards, but shook off the hit and glared determinedly at Shiftry.  
“Shiftry, I didn’t say to use that,” Ella said, brushing her hair back with one hand. “Now, I want you to use your Feint Attack.”  
“Jellicent, attack with Wring Out, now!” Ruko commanded.  
Shiftry stood still as she was wrapped up by Jellicent’s outstretched tentacles, and she struggled hard, groaning.  
“Shiftry, why didn’t you attack?” Ella complained desperately.  
“Shhiiiiiiiiift!!” Shiftry called out to the skies, and her body was outlined in black.  
“Nasty Plot!” June shook her head, staring at Shiftry, and she took a step back.  
“June?” I stared at her, confused. Something’s wrong, I knew, and I looked back at the battle.  
Jellicent released Shiftry, and Shiftry crouched down on one knee, groaning.  
Shiftry raised the leaves of her hands to the sky and they glowed brightly, two yellow balls of energy, one from each hand, rising into the sky, combining into one ball, and they exploded with a bright flash.  
Everyone screamed as the bright light, combined with the lights of the city, burned strong, blinding everyone.  
“AAAAHHHHH!!!!!!” I screamed, the light burning so strong, my body felt as if it were on fire! I fell to the ground and covered my burning face feebly with one hand.  
“Shiftry, what is this?!” Ella shrieked.  
“She’s doing Sunny Day! Call her back! She isn’t listening to you, Ella!!” June begged.  
I gasped and tried to turn to June, but by lifting my head up, even with my eyes closed, they felt as if they were gazing directly into the sun, only much, much worse.  
Everyone around us was wailing, begging for the lights to go off, and I could hear panicked footsteps running.  
“I can’t see anything!!” Ella’s voice sounded terrified.  
Shiftry was screaming out angrily, and I could hear a loud set of explosions, Jellicent also yelling out.  
“Rain Dance, now!” Ruko burst out.  
Jellicent’s cry rang out, and moments later, the intense heat around my body began to fade, a chill falling down upon me.  
The screams slowly began to die down, the running coming to a stop.  
I tried opening my eyes, but they still hurt and I couldn’t see anything but bright flashes, so I kept them closed as the rain poured down on me, soothing my skin.  
“SHIFTRRRRYYYYY!!!!” I heard Shiftry scream in a rage.  
I gasped and squinted through my eyelids.  
The city was as bright as it had been before Shiftry had used Sunny Day, the sky dark again, the intense heat gone.  
Shiftry was in the air, above Jellicent, her foot outstretched, poised to send a kick at Jellicent’s body.  
“It’s Beat Up!” June squinted up at Shiftry through the pouring rain.  
“SHIFT!” Shiftry neared Jellicent.  
“Blizzard!” Ruko countered.  
“Jeeeeelliceeeent!!” Jellicent blew out a barrage of hail, snow, and cold wind from its mouth at Shiftry.  
“SHIFT! SHIFTRY!!” In seconds, her body, coated in a thick block of ice, landed on the ground, motionless.  
“Will-O-Wisp!” Ruko continued.  
Jellicent spun around rapidly in circles, its body surrounded by pink, light blue, and dark blue balls of fire, and they flew out at Shiftry, hitting the ice block surrounding her, and the ice exploded.  
Shiftry rolled out of the white smoke that appeared around her once the ice had been destroyed, and she shakily got to her feet.  
“Sludge Wave!” Ruko said quickly.  
A purple wave of gunk surrounded Jellicent’s body. “Jeeeellicent!” The wave that flew from its body splashed onto Shiftry.  
“Shiiiiiiift…” Shiftry dropped to her back.  
“Shiftry is unable to battle! Jellicent is the winner!” June declared happily.   
Excited murmurs rose from the crowd, which had shrunk drastically in size, now containing only a small handful of people, a couple of which were clapping, eventually encouraging the remaining few to join in.  
“Oh…” Ella said with disappointment as the rain slowed down to a drizzle and finally ended. “That was really strange.” She approached her Shiftry and shook her head. “What was with the disobedience?”  
Shiftry groaned as she turned her head to her Trainer and growled. “Try...” Shiftry’s eyes closed and she remained motionless.  
“She needs some help right now at the Pokemon Center,” June informed Ella as the small crowd of bystanders starting to disperse. “We can sort out what the issue is after she’s all better.”  
“Fine,” Ella said grumpily, returning Shiftry to her Great Ball. She looked up at Ruko and wiped her wet hair from her face. “Hey, good fight. I’m sorry about that stupid Sunny Day and the fact that it wasn’t really a good match.”  
“What? You’re crazy, Ella! That Shiftry is totally badass! What a tough Pokemon you have! Thanks for that battle. It was amazing!”  
Both Trainers approached each other and shook hands.  
“Your Jellicent is a good battler,” Ella smiled weakly. “That Blizzard let me know this match was over.”  
“You’ll never win with that attitude!” Ruko’s smile vanished as she stared seriously at Ella. “You have to hang in there, and battle with all you’ve got until it’s over! Never give up on your Pokemon, Ella. Always keep the faith.”  
“You’ve got a lot of nerve saying that, since you give away your ‘weak’ Pokemon for stronger ones.” I was unable to keep my mouth shut, though I tried to.  
Ruko laughed as she turned to me. “I suppose you have a point, there, Gary!” She turned back to Ella. “But, anyway, until you get even stronger Pokemon, stick with what you have and battle through to the end!”  
“Until I get even stronger Pokemon…?” Ella repeated, tilting her head in confusion.  
“Oh, no! I’ve really gotta get out of here! My girlfriend’s gonna kill me!” Ruko wailed, staring at her enormous watch with wide eyes. “Jellicent, return!” She returned her Pokemon and waved at June, Ella, and I. “Great seeing you guys again! Take care! Good luck against Clay! BYE!” She took off down the direction the three of us had arrived here from.  
We turned to each other and sighed.  
I glanced up at another trailer for a movie now ending, a woman, breathing hard, her face smudged with dirt, her clothes looking tarnished, staring down desperately, tearfully, at a shivering, scared Pokemon I recognized as Vanillite. The screen went black and displayed the title of the movie in blue letters and icy font: The Hungry Games: Soft Served  
The song “Just Give Me A Seasoned Pokemon,” sung by Pop music artist, Mag3nta, played as the credits were shown.  
I looked back down at Ella and June.  
Ella had her sad eyes on her Shiftry’s Great Ball.  
June watched Ella with matching sadness.  
“Well, let’s heal this girl up and figure out what’s wrong.” Ella was now glaring at the Poke Ball. She looked up at me. “We paid for an expensive, two-day trip to this city, and I’m sure not leaving without that Badge.”  
June and I solemnly nodded in agreement.  
“I’m right with you, Ella,” I told her.  
Ella, June, and I had a two day stay in Driftveil City.   
More than enough time for Ella and I to defeat Clay and earn our next Badge.  
Little did we know, time wouldn’t be what we needed with us the next afternoon.  
On our way to battle Clay.


	30. This Round Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us

“Shiftry, use Feint Attack!” Ella ordered.  
“Pidove, attack with Air Slash, now!” I demanded.  
“Piiiiidove!” Pidove flapped his wings as he hovered in the air, his wings glowing white, and white saw blade-like energy flew from them and at Shiftry.  
Shiftry dodged the Air Slash and growled at Pidove. Her arms raised in the air as her body was outlined in turquoise, creating leaves from the ground that glowed and rose into the air above her. The turquoise color faded and she pointed at Pidove, causing the leaves to fly out at him.  
“Pidove, watch out!”  
“Shiftry, what are you doing?” Ella frowned.  
Pidove was smacked around by the leaves and forced down. He managed to get up to his talons and shook his body hard.  
“I said Feint Attack, not Leaf Storm!” Ella snapped. “Now do Feint Attack! Cut out this behavior! What is your problem?”  
“Use Roost!” I told Pidove.  
Pidove’s body relaxed and glowed brightly as he recovered his energy.  
Shiftry flapped her leafy appendages hard, and I struggled to remain on my feet as a strong gust of wind blew me backwards.  
“Doooove!” Pidove called out in shock, and his body started to glow red as he was returned to his Poke Ball.  
The Whirlwind attack ended and Shiftry silently glared at me.  
“Well, I guess that’s the end of that battle,” I sighed.  
“Shiftry!” Ella screamed, but she was sounding exhausted by now.  
We were having a practice battle in preparation for our Gym battle with Clay later this afternoon. Ella had decided to work with her Shiftry and try to build a closer relationship with her, and, inspired by that attitude, I thought it’d be a great chance to work on my Pidove’s memory issues.  
Pidove had done well. He didn’t forget a single order I gave him and I was beginning to feel like we had made some improvements.  
Shiftry, on the other hand, didn’t seem to be trying to work with Ella at all. She ignored every word Ella told her, either using completely different attacks, or simply not moving.  
All of our Pokemon sat in the clearing, watching the battle as June set up food bowls for the Pokemon, my Tympole bouncing on the ground at June’s feet, following her around happily.  
June had stopped to watch as the battle proceeded, and I caught a worried glance on her face as Shiftry continued to ignore Ella. With the battle over, I turned to June, who quickly turned away and set down the last two bowls, and then she grabbed a bag of Pokemon food and filled a bowl with the contents.  
“I guess I’ll help you with that,” Ella sighed with disappointment, and walked away.  
“Thanks, hon,” June smiled at Ella, setting the bag on the ground and reaching for a second one.  
We were all in a large, beautiful park, away from the congestion and crowds in the city, our coats on against the harsh wind blowing around us. There were several people walking by, but we were the only ones deliberately in the park, relaxing and eating together. It wasn’t picnic weather, but we needed a break from that city to just enjoy some time to ourselves.   
After we woke up in our extravagant hotel this morning and ate an overpriced breakfast of three scrambled eggs and three slices of bacon for me, two slices of buttered toast and a toasted bagel with cream cheese for Ella, and three pancakes topped with butter and dripping in syrup for June, we headed outside together to explore the city.  
There was no privacy in Driftveil City, and no room to practice battling by ourselves. There were a few buildings where Trainers could battle against each other for practice, but we couldn’t afford to use the facilities.  
Ella picked up a bag of Pokemon food as our Pokemon eagerly waited for all the bowls to be filled before they could chow down. She stumbled a little, holding the heavy bag.  
“Ella, I’ll help you,” I offered eagerly.  
“Oh, no, I’ve-hey!” Ella tripped and fell, the bag in her arms falling out and spilling over the ground.  
“Shiiiiift…” Shiftry said, an evil look on her face, her foot sticking out behind Ella.  
“Huh?” Ella looked over at Shiftry. “Shiftry!” She looked down at her Pokemon’s foot. “Why would you trip me like that?”  
Shiftry didn’t say a word, keeping her eyes on her Trainer silently.  
“Shiftry, that wasn’t nice at all!” I said angrily, stepping over to her. “What is your problem with Ella? Why are you being like this to her?”  
Shiftry’s gaze slowly rose to mine as she silently glared at me.  
“Ella.” I reached out a hand to help her up.  
“Thanks, Gary,” Ella smiled. She grabbed my hand and I pulled her to her feet. She gazed deeply into my eyes.  
I smiled back, my heart beating nervously as our hands remained in each other’s hold.  
“Gary, is your hand shaking?” Ella asked, looking down, and she placed her other hand on top of mine. “Are you okay?” She looked into my eyes again, and her face got a little closer to mine, that heart stopping smile making my heart go berserk.  
“I-I-I… Don’t know,” I stammered. She’s holding my hand, with both of hers! I thought to myself. “BLAH!” Something green smacked me in the face and I stumbled back, struggling not to trip. “Hey!” I glared ahead.  
Ella’s surprised face turned to her left.  
“Shiftry!” Shiftry leered at me.  
“You?!” I bared my teeth.  
“Elgyem!” Elgyem appeared in front of me, glaring at Shiftry. His eyes glowed blue as he tried to use Psychic on Shiftry.  
“Elgyem, stop! There’s no fighting!” I yelled at him. “And besides, Shiftry is part Dark. Psychic attacks won’t work on her.”  
“TRY!” Shiftry hit Elgyem with an uppercut and sent him flying backwards.  
“Oh, no! She used Feint Attack on him!” June gasped.  
“Elgyem!” I ran after him as he bounced on the ground helplessly and remained still.  
“Ellll…” Elgyem moaned.  
I scooped him up in my left arm and cradled his body as I turned to Shiftry with rage.   
Shiftry was now surrounded by all of my Pokemon, other than Elgyem and Pidove.  
“Excadrill!” Excadrill warned Shiftry.  
“Darrrmanitaaaaan!!” Darmanitan screamed at her.  
“Cottoneeeee! Cottoneeeeeeeee!” Cottonee floated around in attempted intimidation.  
Tympole cried out to Shiftry as he bounced in front of her like a ball.  
“Please, stop the fighting!” June begged as she ran up to the group of Pokemon, holding a bowl of food in her hands. “Let’s all just calm down, please! This isn’t the way to work out a problem. This will only make things worse!” She turned to Shiftry. “Shiftry, how about we just have a nice lunch together before the Gym battle later? Here, I even brought your food to you!” She extended her hands holding the overfilled bowl, several pellets falling from the bowl.  
“SHIFTRY!” Shiftry flung one of her hands at the food, smacking the bowl out of June’s hands as she screamed.  
The bowl flipped through the air and the food spilled out of it, showering June and the Pokemon in food pellets. The bowl dropped and smacked June in the face.  
She cried out and collapsed.  
Tympole let out an angry scream and flew at Shiftry.  
“Shift?” Shiftry turned to Tympole as he soared at her.  
“Tympole, don’t!” I shouted desperately.  
Led by Tympole, my Darmanitan, Excadrill, and Cottonee leaped at Shiftry and a scuffle ensued.  
“Vaporeon!” Vaporeon uttered angrily and leaped into the fight, followed by Galvantula, Rotom, and Magneton.  
Pachirisu jumped to stand on his long tail and pointed at the flurry of Pokemon battling. With a loud cry, he landed on all fours and charged into the fight.  
“Pachirisu, don’t!” Ella begged.  
Servine followed Pachirisu with a loud yell, followed by Boldore, Druddigon, and Gurdurr.

*

“Ella, I’m really, really sorry about all of that.” I wasn’t even able to even look at her, shame filling my body. “My Pokemon are usually a lot more well behaved than that.”  
“Gary, will you shut up already?” Ella said playfully, shoving me lightly. “I told you at least a hundred times that it’s alright. I thought it was sweet your Pokemon would defend your honor like that. I’m ashamed of my own Pokemon, personally. I thought they had more self control than to leap into a fight that wasn’t even theirs.”  
“I was kind of wondering who was fighting who, and why,” I told her. “I mean, were your Pokemon fighting my Pokemon? Shiftry? June’s? It was so confusing.”  
“I’m not sure Shiftry is making any friends at the moment, so I’m thinking that June was right. They all were just out to get Shiftry, together.” She sighed. “Thank goodness Electivire broke that up.”  
“Yeah, breaking out of his Poke Ball and shocking everyone in the area was totally a great idea,” I said sarcastically.  
“Well, shocking you, me, and June was rude, but at least the others got hit, too. It stopped the fight!”  
“I hope June will be alright,” I said thoughtfully. “She sure was pissed that she couldn’t come with us.”  
“Charging to view a Gym battle is pretty ridiculous,” Ella shook her head. “I’d be a bit angry myself.”  
Ella and I suddenly stopped at the same time at the sight of an enormous building.   
DRIFTVEIL CITY POKEMON GYM: CLAY VERSUS GARY, THE LEGENDARY KANTO LEAGUE SURVIVOR were the words on an electronic strip in the middle of the building, flying across in yellow words, followed by the time the battle would begin and the current date.  
“WHAT???!!!” I screeched. “WHHHHYYYYYYYY??!!”  
“The legendary Kanto League survivor?” Ella asked. “What does that mean?” She gasped loudly and turned to face me. “Wait! Gary! Were you at the Pokemon League back then during that attack by those terrorists?”  
I swallowed hard and nodded. “Yes. I don’t like talking about it, but June and I were there and survived.”  
“June, too?”  
I nodded.  
“Oh, sweetie, I’m so sorry to hear this!” She gently wrapped her arms around me in a hug.  
“Thanks,” I smiled as I considered holding her in a hug as well, desiring to touch her for just one moment.  
She released me and turned to the Gym, frowning. “It looks to me like Clay is advertising your battle for profit, if you ask me. And, look! It’s gonna be a six-on-six, double battle!”  
“Six-on-six, double? I’ve never had a battle like that before…”  
“I wonder if my match will be the same,” Ella pondered.  
“Are you two youngin’s fishin’ fer yer seats, er fer yer money?” a gruff voice with a southern accent asked from behind us.  
Ella and I both turned around in surprise.  
A man perhaps a couple of feet taller than me, stared at us in a fresh, white cowboy outfit complete with the hat, a pair of white boots that reached above his ankles, and even a white holster on his waist, containing a shiny black pistol. In his right hand, he had an enormous pickaxe.  
My eyes were glued to the gun before I looked at his pickaxe, and then, finally, up into his angry, aged face.   
“Well, ya gunna answer me, er what?” he demanded. “I ain’t got no time fer jus’ standin’ ‘round. There’s money to make ‘round this here city. I have an upcomin’ battle, and that kid better make his way ‘round these parts, soon. The people wanna battle, an’ I intend on givin’ ‘em one they won’t soon ferget!”  
“Wait, you’re Clay?” I couldn’t believe my eyes.  
“Well, I sure ain’t Clarissa,” he snapped. “Of course I’m Clay! I run this here town an’ I’ma waitin’ fer a youngin’ named Gary. He survived that there explosion by those terr’ists a coupla years ago durin’ the Pokemon League. He’s in this city an’ is challengin’ mah gym. Wouldn’t that be quite the date fer you two?”  
Ella and I turned to each other, my eyes wide, her face holding a smile.  
“Um, well, I’m actually that Gary,” I said, turning back to Clay. “Me and Ella are looking for you to battle.”  
Clay’s eyes widened. “You mus’ be shootin’ mah gun! Are you really him?” Clay laughed heartedly, slamming the end of his pickaxe into the ground.  
I jumped back, my eyes glued to his pickaxe fearfully.   
Ella jumped in place, surprised by Clay’s action.  
“Yeah, really!” I nodded nervously. “It’s a pleasure.” I extended my hand to him.  
Clay continued laughing as he shook my hand aggressively.  
I cried out in pain as my right shoulder throbbed from the violent shaking of my entire body.  
Clay didn’t seem to notice the pain he had put me through as he released my hand and laughed up at the sky.   
“And I’m Ella,” Ella introduced herself, but she didn’t extend her hand. “I guess since this is a six-on-six, double match, all of your Pokemon won’t be in tiptop shape to battle me after you fight Gary. Our battle will be tomorrow, then?”  
Clay stopped laughing and looked down at Ella, squinting hard. “Who’re you?” he grunted.  
“I’m a challenger!” Ella smiled.  
Clay looked Ella over a few times, a disgusted look on his face, and then he shook his head. “Yer not profitable.”  
“Excuse me?” Ella’s face contained shock.  
“Yer not famous, an’, while you are quite a cute lil’ missy, yer not of age,” Clay told her impatiently. “There’s no appeal. There’s no point in battlin’ yah. There’s no profit in it fer me. Mah battles are all televised events, shown all throughout the Unova region. I can’t pull in viewers if all mah battles are wita buncha no name Trainers.”  
“Profit?!” Ella screamed, a stunned look on her face. “I want a Gym battle! This isn’t about making money! Are you completely insane?!”  
Clay grabbed my left arm and pulled me towards the Gym, waving his pickaxe at Ella. “Listen, youngin’, I ain’t got time fer all this talkin’. I’m losin’ money. I done battled one feisty young challenger already, jus’ yesterday. She had some tough Pokemon an’ put on a great show. Not many kids like that these days. I can’t risk battlin’ some weak, borin’ Trainer. I’ll bring yer boyfriend back as soon as our battle is over.”  
A young, tough challenger from yesterday? I wondered as I struggled against his grip. Ruko?  
“But-!” Ella screamed out as Clay shoved open the twin, white doors of the Gym and pulled me inside.  
The doors slammed shut loudly.  
The room we were in was all white, three large screens on the other end, all of them displaying a different part of some kind of underground stadium, cheering people in metal stands and balconies in a dark, cave-like dwelling, a Pokemon battlefield outlined in white in the middle of the ground. Each screen constantly changed what it displayed of the stadium every few seconds.   
A brown desk sat in the corner near me, a pretty receptionist sitting behind it in a brown suit that matched her skin, smiling. “Welcome back, Clay. Is this Gary?”  
“Tha’s righ’,” Clay mumbled, pulling me towards the back of the room without even glancing at the receptionist, his feet landing heavily as he took me to a large square on the ground that was colored silver. He released my arm and used the spike on top of his pickaxe to press a red button in the middle of a short, yellow stand.   
Immediately, the silver square, with me standing on it, descended into the ground!  
“Whoa! What is this?” I stumbled purely out of surprise.  
“I’ll meet ya down there! An’ good luck!” Clay smiled mischievously and waved at me from above the hole I was being lowered into.  
“What going on?” I called up to him.  
He laughed loudly, his voice booming and echoing around me as I descended into darkness.  
I couldn’t see a thing around me, the platform descending even further into a pit containing mysteries unknown.  
“And now, ladies and gentlemen, let’s hear it for Driftveil City’s mayor, the man who has made this city was it is today, the King of the Mines, the creator of the world renowned Pokemon World Tournament, and the Gym Leader of Driftveil City; CLAAAAAAAAAY!!!!” a voice echoed through speakers.  
I could hear an eruption of screams and cheers as I continued to descend even further into nothingness.  
“And now, coming all the way from the Kanto region’s Pallet Town, one of very few survivors of the terrorist attacks that plagued the planet for nearly one year, resulting in the catastrophic bombing of the Pokemon League in Kanto, now visiting the Unova region to try earning a Badge from Driftveil City’s own, Clay, let’s give a huge Unova style welcome to GAAAAAAAARRRRRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!”   
As I finally saw light beneath me, and my platform removed me from the dark tunnel I was in, the eruption of screams nearly tossed me off of the platform as I looked around.  
It looked like I was inside of a cave carved out and dug through to design an enormous battling stadium! A large, tinted window sat at the highest point of the cavern. Cameras and bright lights hung from the ceiling and walls, near the metal bleachers, on the sides of the metal balconies, people in the balconies and bleachers standing on their feet, jumping, stomping, going completely mad at my arrival. I even spotted a few girls crying as they screamed in my direction. Four fat guys were shirtless, each one with a letter painted in green on their stomachs. I realized that the letters spelled out: GARY.  
“This is unreal,” I whispered, shaking my head at them, and then I looked straight ahead as my platform came to a stop.  
Clay was staring at me from the other end of the battlefield, held in the air by a flat, brown, metal platform, a long, extended pole holding it up from the ground.  
I was facing Clay on my platform on the other end of the battlefield, held up by its own pole.  
“Welcome, Gary, tah Driftveil City!” Clay smiled, slamming his pickaxe that he held in his right hand, into the platform beneath him, making a loud CLAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGG!!!!! “As you can see, the crowd is excited to mee’ cha!”  
“This is… So much!” I called out to him.  
Clay laughed. “This ain’t Kanto, kid. I hope yer ready fer this.”  
“This will be a six-on-six, double battle between Driftveil City’s Gym Leader, Clay, and the Kanto region’s Pallet Town’s, Gary!” the unseen announcer said loudly through the speakers. “There will be no time limit! Only the challenger is permitted to switch out Pokemon! The first Trainer who’s six Pokemon are knocked out, loses! LET THE BATTLE BEGIN!!!”  
“Alright!!” Clay grabbed two Poke Balls in one hand and tossed them to the ground below. “Go, Krookadile! Gigalith!”  
“KRRRRROOOOOOOKADILE!” the crocodile screamed out.  
“GIGAAAA!” a large boulder-like Pokemon yelled.  
“Gigalith…” I held out my Pokedex.  
Gigalith. The Compressed Pokemon and Boldore’s last stage. The core in its body stores energy and can release enough power to blow away mountains. Its physical strength is even greater, but is still dependent on the core in its body.  
“A Dark and Ground type, and a Rock Pokemon,” I nodded. “Alright. I’ll start things off with Elgyem and Darmanitan! Let’s go!!”  
“Elgyem!”   
“Daaaarmanitaaan!!”   
“Alright, up first is Krookadile and Gigalith by Clay, while Gary decides to use Elgyem and Darmanitan! Good luck to both battlers!” the announcer stated.  
“Go on, youngin’,” Clay nodded, smiling sinisterly.  
“Fine! Elgyem, use Hidden Power on Gigalith, now! And Darmanitan, use Belly Drum!”  
“HA! Krookadile, Crunch attack Elgyem! Gigalith, stop Darmanitan with Stone Edge, now!” Clay ordered.  
“Don’t back down, you two!”  
Krookadile leaped at Elgyem, its jaws wide open, glowing white.  
“ELGY!” Elgyem closed his eyes in fear and fired at the Krookadile who leaped in the way of Elgyem’s attack that was intended for Gigalith.  
Krookadile’s jaws were filled with the gray lines flying from Elgyem’s blinking hands. It cried out as it found itself unable to press forward with its Dark type attack and landed on its feet, glaring at Elgyem.  
Darmanitan’s body was outlined in red as he smacked his stomach with determination.  
Gigalith’s body was outlined in white, the white removing itself from its body and separating into several white balls that took the form of sharp, gray rocks. They flew out at Darmanitan.  
“Darmanitaaaaaaan!” I screamed. Bad move, Gary! I scolded myself. Belly Drum boosts Attack to the max, but cuts the HP down to half!  
“MANIIIIIIIII!!!!” Darmanitan roared, and he slammed his fists to the ground, kicking with his back legs, rocking the entire Gym hard, and leaped all the way to the ceiling!  
“DARMANITAN!!!” I nearly stumbled off of the platform I was on, my eyes wide.  
Clay’s mouth was open in shock as he stared at my Darmanitan clinging to the large, pointy rocks hanging from the ceiling.  
“FOLLOW IT!” Clay roared furiously, swinging his pickaxe.  
Gigalith’s stones flew forward and then upward, coming after Darmanitan.  
“Darmanitan, get out of the way!”  
“MANITAAAAAN!!!” Darmanitan raised both fists, releasing the stony ceiling, and they glowed white as he fell to the ground, towards the Stone Edge attack flying up at him! “DAAAAAAAARMANITAN!” His fists slammed into the rocks headed for him and tore through them with ease, slamming to the ground as he landed and rocking the Gym again. He was breathing hard, smiling widely, his eyes on Gigalith.  
“Of all the rotten lil’- Gigalith, Earthquake an’ end this all! Krookadile, you join in, too!”  
“Darmanitan, use Swagger on Gigalith! Elgyem, use that Hidden Power again on Gigalith!”  
Both Krookadile and Gigalith jumped at the same time, high into the air.  
Darmanitan crossed his arms and glared at Gigalith, maintaining his smile the entire time as his body was outlined in red.  
Elgyem attacked with Hidden Power once more.  
Gigalith’s eyes flashed red as it became Confused. It turned to Krookadile in midair and punched it in the face!  
“Yes!” I cheered.  
Krookadile was knocked to the ground, sprawled on its back, its Earthquake interrupted.  
Gigalith landed on the ground and started to pummel Krookadile!  
“Gigalith! NOOOO! STOP IT!” Clay bellowed at his Pokemon. “Snap out of it! Shake off that dern Confusion, will ya?”  
Krookadile began fighting back, attacking Gigalith.  
Elgyem fired Hidden Power at the scuffling Pokemon, Gigalith crying out in pain as it was hit.  
“Okay! Now, use your Superpower on Gigalith! Miracle Eye on Krookadile!”  
Darmanitan flexed his arms and chest, his muscles nearly bursting from his skin, and he ran at the two fighting Pokemon with a roar.  
The red glow in Gigalith’s eyes faded as it and Krookadile turned around to see my raging Darmanitan run towards them. They both cried out.  
Darmanitan swung a large fist at Gigalith, tossing it back.  
Gigalith slammed into the platform underneath Clay with a hard CLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGG!!!!!  
Clay wailed out, stumbling a few steps forward before catching his balance.  
Krookadile was staring at Gigalith as Elgyem’s Miracle Eye activated, and my Pokemon’s eyes sparkled with the color of red, green, white, blue, and an array of other colors.  
“Krook?” Krookadile’s attention was grabbed, and it started to turn around.  
“Psychic attack!” I shouted.  
“EEEEEEEELLLL!!!!” Elgyem’s eyes glowed blue and put Krookadile’s body in a circle of the same color.  
Krookadile screamed loudly, struggling to break free.  
“Toss it!” I instructed.  
Krookadile’s body was flung across the room and landed on top of Gigalith.  
“Gigalith and Krookadile are BOTH defeated! Elgyem and Darmanitan have just pulled off an astounding win!” the hidden announcer ruled.  
The crowd roared wildly.  
“YEAH!!!” I cheered, jumping repeatedly, my shoulder throbbing in pain, but I didn’t care. I had beaten two of Clay’s Pokemon! Good thing I did a bit of research on Elgyem’s Miracle Eye earlier today, I thought proudly. An attack that gets rid of Dark type Pokemon’s immunity to Psychic moves? Awesome!  
Clay smirked at me as he returned his Pokemon. “So, yer all happy about a coupla puny little wins, are ya??” he snickered, making my smile fade. He reached for his next two Poke Balls. “Don’t yah start celebratin’ yet, youngin’! You kids get waaaaaay too excited over nothin’! Let’s see how you like these two! Seismitoad! Excadrill! Git rid of these Pokemon!!”  
“Excadriiiiiill!!!!” his Excadrill shouted.  
Seismitoad gurgled eagerly.  
Seismitoad. The Vibration Pokemon. This is Tympole’s last stage. It is covered in various lumps with a number of abilities to either harm opponents, or boost its strength.  
“Alright, Elgyem, Psychic attack Seismitoad! Darmanitan, get that Excadrill with Flare Blitz!” I called out.  
“DAAAARMANITAN!” Darmanitan roared as his body was covered in flames.  
Elgyem’s eyes glowed blue.  
“Seismitoad, stop those two with Surf attack! Excadrill, go under with Dig!”  
Excadrill dug through the ground instantly.  
Seismitoad was lifted into the air as a large wave rose from under its feet and it rode the wave, headed for Darmanitan and Elgyem.  
Darmanitan flew at the wave, a blazing, sparkling fireball.  
Elgyem raised his hands and they blinked repeatedly as his eyes glowed blue.  
Seismitoad looked around at its wave in confusion.  
“Huh?” I gaped at the wave.  
“What?!” Clay raged.  
The wave stopped moving!  
Seismitoad cried out, perplexed as it looked around, stuck in its wave.  
“Elgyem!” I beamed happily.  
The wave was outlined in a barely noticeable shade of blue, held still by Elgyem’s Psychic attack!  
“CADRILL!!!!” Excadrill burst from the ground a few feet away from Elgyem.  
Darmanitan was headed straight into the wide water. Suddenly, the wave got much thinner and he soared right past it, landing on the ground as the fire around his body vanished. He turned to stare at the still wave.  
The water suddenly moved around, out of control, and Seismitoad yelled out in surprise as it fell off of the wave and heavily dropped! The wave then continued to shake and twist, and it soared for Excadrill as if traveling through an invisible tunnel or tube!  
Excadrill screamed as the spiral of water crashed into it, knocking it over.  
“MAH EXCADRIIIIIIIIIILL!!!!” Clay was dumbfounded as he watched his Excadrill struggle back to its feet.  
“DARMANITAN, NOW!”   
Darmanitan soared at Excadrill with Flare Blitz, slamming into its stomach, Excadrill practically howling in agony, and it hit the ground.  
“Seismitoad, Hydro Pump tha’ dern blasted thing!” Clay was in hysterics by now, gripping both of his hands on his pickaxe in fury.  
Seismitoad opened its mouth wide and blasted Darmanitan off of his feet, and Darmanitan dropped.  
“Excadrill and Darmanitan are both unable to fight!! Elgyem and Seismitoad still remain!” the announcer called out.  
The crowd was loving it, and Clay and I returned our individual Pokemon.  
I smiled, proud with the work my Pokemon had done.  
Clay gripped his pickaxe in his shaky hand, giving me a look that altered my joy and made me worry that he might have ended my life with his weapon by now if I were within five feet of him at that moment. “This tears it, now,” he growled. “You’ve beaten even mah beloved Excadrill.” He pulled out his next Poke Ball. “Stunfisk, I’m goin’ wit’ you! Don’t yah let meh down!”  
“Stunfisk!” The flat fish landed from its Poke Ball.  
“He has a Stunfisk,” I muttered. “Alright. Excadrill, you’re the next up!” I threw his Poke Ball.  
“EXCADRIIIIILL!” my Excadrill shouted.  
“Alright, Elgyem, use Psychic on Stunfisk! Excadrill, attack with Earthquake!”  
“Stunfisk, into the air! Seismitoad, Drain Punch the Excadrill, now!”  
Elgyem’s eyes glowed blue, and Stunfisk flapped its tiny wings, soaring into the sky, getting out of way of Elgyem’s Psychic as the Pokemon tried to focus on where it was going. My eyes widened as I watched Clay’s Stunfisk fly about the room, moving even faster and more skillfully than Elesa’s Stunfisk!  
Elgyem couldn’t keep up with this Stunfisk’s speed!  
Excadrill leaped into the air, and Seismitoad leaped after him. As he tried to land on the ground to attack, the toad hit him with a Super Effective uppercut, its fist covered in a swirling, green ball of energy. Excadrill’s Earthquake was interrupted as his throat flashed white, a Critical Hit having been landed, and he was flung back, flipping through the air, and he finally crashed to the floor.  
“And Excadrill is now out!” the announcer declared.   
The crowd screamed out, thrilled by the battle.  
“Excadrill, come on back!” I returned him and grabbed my next Poke Ball immediately. “Alright, go, Cottonee! Let’s finish this off!”  
“Cooooottoneee!” Cottonee said as he was freed from his Poke Ball.  
“With the Stun Spore, on Seismitoad! Elgyem, keep trying to hold that Stunfisk! Come on! Don’t let it get away!”  
Elgyem was trying hard to grab onto Stunfisk with his Psychic attack, but Stunfisk was like a bug, flying around rapidly, unable to be captured.  
Cottonee soared over Seismitoad and shook his Stun Spore on its body, Paralyzing the Pokemon.  
Seismitoad struggled against it.  
“Seismitoad, use Hydro Pump on Elgyem! And Stunfisk, let’s fight back with Bounce on the Cottonee!”  
Seismitoad blasted a large pump of water at Elgyem as he was focused on catching Stunfisk.  
Elgyem was tossed back hard, shocked by the sudden attack. He shook his head, staying afloat.  
Stunfisk flew to the ground and then bounced off of it, high into the air.  
“Elgyem, hold back the Seismitoad instead with Psychic! Cottonee, Giga Drain Seismitoad!”  
“Seismitoad, Hydro Pump Elgyem!”  
Cottonee sapped Seismitoad’s health while it struggled against Paralysis.  
Elgyem’s Psychic attack hit Seismitoad, adding more pain to the Pokemon.  
Stunfisk flew from the air and collided with Cottonee, knocking him out of the air, tackling him to the ground.  
“Cottonee, Giga Drain that Stunfisk, now!” I told him. “Elgyem, hang on to that Seismitoad!”  
“Seismitoad, attack wit’ Hydro Pump, got damn it! Stunfisk, Thunderbolt that Elgyem!”  
Stunfisk laughed eagerly as its body sparked with electricity. Its Thunderbolt shocked Elgyem.  
Elgyem was left hovering extremely low to the ground after the attack, weakened.  
Seismitoad, freed from Elgyem’s Psychic hold, opened its mouth and caught Elgyem off guard with Hydro Pump.  
Elgyem slammed down hard immediately.  
Stunfisk moaned out weakly as Cottonee’s Giga Drain sapped its health.  
“Elgyem is out! Gary’s Cottonee and Clay’s Seismitoad and Stunfisk remain!” the announcer informed us.  
The crowd cheered, thrilled by the battle.  
In a battle where two Pokemon have to remain on the battlefield at once, if possible, this is confusing! I thought, squinting. “Come on back, Elgyem! Good work!” I only have Tympole and Pidove left, I thought. Both are weak to the Electric move that Stunfisk knows. Damn it! Alright, then. Can’t give up. “Tympole, let’s go!”  
Tympole bounced along the ground.  
A few people in the crowd “awwwwwed” at the sight of my young Pokemon.  
Clay laughed at him, pointing. “Tha’ lil’ pipsqueak? Is tha’ the bes’ of wha’ chyah’ve got lef’? HA! This battle has already been won, in that case!”  
“Oh, that’s what you think, Clay!” I smiled, feeling energized by his overconfidence that he had just because I had sent out a little Tympole. Be careful, I warned myself. If your Tympole has Swift Swim, his Seismitoad probably has it, too. “Alright, now use Giga Drain again, Cottonee, on Seismitoad! Tympole, attack Seismitoad with Muddy Water!”  
“Seismitoad, take out tha’ Cottonee wit’ Drain Punch! Stunfisk, hit tha’ Cottonee wit’ Bounce!”  
Stunfisk bounced off of the ground, into the air, flapping its wings.  
Seismitoad ran towards Cottonee.  
Cottonee prepped up his Giga Drain.  
Tympole was raised into the air by a wave of muddy water.  
Seismitoad struck Cottonee in the face with Drain Punch, and Cottonee cried out, falling.  
“Cottonee, get up! Finish off that Seismitoad!” I encouraged him.  
Tympole flew into Seismitoad with Muddy Water, causing it to stumble back.  
Cottonee shook his head and attacked Seismitoad with Giga Drain.  
Stunfisk flew into Cottonee with Bounce.  
Cottonee fell out.  
“Cottonee is out! Stunfisk, Seismitoad, and Tympole remain!” the announcer stated.  
The crowd stood up, stomping, clapping, and cheering.  
“Cottonee, you did what was needed, and I commend you for that,” I said, returning him. “Thanks so much.” I sighed painfully. “I guess it’s up to you. Pidove, help us out!” I threw his Poke Ball.  
“Piiidove!” Pidove exclaimed, staying in the air.  
“Pidove, Quick Attack the Stunfisk! Tympole, Rain Dance, now!”  
“Seismitoad, use yer Drain Punch on tha’ baby Tympole! Stunfisk, Thunderbolt tha’ same Tympole!”  
Pidove flew fast, his beak drilling into Stunfisk as it called out.  
Tympole bounced along the ground, his body outlined in blue, and the blue rose from his body, extended to the ceiling, and exploded, rain beginning to pour.  
Seismitoad swung a fist at Tympole, and even though Tympole was much faster now, bouncing around, the hit tossed him into the air.  
The hit also tossed him out of the way of Stunfisk’s Thunderbolt!  
“Pidove, use Quick Attack on Seismitoad this time! Tympole, regain your focus! Use your Muddy Water one more time!”  
Pidove was first, tackling Seismitoad with Quick Attack.  
Tympole went next, smacking both Seismitoad and Stunfisk with Muddy Water.  
“Seismitoad has dropped!” the announcer said in shock. “Seismitoad is OUT!”  
“NO WAY!!!!! This is complete nonsense!!!” Clay stomped angrily amongst the cheers of the crowd. “There ain’t no way some lil’ kid is gonna defeat me after all these years I’ve been raisin’ mah Pokemon!!! I’ve had enough of this, yah lil’ cheater!!!”  
“Cheater?!” I yelled back angrily. “There’s nothing worse than a sore loser!! Suck it up, you big baby!!”  
The entire crowd went silent with a loud, unanimous gasp.  
Clay glared at me, and I could have sworn his eyes flashed red, except, that was impossible. “Oh, so yah really wanna do this, huh? Fine. You asked for it, ya lil’ brat! Golurk, let’s do this!” He tossed an Ultra Ball.  
“Golurk!” a large, threatening Pokemon proclaimed.  
Golurk. The Automaton Pokemon. The evolved form of Golett. Though it is amongst one of the heavier of Pokemon, it is able to fly at speeds challenging a rocket. It is said that this Pokemon was made by an ancient civilization and instructed to protect the people that made it.  
“It’s time for the final two-on-two match, then,” I nodded.  
“No!” Clay shouted at me. “It’s time fer yah tah go down!”  
“Nonsense! Muddy Water! Pidove, Quick Attack on the Stunfisk!”  
“Stunfisk, Thunderbolt Tympole, now!”  
Pidove was a flash of light as he flew at Stunfisk, knocking it over.  
Tympole used Muddy Water.  
Both Pokemon were hit by the powerful move, Golurk remaining sturdy, Stunfisk shaking it off and its body sparked as it sent out a bolt of lightning at Tympole.  
Tympole didn’t even try to avoid the hit. He sat still, laying the ground, shivering, his eyes closed, and took the Thunderbolt.  
“TYMPOLE!” I called out to him. “TYMPOLE!!! NOOOO!!” That was when I saw Tympole’s face clearly. It was flushed with purple. “WAIT! My Tympole!! Why is my Tympole Poisoned?!”  
Clay laughed with delight. “Mah Seismitoad Poisoned it!”  
“But, how?” I demanded, confused.  
“Mah Seismitoad has Poison Touch Ability. Any Physical moves it uses has the chance tah Poison the target.” Clay nodded while smiling at me. “Now, Golurk, use Earthquake and let’s end this fight!”  
“NOOOO! GROWL!!”   
Tympole bounced weakly, his eyes closed, but he used Growl on Golurk.  
Golurk stomped on the ground with Earthquake.  
The attack hit Tympole. He rolled helplessly along until he hit the metal pole holding up my platform in the air.   
“TYMPOLE!!” It’s all over, I told myself. Pidove… It’s all up to him, now.  
“And Golurk’s Earthquake does nothing to a Flying type like Pidove, but has overwhelmed-!” the announcer stopped speaking.  
Clay choked on words caught in his throat as his eyes bulged out in shock.  
“Tympole!” I whispered, my amazed eyes stuck on my Pokemon.  
The entire audience was silent as everyone looked at Tympole’s glowing body.  
Tympole’s body grew wider, fatter, longer, and as the light disappeared, a new Pokemon stood up on two feet.  
I let out my breath loudly, shocked, smiling, and scanned this new Pokemon in my Pokedex.  
Palpitoad. The Vibration Pokemon. Tympole’s next stage. It can live on land as well as water, and uses its long, sticky tongue to catch a variety of prey.  
“PALPITOAD!!” I shouted happily out to him.  
Palpitoad cried out, facing Stunfisk and Golurk.  
“YES!! PALPITOAD!!! PALPITOAD!!!” I screamed with the now ecstatic crowd.  
“Use Mud Shot on Stunfisk! Pidove, use your Air Slash at Golurk!”  
Palpitoad attacked with Mud Shot, his long tongue glowing yellow and swinging from side to side. His tongue stopped glowing and mud flung from it at Stunfisk.  
Pidove used Air Slash at Golurk.  
“Stunfisk, into the air! Golurk, dodge that, too!”  
Stunfisk flapped its wings, soaring into the air, avoiding the attack from Palpitoad.  
Golurk’s hands inserted into its arms, its feet inserting into its legs, and its legs inserting into its body, and a burst of air blew from underneath it as it soared out of the way of Pidove’s Air Slash.  
I growled angrily. Those two aren’t even Flying types, but they can fly! I thought angrily. How do I catch them? “Okay, then, Pidove, charge after Stunfisk! Knock it out of the sky with Quick Attack! Palpitoad, use Flail on the Stunfisk!”  
Pidove soared at Stunfisk with blinding speed, Stunfisk desperately trying to avoid the hit, flying around as best as it could, but it was no match for the speed of Quick Attack, and Pidove flew into it, Stunfisk flapping helplessly now.  
Palpitoad ran at Stunfisk’s body as it neared the ground. He leaped at it and flopped around in the air, finally kicking Stunfisk, and Stunfisk uttered out in pain as it headed for the ground.  
“Stunfisk is finally out! We have Palpitoad, Pidove, and Golurk remaining between both Trainers!” The announcer was barely audible over the crowd’s roaring.  
Clay jumped up and down in fury, both of his feet stomping before he finally returned his Stunfisk. “GOLURK!! GIT RID OF THAT THERE PALPITOAD WITH EARTHQUAKE!! WE’LL TAKE CARE OF THAT DERN BIRD LATER!!!”  
Golurk’s legs, and then feet, and finally, his hands, burst from his body and he dropped like a weight.  
“Hydro Pump! And Pidove, you attack with Air Slash!” I told my two Pokemon.  
Palpitoad’s Hydro Pump blasted from his mouth and knocked Golurk onto its back. Palpitoad also collapsed, struggling with the Poison coursing through his body.  
Pidove flew to the ground and remained motionless, not attacking, and then he stared down at the ground.  
“PIDOOOOOOVE!! NOT NOW, DAMN IT!!!” I exploded. “I’M GONNA-!!!” I bit my tongue to keep from saying anything regrettable, fury struggling to say everything on my mind at that moment. “AAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!”  
The rain slowed down to a drizzle, and finally stopped.  
“Enough of the dern tricks with that rain!” Clay fumed. “Dynamic Punch the Pidove!”  
Golurk jumped strongly and pulled back a red, glowing fist. It swung at Pidove, tossing the bird back, right into my Palpitoad, who was just starting to get back up to his feet.  
Palpitoad fell over again and his body twitched underneath Pidove as he suffered from his Poison.  
“Heh, heh, heh,” Clay chuckled. “Ya sure did entertain the folks a’ home, as well as those here, live. But time is up, young whippersnapper. I commend ya on a battle-” Clay froze on his words as his gaze looked over to the battlefield.  
“Pidove!” I gasped, staring down at him as well.  
The entire crowd went silent, all eyes on Pidove.  
He twitched, and then he twitched again, and then… his body flashed in a bright light!!  
“Pidove!” I couldn’t believe my eyes.  
His body grew out, and his wings extended and grew as he flapped them, rising into the air, above Palpitoad. He grew bigger, wider, and the light finally faded.  
A new Pokemon cawed strongly.  
“Pidove!” I gasped.  
Tranquill. The Wild Pigeon Pokemon. Pidove’s evolved form. It is said that there is a place where Tranquill live without war or conflict. Only peace.  
“He evolved!!” I screamed frantically, overjoyed. “PIDOVE FREAKING EVOLVED!!!!”  
Tranquill’s eyes were red, Confused from the Dynamic Punch attack.  
“Golurk, attack Palpitoad with Dynamic Punch!” Clay demanded.  
“Tranquill, stop Golurk with Air Slash! Palpitoad, you can use Hydro Pump!”  
Palpitoad used Hydro Pump, but Golurk pulled in its hands, feet, and legs, and soared out of the way of the attack.  
Tranquill flew after Golurk, still Confused.  
“Tranquill, don’t give in!” I urged him.  
Golurk was able to keep up its speed as Tranquill soared after it, trying to find the perfect moment to strike.  
“Quick Attack, now!” I told Tranquill.  
Tranquill used Quick Attack, flying right into Golurk, appearing behind the Ghost type Pokemon.  
“Perfect! Air Slash!”  
Golurk turned around to face Tranquill as Tranquill’s Confused state ended, his eyes returning to their normal color, and he used Air Slash, hitting Golurk with the white saw blade energy that soared from his wings that glowed white.  
“Hydro Pump!” I told Palpitoad.  
“Golurk, get out of there!” Clay screamed in a panic.  
Golurk was Flinching in the air, unable to move, something that can occur when Air Slash hits, and it was unable to avoid the Hydro Pump that Palpitoad hit it with. Wailing, it ascended into the air from the blast of water beneath it before dropping like a boulder, slamming hard to the ground below.  
Palpitoad bent over in pain and fell down as well.  
“GOLURK HAS BEEN DEFEATED!!! PALPITOAD HAS ALSO JUST GIVEN IN TO ITS POISONING!! IT APPEARS THAT TRANQUILL AND GARY HAVE PULLED OUT THE FINAL VICTORY!!!!!! GARY WINS!!!!!! GARY HAS WON THE QUAKE BADGE!!!!!”  
I was forced to cover my ears against the loud cheers from the crowd. “GA-RY!!!! GA-RY!!!! GA-RY!!!! GA-RY!!!! GA-RY!!!! GA-RY!!!! GA-RY!!!! GA-RY!!!! GA-RY!!!! GA-RY!!!! GA-RY!!!! GA-RY!!!!”  
Clay’s platform, along with mine, ascended into the air suddenly.  
“Whoa!” I quickly returned my two Pokemon as Clay returned his, a stone cold glare etched onto his face, his eyes not moving from mine. Within seconds, I found myself back in the dark tunnel, rising up it this time. A few minutes later, I was back in the white room, the receptionist smiling at me from behind her desk, Clay standing by her already. I walked up to them and stopped in front of Clay, staring at him blankly.  
Clay gave me a stern glance and nodded. His large arm wrapped around my shoulders, and my right shoulder winced in pain as he touched it, my right eye closing at his touch as he led me outside. He patted my back strongly as we stood facing each other just outside of his Gym, and the slap shook my whole body.  
“Ow!” I whispered as my right shoulder ached from his hit.  
“Kid, yer battle wit’ me was unbelievable,” Clay acknowledged with a smile. “That battle was nothin’ but pure, brutal strength. Yah have much more than the potential to be somethin’ truly great in the Pokemon world. I can see how yah survived such a struggle agains’ tha’ dastardly group of evil people at the Pokemon League back in Kanto. Ya’ve got spirit, kid. I proudly present ‘cha wit’ the Quake Badge.” Clay held out a purple box to me, a Badge sitting on a red cloth with yellow fringes on the edges.   
I picked up the Badge outlined in gold, the inside green and brown, the top half of it curved, and the body half flat. “The Quake Badge! I won my fifth Badge! I only have three more to go!”  
Clay laughed. “Do yah know where yer headed nex’?”  
“Not yet,” I smiled.   
“Well, I’d recommend-”  
“There you are, Gary,” an angry voice said from behind me.   
“Huh?” I turned around. Before I could see who it was, I was being pulled by my left arm. “Hey! Ella, what are you doing?”  
“Did you win your stupid badge?” Ella asked furiously.  
“Yes, but-”  
“Good! We’re getting out of this stupid city, then! We’ll heal up your Pokemon, and then we’ll go to a place that accepts all challengers and isn’t all about money, money, money!”  
“Ella, hold on, please!”  
“June is waiting for us at the Pokemon Center. We ate and everything, and our Pokemon are fine. Once your Pokemon are better, we’re leaving.”  
“But, we still have another day that we paid for, here!”  
“Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn,” Ella said without hesitation, pulling me along.  
My dear? I thought to myself, my heart beating fast.   
I stared at Clay as he smiled at me from a distance, shaking his head.   
I sighed and allowed myself to be pulled along by Ella. There’s not too many other people I’d enjoy pulling me as much as I’m enjoying Ella pulling me right now, I thought, staring at the ground, a smile that I was struggling to hold back, creeping over my face. I wonder what Gym we’re heading to next…  
I had no idea how unready I was for the answer to such an innocent thought.


	31. All Charged Up With Nowhere To Zone

“That was the most embarrassing thing I’ve ever had to experience from a Gym Leader in my entire life!” Ella barked. “The utter nerve of that old fart! I’m not profitable? I’ll show him profitable! How about if I give him a swift kick to his chin? Will that be profitable? Will that be made for TV?”  
“Money hungry old bag of… Of… I don’t even know what to call that guy!” June fumed. “Charging me to see a Gym battle! Never in my days have I been so disrespected!”  
“So, after my Darmanitan knocked out his Excadrill with Flare Blitz, his Seismitoad used Hydro Pump on my Darmanitan and knocked him out, too,” I said, my eyes on the path ahead of us as we walked through the woods together.   
We had exited Driftveil City a while ago and the topic of discussion between us was our time there, though June and Ella didn’t seem to be hearing a word I was saying as they yelled about the disrespect they had received.   
June kept talking about how enraged she was while waiting at the hotel.   
Ella went on about how embarrassed she was that Clay didn’t even consider her worthy for a battle.  
I described how my battle went and what occurred in it. I hadn’t gotten one “congratulations” from Ella or June.   
The chirping of crickets surrounded us under the night stars and a gentle, cool breeze blew around us. We came to a stop in front of the wide mouth of a cave.  
“What’s this?” I asked.  
“Chargestone Cave,” Ella grumbled, glaring into the entrance.  
“Chargestone Cave? What’s that?” I asked.  
“It’s basically a cave loaded with stones that have, like, electric currents flowing through them,” Ella explained. “There are a lot of floating stones that hover from the electric currents in them and all this other scientific jargon. There’s also some cool Pokemon inside. It leads out to Mistralton City.”  
“That’s where you’re from.” I turned to her.  
Ella kept her eyes on the cave, still frowning. “Yeah. I haven’t seen my dad in a bit. The last time I called him, I’d obtained my fourth Badge. I usually call my family up after I’ve earned a Badge, or sometimes just throughout my journey. And Prof. Juniper, too.”  
My heart hurt at the mention of Prof. Juniper’s name. “How is she…?” I asked hesitantly, and June and I exchanged worried glances.  
“She’s good. Proud of my accomplishments and all that stuff. She really likes all the Pokemon I’ve caught so far. She told me that I’m doing really well.”   
A long moment of silence passed after Ella stopped speaking, and June and I shot each other another quick look of concern before I lowered my eyes. Is that it? No mention of me or June? I remembered when June had repeatedly grabbed on Prof. Juniper, and how the professor had said she’d call Prof. Oak to let him know she had spoken to me. No way she forgot about us, I thought to myself. Has she really not asked about June and I since we ran away from her lab?   
“There should be a lot of cool things to see,” Ella spoke up. “Those rocks I told you about are really cool. Coming through here with my dad used to be pretty fun.”  
“Well, let’s go on, then,” I said.  
We walked through the gaping mouth of the cave.  
The crackle of electricity could be heard from nearby, the walls of the cave giving off a dark blue hue.  
“It’s so pretty in here!” June commented. “Look at this place!”  
“Practically the whole cave is charged up on electricity,” Ella told us. “It’s beautiful.”  
“Wow, look!” I pointed ahead at a pair of rocks with the same color as the cave walls, floating in the air over our heads, and one of them crackled as a spark of electricity traveled around it and continued to bounce on the second rock with a crackle before disappearing. “Whoa!” I stared at the rocks in shock.  
“Yeah, this place is so amazing.” Ella was finally smiling, forgetting her anger at Clay.  
We walked past the pair of rocks, my head turning as my eyes remained locked on them in amazement. My eyes squinted as I noticed something tiny moving on one of the rocks, and I stopped with a gasp.  
“Huh? Oh, cool! It’s a Joltik!” Ella exclaimed.  
“Spider,” I said in a low voice, shivering in place as my eyes remained on the yellow insect clinging to the side of one of the rocks in the air.  
Joltik. The Attaching Pokemon. Joltik cling to larger species of Pokemon or sources of electricity, sapping them until the Pokemon or electric source is completely drained.  
“That is so disgusting,” I said out loud after Ella’s Pokedex finished giving its information on the Bug Pokemon. My eyes stayed on the Joltik, nausea swimming inside of me.  
“Pfft,” June muttered.  
I shot her an angry look.  
“I’m gonna catch me one!” Ella said eagerly, taking a step forward.  
“Please, be my guest and get rid of that thing,” I said, stepping back.  
Ella grabbed a Poke Ball from her belt before turning to me. “What’s wrong?”  
“I-” I started.  
“Gary has a phobia of Bugs,” June interrupted. “Simple as that.” My glare at June caused her to look back at me and shrug. “Well, it’s true.”  
“That’s so adorable!” Ella gushed out, smiling at me.  
My face flushed with heat as I looked down at the ground.   
“Don’t worry, sweetie, this baby is going to Prof. Juniper,” Ella told me kindly. “But, maybe we could work together on that fear of yours sometime.”  
Sweetie? My eyes were glued to the ground, far too embarrassed to look up at Ella. Relax. Terms of endearment are a pain, but they are real. Don’t take it the wrong way. And what does she mean by working together on my fear? Something about what Ella said, and how she said it, made me swoon on the inside and my legs suddenly felt weak.  
“Boldore, here we go!” Ella threw her Poke Ball.  
“Boldore!” Boldore shouted as it was released.  
“Boldore, hit that Joltik with Rock Blast attack!”  
The red gems sticking out of Boldore’s body glowed bright orange and the front of its head glowed silver. Several silver blasts fired from its head, knocking Joltik off of the boulder as it cried out in shock.  
Joltik shook its head and leaped up, crying out in confusion.  
“Awww! She’s just too doggone cuuuute!” June screeched excitedly, a huge smile on her face.  
Boldore continued firing its Rock Blast attack at Joltik.  
Joltik was helplessly smacked around before it tumbled along the ground and finally came to a stop, moaning in pain.  
“Alright! Nothing to it!” Ella threw a Poke Ball at Joltik.  
The Poke Ball smacked Joltik, and then bounced right back towards Ella!  
Ella gasped as she caught her Poke Ball, and she stared at it in shock before gaping at Joltik.  
“What happened?” June asked.  
“The Poke Ball didn’t work?” I stared at Joltik in confusion.  
“Well, that’s a relief!” a voice said from out of nowhere.  
The three of us looked around, surprised to hear another voice.   
“I’d have been quite upset if you had caught my Joltik, yano.”  
“Whoa!” I stumbled backwards in a panic and fell, my entire body radiating from the landing, and my right shoulder throbbed in pain.  
“Oh, my goodness gracious!” June gasped happily.  
“Trixa!!!” Ella screamed with joy and ran away from the fainted Joltik and her Boldore and towards a girl wearing a purple dress, black shoes, and a red scarf wrapped around her neck, a matching red beanie on her head.  
“ELLA!!” Trixa smiled with excitement as she hopped like a rabbit with her arms outstretched towards Ella, and they both embraced in a tight hug, screaming in excitement, jumping in place.  
“Trixa, I haven’t seen you even once since Nuvema Town! I’ve missed you so much!” Ella kissed Trixa on both cheeks.  
Trixa pulled Ella in for an even tighter hug and closed her eyes. “Ella!”  
Ella’s arms tightened around Trixa.  
“Tepig!” A Tepig appeared and walked over to Trixa and Ella, looking up at them with a smile.  
“Hey, it’s Trixa’s Tepig!” June pointed out. “Hey, honey!” She waved at him.  
“Oh, snap!” I smiled at him.  
“Tepig! Tepig!” Tepig greeted us happily.  
Ella and Trixa continued hugging, not moving or making a sound.  
Tepig, June, me, Boldore, and even Joltik who managed to get back up, turned to the two girls and watched them silently.  
I groaned impatiently as I twisted my back, cracking it, confusion sweeping over me.  
“Trixa?” Ella looked around as she let go of Trixa, who continued clinging to her. “Trixa…?”  
Trixa didn’t respond, holding on tight to Ella.  
“Um…” June’s voice gently called out.  
Trixa’s eyes opened and she turned to June. She released Ella and gasped loudly, raising her hands to her mouth, her eyes wide. “Juni! Juni!!” She ran over to June, her arms wide.  
“Wait! Wait!” June stumbled back. “I’m a bit hurt, here. I’m still recovering from an accident… Be gentle, hon.”  
Trixa stopped and looked June up and down several times before gasping in horror and pointing at her. “June, you have a stick! And you look like a partly finished mummy!” A smile crept over her face. “Is this the latest fashion? You look sooooo good in it! I want a stick and some toilet paper around my body, too! And look at that boot! It’s bigger than the other one!” Trixa dropped to her knees and stared at June’s footwear, one foot in its oversized, black medical boot, the other foot in a normal sized black boot. “This style is so random! You should be a model, June!”  
“She’s not dressing up!” I said angrily. “This isn’t Halloween! She was in an accident and is injured!”  
Trixa continued smiling, looking at June’s boots.  
“Trixa?” I said, my anger fading as I stared at her in confusion.  
Trixa slowly raised her head and stared up at me, and a crazed, excited look came over her face. “GARAAAAAAAYYYY!!! HEY!!! You have a cool bit of gear on, too!” She stood up and reached out to poke my sling.  
“HEY!” I screamed at her, backing up and slapping away her hand with a surprisingly loud SMACK!!  
The six of us gasped as the sound echoed throughout the cave.  
Trixa held her hand I smacked and her face showed that she was on the verge of tears. She inhaled loudly, repeatedly, and her eyes shimmered with water. “Oh, I remember you for sure, now. You jerk!” Her lips trembled in fright and a pair of tears rolled down her cheeks. “You’re still a meanie! Why do you hate me so much?”  
“Trixa, I don’t hate you! You were about to touch my sling!” I reasoned with her. “I have a busted shoulder in here! You can’t just go around touching it! June and I were in a big accident and are recovering at the moment. You have to understand that!”  
“I understand it just fine, Gary!” Trixa cried. “But all you had to do was tell me. You didn’t have to hit me like that!”  
“Trixa, it was more of a reflex,” I replied. “Did it really hurt that bad? I didn’t mean to harm you at all.”  
“You know, when I saw you, I thought that maybe I might get an apology for how you treated me in Vancteck City,” Trixa said, shaking her head and frowning. “I thought maybe you might actually be sorry for what you did to me there. During the time after I left you, I thought, maybe he was just having a bad day. Maybe it’s me. Maybe he doesn’t really hate me at all. But, no. You’re still the same old Gary. You really do hate me, don’t you?”  
“Trixa, I do not hate you at all!” I shouted angrily, taking a step towards her. “I-!”  
“Oh! Okay, then, great!” Trixa smiled, clapping her hands.   
I stood frozen with my mouth open as I stared at her.  
Even Tepig looked up at her with a look of exhaustion at his Trainer’s quirky behavior.   
Quirky being a nice word for Trixa.  
“Is this little Tepig?” Ella cooed, kneeling down and reaching out for him.  
Tepig grunted and walked over to Ella, allowing her to pet his head.   
“Awww! Little baby, how have you been?” Ella giggled.  
Everyone turned to watch Ella interact with Tepig.  
Tepig happily squealed out to Ella.  
“Hey, wanna see your friend?” Ella grabbed a Poke Ball and held it out, and the Poke Ball sent out a Pokemon in a white beam.  
“Servine!” Servine said, and she looked down at Tepig.  
“Tepig!” Tepig happily called out to her.  
“Servine!” Servine replied warmly.  
“Whoa! What is that?” Trixa pulled out her Pokedex in shock.  
Servine. The Grass Snake Pokemon and Snivy’s evolved stage. This Pokemon is so quick, it can easily avoid opponent’s attacks and strikes with its vines. It keeps its leaves clean to ensure a perfect photosynthesis.  
“Whoa! The next stage for Snivy?” Disappointment was clear in Trixa’s voice. “But, what about my Tepig? Why hasn’t my Tepig evolved? In fact, none of my Pokemon have evolved! Not my Tepig, or my Pansear, or my Panpour, or my Swoobat, or my Tynamo, or my Druddigon, or my Victini, or my Maractus, or my Alomomola, or-”  
“Wait a freaking minute!!!!” Ella’s shriek ricocheted off of the walls of the cave, tearing into my eardrums.  
I cried out and covered my ears. “Hey!!”  
We all looked at Ella in shock.  
“What was that about?” I asked her.  
Ella had her eyes glued to Trixa, scowling. “Did you just say you have a Victini?”  
“Yeah, and it won’t evolve. Look!” Trixa held out a Poke Ball, and a Pokemon was sent out from it.  
The Pokemon’s appearance became clear and it let out a determined cry.  
I dropped painfully to my knees, but I didn’t even notice the pain at first. Even after I felt it, I didn’t react.  
June mouth hung open and she let out a sigh of exasperation as she stared at the Pokemon on the ground.  
“I have no idea what that is, but that isn’t Victini…” Ella remarked.  
“No, no, it is!” Trixa nodded confidently. “Victini is the Victory Star Pokemon, and this Pokemon is clearly a star-shaped Pokemon. The guy I traded my Reuniclus for, told me so.”  
Staryu. The Star Shape Pokemon. The core glows at its brightest when the sun goes down. When the stars begin to show, Staryu float to the surface of the water to align with the stars as their core flickers.  
“What?” Trixa gasped at Ella’s Pokedex.  
Victini. The Victory Pokemon. Success is said to be guaranteed to anyone who has this Legendary Pokemon on their side.  
“Babe, this is a Victini.” Ella held up her Pokedex to Trixa, which displayed Victini’s image. “The Victory Pokemon. You have a Staryu.”  
“But, that can’t be!” Trixa wore panic on her face as she pulled out her Pokedex.  
Staryu. The Star Shape Pokemon. The core of a Staryu glimmers beautifully and can shine brightly at night, but when this Pokemon is weak, the core shines weakly and blinks repeatedly.  
“This can’t be!” Trixa shook her head violently, tears flying from her eyes.  
Victini. The Victory Pokemon. An infinite amount of energy is said to lie within this Legendary Pokemon from the Unova region, and can be shared with others it likes. Some state that this Pokemon can become invisible at will.  
I slowly climbed to my feet and watched as tears ran down Trixa’s face as her eyes went back and forth from the picture of Victini on her Pokedex, to the Staryu on the ground, repeatedly.  
Trixa swallowed hard. “My Reuniclus…” she whimpered.  
“Oh, Trixa,” Ella said, stepping up to her and wrapping her in a hug. “It’s alright, my love.”  
Trixa shook her head and struggled out of Ella’s hug. “It’s fine,” she whispered as she wiped at her eyes. “I was just stupid.” She looked up at me painfully. “I’m so stupid, right, Gary?”  
“Trixa, don’t say that,” I told her. “Whoever tricked you like that was stupid. A stupid, horrible person. Not you. You just didn’t know.”  
Trixa sighed as she returned her Staryu.  
“Trixa, what happened between us the last time we were together was regrettable and I am sorry for it,” I told her. “I never got to apologize to you. I’m sorry I can be so short tempered.”  
Trixa grabbed my right hand in both of hers as she gazed up at me happily, a twinkle in her eyes that a voice somewhere deep inside of me was telling me that I missed, but I ignored it. “Does that mean you miss me? Oh, you’re so kind to me, Gary!” She wrapped her arms around my neck in a hug.  
“OOOWWWW!!!!” My right shoulder tightened up painfully in its cast as Trixa’s body pressed against it. “Get off of meeee!!!!” I angrily shoved her away.  
She glared at me with a mix of anger and surprise. “You know, I just can’t deal with your crap, Gary! You are just so two faced!”  
“Two faced?!” I screamed at her. “How in the hell am I two faced?!”  
“Please, let’s not fight, you guys,” Ella suggested with a smile.  
“Yeah, this isn’t that serious,” June added.  
“This is serious enough for me!” Trixa fumed. “My Pokemon won’t evolve, I was swindled by someone into thinking I got a Victini, and all Gary can do is yell at me and call me stupid!”  
“I never called you stupid!” I was mortified at her accusation. “Trixa, Pokemon don’t all evolve at the same time! They have levels by which they evolve, and even when they reach those levels, they don’t always want to evolve! Some Pokemon prefer to remain unevolved, and they can still be powerful battlers, even against evolved forms. Other Pokemon, like your Pansear and Panpour, evolve by Evolution Stones! Pansear needs a Fire Stone, whereas Panpour needs a Water Stone! Others don’t evolve at all! Druddigon doesn’t evolve! If you use your Pokedex, you can find out all kinds of information like this about your individual Pokemon, along with what your Staryu really was.”  
“Yeah, and Swoobat is an evolved Pokemon already,” Ella told Trixa gently. “It evolves from Woobat. It can’t evolve again.”  
“Oh!” Trixa stared at her Pokedex in her hand and then she looked down at Tepig. “Cool!” She held out a Poke Ball at Joltik and returned the nasty spider Pokemon.   
“Say, how many Badges do you have right now, Trixa?” Ella asked.  
“Yeah, good question,” I nodded.  
“Uuuummm…” Trixa looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully. “TWO!”  
I stared at Trixa silently, along with Ella and June.  
Inhaling deeply, trying hard to calm myself down, I closed my eyes. Easy, Gary. Easy. Easy. My eyes opened and I looked at Trixa’s gleeful smile as she looked at the three of us.   
“How many do you guys have?” she questioned.  
“Trixa, I have four,” Ella said slowly.  
“I have five,” I said through gritted teeth, my brain trying to comprehend the number Trixa had told us.  
Trixa turned to June expectantly. “What about you, June?”  
“I’m… not competing in the Unova League,” June said hesitantly.  
Shock came over Trixa’s face. “But, why, Juni?”  
“Forget about that!!” My anger exploded from my throat. There was nothing I could do to hold it back. “Why the hell do you only have two badges?! You had two badges when we were last traveling together, Trixa! What have you been doing all this time??”  
“Enjoying the sights.” Trixa’s eyes weren’t quite looking into mine, as if she were staring at something right in front of my face that I couldn’t see myself.  
My mouth was agape as I stared back at Trixa through squinted eyes.  
“Trixa, what about the Unova League?” Ella asked, a hint of despair in her voice. “We were supposed to compete together, remember? We’re running out of time, fast! Even I’m falling behind! You need to collect your Badges.”  
“Oh, don’t worry, I will,” Trixa nodded quickly. “I’ll get my eight Badges.”  
“I’m sure you will, but you need them before time is up,” Ella told her. “The Unova League takes place at the end of the summer, remember?”  
“I’ll be there to compete, no doubt,” Trixa replied calmly, maintaining her smile. “Don’t sweat the small stuff.”  
This isn’t “small stuff,” I grumbled in my head, closing my eyes tightly, my lips pursed together, struggling not to explode on Trixa.  
“Hey, June! I almost forgot that you own like, a ton of Electric Pokemon! You should totally send out your Electric types in this cave,” Trixa suggested. “Electric Pokemon just love it here!”  
“Oh? Hmm, that makes sense,” June replied thoughtfully.  
“Well, I’m gonna go around trying to find more Pokemon and stuff. And don’t you guys worry about me and my Badges, okay? I’ll get them in time. I’ll catch you all later! Ella, it was so great seeing you again. June, you, too!” Her smile faded to a slant of uncertainty as she looked to me. “Gary, I just really don’t know about you.” She instantly was beaming again. “See you, guys! Let’s go, Tepig!” Trixa skipped by us, disappearing down a separate path in the cave.  
Tepig turned to us. “Tepig! Tepig!” He nodded quickly at Servine with a smile before running after his Trainer.  
“Servine! Servine!” Servine called after Tepig, waving to him.  
“Servine, Boldore, come on back!” Ella returned her Pokemon and turned to June and I. “Well, it was nice seeing her again.” Her eyes locked on mine, making me swallow nervously, and a smile crossed her face. “Gary, I know she’s a bit lightheaded, but you have to try to be a bit more patient with her, okay?”  
I nodded. “Sorry,” I muttered.  
Ella nodded, her smile fading. “I’m not so confident I’ll be seeing her in the Pokemon League, after all, which is really too bad. She had kind of convinced me to become a Pokemon Trainer to begin with. I wasn’t sure I wanted to be one at first.”  
“I’m glad you decided to do it,” I told Ella.  
She clasped her hands together and looked at me adoringly.  
I smiled back uncomfortably, too nervous to continue looking in her eyes, but unwilling to look away.  
“Magnetoooon!!”   
Ella and I turned to stare at a Magneton floating in front of a smiling June.  
“Sorry to break that little moment up, but either you two are gonna kiss, or we’re gonna keep moving,” June winked. “Trixa said my Electric Pokemon should like it here, so I’ll send out a few of them and-”  
“Tooooooooooonnn!!!!” Magneton flew quickly through the air, away from us.  
“Magneton!” June cried out.  
“Where is it going?” I asked June.  
“It’s crying out for help! Magneton, what’s wrong?” June ran after her Pokemon, Ella and I immediately following after her.  
Magneton let out a long, frantic cry as it soared through the air.  
“Magneton, what’s wrong? Tell me, please!” June begged.  
“Toooooooooooooonn!!” A second later, Magneton slammed into a large, floating rock.  
The Pokemon and the rock both sparked with electricity as they hovered in the air, connected to each other.  
“Magneton!” June stopped before her Pokemon, looking up at it.  
“June, there’s too much electrical energy flowing through this cave! Magneton’s steel body is attracted to it like, well, a magnet! Call it back!” Ella instructed June.  
June nodded at Ella. “That makes a great deal of sense.” She faced Magneton and held up her Poke Ball.  
“Ferroseed!” A Ferroseed appeared from behind the rock, sticking to it as it rolled into view on its spiky body. Unlike the steel gray colored Ferroseed with the green spikes jutting from their bodies that I had seen before, this one’s body gave of a light blue glow, its spikes a darker shade of blue, and it was sparking with electricity, just like the rock it was clinging to.  
The floating rock’s side was lightly layered in what looked like some sort of plant life resembling blue moss that sparked as well.  
The Ferroseed’s eyes closed tightly.  
“Hey, look! A Ferroseed!” Ella reached for her Pokedex.  
“Ferroseed!” The spikes on Ferroseed’s body glowed white and they flew out from it, hitting Magneton.  
“Magnetoooon!!” Magneton screamed as it was hit. The impact tossed Magneton off of the rock and towards the ground.  
“Magneton, return!” June reached the Poke Ball towards Magneton, and a red beam fired out for it.  
“Tooooooooonn!” Magneton was suddenly pulled forward, deeper into the cave!  
“Nooooooooo!!” June screamed shrilly. “Magneton!”  
The red beam from Magneton’s Poke Ball missed the Magnet Pokemon, failing to return it.  
June took off after her Pokemon, and Ella ran after her.  
I turned to Ferroseed as it stared down angrily at me, clinging to the rock Magneton had just been attached to, and it closed it eyes, firing more white spikes from its body.  
“Crap!” I ran after Ella, June, and Magneton, Ferroseed’s attacking just barely missing me, colliding powerfully into the ground with a loud explosion.  
Magneton was crying out desperately as it was pulled through the air, and it slammed into another enormous boulder that was hovering feet above the ground, both the rock and the Pokemon sparking on contact. Magneton struggled to free itself.  
“Alright, Magneton, return!” June shouted as she pointed the Poke Ball at Magneton determinedly.  
“Ferro…”  
“June, get out of the way!” Ella ran towards June and pulled her backwards, and just as June was taken off of her feet, pulled by her waist by Ella, the ground where June had just been standing exploded upon contact with several white sparks from the ceiling.  
My eyes widened in surprise as Ella stumbled onto her back, wailing in pain as June landed on top of her, June moaning loudly, her body twitching from its own pain. Her cane dropped to ground beside them.  
“Ella! June!” I ran to them and picked up June’s cane before assisting June to her feet, handing her cane to her.  
“Thank you, Gary,” June groaned weakly, leaning heavily on her cane.  
“Ella, are you alright?” I asked her as I helped her up.   
“Yeah, I am, but we’re in danger from that Ferrothorn,” Ella said as she shook her head and pointed up at the ceiling.  
The three of us looked up and screamed.  
On the ceiling, looking back at us, sat a large creature that resembled a mix of Ferroseed with a steel spider. Its three long, green, vine-like appendages ended in spiky metal disks that clung to the ceiling, holding it up there, the rest of its body covered in spikes. Its steel body wasn’t glowing blue or sparking with electricity like the Ferroseed we had just seen.   
“What does it want with us, June?” I asked her.  
“I don’t know,” June answered me, and then she called up to Ferrothorn. “Listen, I just want my Magneton! We’ll get out of your way right after that!”  
“Ferrothoooorn!” Ferrothorn yelled, and it released one of its vines from the ceiling and pointed it at us. All of its vines glowed white and the one pointed at us fired multiple bright, white, pointed streams at us.  
My group ran away as we avoided the spikes that exploded on the ground.  
“TOOOOOON!”   
“My Magneton!” I heard June yell.  
I stopped running and turned back around to see June had also stopped running, staring at Magneton.  
Ella stopped near me and turned to June.  
“Magnet… TOOOOOOOON!!!” Magneton’s body sparked with a startlingly bright flash of electricity that hurt my eyes, forcing me to squint as I cried out in shock.   
“Ferrothorn!” Ferrothorn let go of the ceiling and dropped towards the ground as Magneton unleashed a huge, blinding bolt of electricity at it.  
“What was that move??” I was in awe at the stunning move Magneton had pulled off, blinking my sore eyes repeatedly against the intense flash. It was brighter than any Electric attack I’d ever seen, and its impact on the ceiling caused smoke to flow out. The smell almost instantly reached my nose, causing me to cough.  
“That was a Thunderbolt!” June gasped, staring at Magneton in disbelief.  
Ferrothorn spun in midair, its body surrounded by a circle of light blue energy, and it flew into Magneton.  
Magneton was unhinged from the electric rock it was stuck on. With a loud cry, Magneton flew even further down the cave.  
Ferrothorn closed its eyes tightly.  
“Gary, he’s gonna blow!!” June grabbed my left hand, and I gasped as Ferrothorn’s body glowed white.  
June and I ran as quickly as we possibly could, Ella by my side, away from Ferrothorn. We all shrieked at the loud BOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!! followed by the strong force of air that shoved us forward, picking up our running pace as we chased after Magneton.  
“My Magneton!” June was stumbling, out of breath, only able to travel but so far with a cane and a busted foot. She released my hand and extended her arm into the air, her Poke Ball in her hand, trying once again to return her Magneton.  
It slammed into a boulder that was floating just inches from the ceiling, both the Pokemon and the rock immediately surrounded by charges of electricity.  
“AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!” June shrieked as her body was lit up like a firework, and she dropped in a heap. She wept from the ground painfully. “That wasn’t… From an… Electric type… Pokemon…” her voice quaked.  
“June!” Ella and I quickly walked towards her, but were almost immediately stopped by a loud shout that echoed throughout the cavern.  
“It’s a Klang!” I pointed at the Pokemon that stared back at me from a distance.  
“Is that what just shocked June?” Ella demanded. “Hey, what is wrong with you guys? Why are you all attacking us like this?”  
Groaning loudly in great pain, June pushed herself up.  
I ignored the Klang and knelt down next to June, placing her arm around my neck and helping her to her feet.  
Ella ran over and grabbed June’s cane, handing it to her.  
“They’re mad at my Magneton,” June said weakly as she took her cane from Ella. “Magneton is being dragged through this cave against its will. The electricity in this cave is pulling it into all of these rocks, slamming into them and causing it to absorb a lot of energy. It’s becoming a huge distraction in an environment like this, and it’s upsetting the other Pokemon.”  
“Then, just let her return her Magneton!” Ella called out to Klang.  
“They won’t listen,” June told Ella, shaking her head. “They think we’re just intruders. We just have to get out of here.”  
“June, get Magneton and let’s run!” I insisted.  
Before she could move a muscle, Klang’s body glowed light blue. The color removed itself from Klang’s body and formed a ball, and Klang tossed the Mirror Shot at us.  
Ella screamed.  
June gripped my arm tightly and pressed her face helplessly against my shoulder.  
I stepped in front of June and turned my back to the oncoming attack.  
“Magnetoooooooonnn!” Magneton’s voice bounced along the walls of the cave, causing June, Ella, and me to turn to it.  
My eyes shut as soon as they landed on Magneton, blinded by a bright light that filled the entire cave.  
Ella shrieked, her voice ringing everywhere at once.  
June cried out her Pokemon’s name.  
A loud explosion, followed shortly by another loud blast, and then another, less loud eruption of noise, made me wrap my arm around Ella and stay positioned in front of June, unsure of what was going on.  
Ella continued to scream in fear, cowering close to me.  
June gripped me tightly, her head against my chest.  
The echo from the explosions faded away after a couple of minutes, and the three of us opened our eyes and gazed at each other silently, fear on June and Ella’s faces, and certainly on mine, as well. We all turned slowly to Klang.  
Klang was against the wall, shivering on the ground.  
Magneton was…  
“What is that?” I gasped at a white ball that floated in the air near where Magneton had been stuck to the floating rock, but the rock was now gone, and Magneton was nowhere in sight.  
“What happened to Magneton?” Ella questioned.  
June stepped around me slowly, staring at the silent, white ball, her eyes squinting in disbelief. “Magneton?”  
The shape spoke out loudly and began to shift in the air, stretching, shimmering in place. With a loud, mechanical sound, the white light exploded, sprinkling on the ground, and something that resembled some sort of alien spacecraft hovered in the white ball’s place.  
June let out a strange, repetitive noise from her throat. She mumbled something unintelligible as she stared at the creature in front of us.  
“Is that… Magneton?” Ella whispered.  
June continued to make the strange noise, only it sounded as if she were crying now.  
“I think it’s…” I pulled out my Pokedex.  
Magnezone. The Magnet Area Pokemon. The final evolution for Magnemite. The center Magnemite of the Magneton has grown more circular than the other two during evolution. While more powerful, extra weight has been added on, making this final stage slower than its previous one.  
June was now whimpering as she took a step closer to her new Pokemon. “Magnezone?”  
“Magnezone!” Magnezone faced June.  
“My baby!” June ran towards her Pokemon. Magnezone lowered itself closer to June and she wrapped her arms around it. “Magnezone! I can’t believe you’ve evolved! You look so beautiful! This is wonderful!” June was wiping her face against the steel body of Magnezone, her tears flowing as she rubbed her Pokemon with her hands. “Magnezone, you’re amazing!”  
Magnezone reacted happily, bobbing in the air.  
Ella and I turned to each other, smiling, and she winked at me.  
My smile widened and I nodded, turning back to June. A Magnezone, I thought to myself. Congratulations, you two. A weak cry made me turn around, and my smile faded in the next instant.  
“June, watch out!” Ella ran past me and towards June.  
June turned around in surprise at Ella.  
Magnezone turned towards what I was already staring at.  
Ella stood in front of June and Magnezone, her arms wide, grimacing at Klang.  
Klang was in the air, shaking weakly, its body spinning eagerly, and loud klink! Klink! Klink! Klink! noises were heard as it attacked with Gear Grind, tiny sparks bouncing along the ground.  
“Ella, don’t!” I ran towards her.  
“MAGNEZOOOOONE!!!” Magnezone flew around June and Ella, June gasping as she stumbled to the ground. Its body sparked with light blue electricity.  
Ella suddenly bent over and grabbed her right knee as she fell to the ground, letting out a pained wail.  
Magnezone’s magnets glowed light blue and multiple light blue orbs of energy flew out from them. One of the orbs exploded in midair as it collided with the gear that was bouncing around that Klang had fired, and the other orbs exploded as they slammed into Klang.  
Klang screamed strongly as it was thrown back into the cave wall, causing dust to cover it in a cloud, and then it went silent.  
Ella continued whining loudly, crying.  
“Ella, hang on!” I ran towards June and knelt down next to her. “June, are you okay?”   
“Gary, what’s going on?” June was on her right side, her face squinting in pain as she took heavy breaths, gazing up at me.  
“Your Magnezone is battling Klang,” I informed her.  
“Gary! Please, help! My leg!” Ella begged loudly.  
“Ella! I’m coming!” I crawled over to her.  
Ella was on her back, grabbing her knee, her eyes squeezed tightly, her teeth gritted.  
“Ella, what’s wrong with your knee?” I asked her fearfully.  
“Magnezone…” Magnezone said in a low voice.  
I turned around with a start.  
Magnezone hovered above us, looking down at us as it bobbed in place.  
“Magnezone, you did great!” I told it. “Congratulations on evolving!”  
“Magnezone!” it said happily, nodding its head.   
I turned to Klang.  
It was on the ground, silent, its body not moving.  
“Magnezone, I’m so lucky a girl to have a friend like you! Please, come back, now!” June sniffled, and she finally returned Magnezone to its Poke Ball.  
Ella moaned and struggled to her feet, but her right leg was still in pain, and she couldn’t get up. The right jean leg had a cut in it by the knee, and I could see a dark red color soaked into the two flaps where the tear was, blocking the wound from view.  
“Ella! What happened to you? Let me help you.” I wrapped her arm around my neck and helped her to her feet.  
Ella hopped on one leg, June hobbling by her other side. “I need to get to Mistralton City,” she moaned sorely. “I need a hospital. It hurts so bad.”  
“What happened to you? Is it broken?” June stared at Ella’s bleeding knee.  
“I don’t think it’s broken, it just hurts so much! I don’t know how this happened. One minute, Klang was going to attack you and Magnezone, so I ran to protect you two, and the next thing I know, my knee is like this. Maybe it’s not as bad as it looks. Maybe I can just walk it off.” She managed a little laugh before scrunching up her face. “Or not.”  
“Ella, you’re such a sweetheart,” June told her. “Magnezone and I were meant to take that hit. We owe you big. Thank you.”  
Ella smiled and turned to June. “Just keep being the kind of person that makes taking hits like these worth it.”  
June blushed, smiling shyly at Ella.  
“I think that has to be the exit!” I said, pointing ahead at an opening not far ahead.  
“Finally,” Ella sighed.  
I smiled and my eyes glanced down, doing a double take as I noticed something on the ground of the cave.   
Some kind of metal object resembling a nut.  
Some kind of gear? I thought to myself. To what? I ignored it and continued walking with June and Ella.  
We kept our eyes on the eerily silent Klang.  
I wonder if it’s gonna be alright, I thought to myself as we walked past it.  
Within minutes, we stepped out into the cool night air, surrounded by trees, a dirt path in front of us. We all stopped at once and inhaled the fresh air at the same time.   
“Ha, maybe I should have caught that Klang,” Ella laughed. “Guess it slipped my mind.”  
“Did you get hit in the knee, or the head, Ella?” June joked.  
“Hey, you could have taken it in the head!” Ella shot back with a smile.  
“You gonna make me remember that daily?” June smiled back.  
“Only when it benefits me,” Ella winked.  
June and Ella laughed playfully and I smiled as I watched them, grateful that, despite all that we had been through, we were all together.  
Grateful for the little trio that was comprised of us.  
Grateful that, for all June and I had been through since meeting around three years ago, this was where we had made it to so far.  
It’s funny how quickly everything you once had can be taken away from you in the blink of an eye.


	32. The Three Of Broken Hearts

“So, this isn’t Mistralton City?” I asked.  
“Nah, that’s a bit further up,” Ella shook her head, looking at a shiny, black wooden cane in her hand.   
“I guess we could use a rest,” I said, sighing as I laid back against the bench in the Pokemon Center, my head against the wall.  
“That’s an understatement. If anyone needs a rest, I deserve it more than either of you two.” Ella squinted at me jealously. “Your shoulder is all better, and June only needs a cane at this point.”  
June smiled, gripping her cane in her left hand. Her head was no longer wrapped in bandages, and her left leg was relieved of its bondage as well.  
Nurse Joy had checked on the three of us after receiving our Pokemon and stated that June and I were recovering just fine, offering to remove my sling and June’s gauze and medical boot while informing us that if we wanted to be on the safe side, we could still keep them on until we were entirely recovered. June and I insisted on being freed if the option was safe, and Nurse Joy confirmed that we’d be fine. She told June that she should continue to use her cane, as her leg needs time to not only recover, but learn to walk again after the time it’s had out of use. She said it would be a rehabilitation period for it. She also told me that my right arm and shoulder would need some time before they would be fully functional like they had been before and to be gentle with them.  
My arm and shoulder sure did feel strange now that I was able to move them again after such a long time, and my shoulder still hurt quite a bit when I moved it, but I was too happy to be rid of that sling to care. I’d just have to be extra careful with myself for a little while.  
Ella’s leg wasn’t broken, but it was bleeding at the knee continuously and causing her a lot of pain, so Nurse Joy wrapped it in gauze and gave her a cane to use, saying that her leg should be fine in a few days, but if it wasn’t, she should find a hospital to look at it immediately.  
Now, the three of us were resting in the lobby of the otherwise empty building, Nurse Joy and her Audino in the back with our Pokemon.  
“Nurse Joy said you’d be fine in a short time,” I smiled at Ella.  
“Yeah, well, tell my leg that,” Ella snapped, looking down at her leg.  
Her tone made my heart beat in fear that I had upset her. I didn’t want to make Ella mad at me.  
“What hit me?” Ella wondered in a more gentle tone. “Man! This really stinks. How am I supposed to travel like this?”   
“I did it,” June told her happily. “And my leg was in really rough shape! You’ll be fine in no time.”  
Ella sighed and shook her head. “I’m really not-”  
“June?” a voice said from near us.  
The three of us gasped as we looked up, surprised that there was somebody else in the lobby with us.  
I was certain that we were alone just a few moments ago.  
A young kid stood in front of us, leaning forward just a bit, his light blue eyes wide with surprise. His face broke in an overjoyed smile and he stood up straight as he ran his right hand through his dirty blonde hair that sat at the sides of his face. “June! I can’t believe this! What are you doing here?”   
“Frederick!” June gasped hard, her eyes wide as she raised a hand to cover her mouth. Her eyes instantly watered up.  
“June.” The stranger opened his arms wide.  
June tossed her cane aside and immediately stumbled over to the young guy and embraced him in a huge hug.  
Who the hell is this guy? I wondered, raising an eyebrow, twisting my face in a look of uncertainty.  
“Frederick! How? Why? I can’t believe this!” June’s face buried itself into the chest of Frederick’s white sweater and I could hear her sniffling as she began to cry.  
“June, how have you been?” Frederick asked gently, rubbing June’s back slowly.  
June’s body appeared to give a slight shiver. “Freddy, I’m just fine!” June cried, lifting her head to look at him. “Freddy, oh, wow! What are you doing in Unova? What are you doing here? Freddy!” She planted a kiss on both of his cheeks. “You’re cold!”  
My eyes squinted and my eyebrows furrowed as they moved from this boy to June, back and forth a few times. Okay, seriously, who is this guy? I silently demanded. A nudge in my side made me turn and I stared in surprise at Ella.  
She nudged me again and gave me a wink, motioning with her head at June and Frederick with a childish grin on her face.  
I nodded slowly and turned back, feeling my eyebrows furrow again.  
Fred kissed June’s cheeks in return and held her by her shoulders as he gazed at her, a couple of inches taller than her. “It’s a bit chilly today, I suppose. I’m here in Unova to visit my distant relatives,” Fred explained. “How about you?”  
June got silent and her face blushed a deep red. “Oh, um…” She turned around and waved at Ella and I. “These are my two friends, Gary and Ella. They’re Pokemon Trainers and I… am traveling with them through Unova…”  
“Oh, my pleasure,” Fred nodded at us with a smile.  
“Yeah,” I muttered, nodding back.  
Ella got to her feet and extended a hand to Fred. “It’s nice to meet you!”  
Fred looked down at Ella’s hand, but didn’t release June’s shoulders.   
After a couple of seconds, Ella’s hand started to lower, her smile fading slightly.  
Fred slowly released June and finally grasped Ella’s hand.  
“Oh, my!” Ella gasped. “You are cold!”  
“You’re warmer than I am,” Fred chuckled. “It will be nice when spring gets here, eh?”  
“About a month away,” Ella nodded. “I can’t wait.”  
Fred released her hand and nodded before looking to me. His smile faded. “And you must be Gary.”   
“Yeah,” I mumbled, squinting at him.   
He stared into my eyes with his own, a cold look coming over his face.  
Neither of us spoke a word as we stared suspiciously at each other.  
“Uh… Way to make things even colder!” Ella laughed at our unfriendly staring contest.  
I stood up and took a couple of steps closer to him, continuing to glare at the kid.  
Fred looked away and stared at the ground. He bent over to pick up June’s cane and turned to her. “A cane? Are you alright?”  
June had been leaning on her right leg since Fred had let go of her. “I am. I just got into a little accident a bit ago. I’m alright, though. I’m just using this for a couple more days. My leg is fine, though.” She gently took her cane from Fred.  
Fred turned and looked at Ella’s cane before returning his eyes to June. “What happened? If you don’t mind me asking.”  
June looked down silently. “Well…” She swallowed.   
“Excuse my rudeness,” Fred bowed. “What matters is that you’re here now, and looking so well. No need to dwell on the past. I’m so glad to see you again, June.” He wrapped his arms around her again and June squeezed him back.  
“So, do you two have some kind of history Gary and I should be knowing about?” Ella teased slyly.  
June turned to Ella with an even redder face than before. “Well, this is Freddy, my very best friend from back home in Gringey City. I haven’t seen him since I left home about three years ago.” June shot me a lightning fast glance.  
“June, what happened back then?” Fred asked sadly. “We were all so upset by your decision to leave. I couldn’t believe it. Why did you go? I never understood why you chose to abandon us like that. And your Gym! Why?”  
June closed her eyes and lowered her head. “I told you, Freddy. I was a failure as a Pokemon Trainer.”  
“But, why leave us like that? Why not just quit as a Gym Leader?” Fred insisted.  
“Freddy, dear.” June turned to her friend, and her voice started to tremble. “You have no idea how embarrassing it was. The entire city supported me for countless battles; endless losses. To quit was just a spit in the face of everyone there. My family. Everyone there is my family, including you. I turned my back on you all by quitting. I ran away from my hopes and dreams. I had no other choice but to literally turn my back and-”  
“Please, don’t cry, June,” Fred said softly, pulling June into another hug. “I’m so sorry.”  
June sniffled in Fred’s hold that pulled her tightly into him.  
Stupid jerk, I glared at him silently. Ruining everything June and I worked so hard to get over, together, back in Kanto. Now’s he’s just bringing all this crap back up.   
Fred’s eyes rose and he glared directly at me.  
My eyes widened, taken by surprise.  
“Aren’t they so cute?” Ella whispered to me.  
I shot her a short, sideways glance from the corner of my eye, but I didn’t respond.  
“June,” Fred whispered after a couple more minutes of silent hugging.  
June sniffled and cleared her throat, but didn’t move or speak.  
Something grabbed my hand, and I turned with a start to see a hand holding mine. “Ella?” I whispered in disbelief.  
Ella’s eyes were stuck on June and Fred, but her hand was gently holding mine, a wide smile on her face, a longing look in her eyes.  
“Freddy,” June whispered, placing her right hand on his chest and looking at him. “Where did you go?”  
Fred didn’t reply, glancing down sadly at June.  
“You left Gringey City. You moved. I came back a couple of years ago. They told me you moved to Sinnoh. My parents told me that you all moved away, about half a year before I got back to Gringey City. They said that your parents promised to keep in touch, and that you swore you’d call everyday to ask about me, but that none of you ever did. Even your cell phones weren’t working. They were disconnected or something.”  
Fred smiled and nodded. “The cost of living came first, before having such pleasures as phones and such. My relatives paid for my trip out here, actually. I’m so sorry, June. When I saw you headed for the Pokemon Center, I was certain I was hallucinating. I almost kept going on my way home, but I couldn’t do that. Even if it wasn’t you, I had to be sure.”  
“I’m so glad you did, Freddy,” June smiled. “I’m so happy you’re here.”  
“June, I know you’re with your friends, and I know, as Pokemon Trainers, you don’t have a lot of time to waste, but, would it be too much trouble to ask, after all the time I’ve spent away from you, if I could take you out to dinner tonight.”  
“Dinner?” June gasped.   
“If not, I understand. I don’t mean to come off the wrong way…” Fred’s eyes turned sharply towards me.  
June turned to face me, her eyes wide. “Oh, Gary’s not my boyfriend!!” She burst out laughing, holding on to Fred’s shoulders.  
I grit my teeth tightly and I stared angrily at June. Why’d she have to say it like that? I thought, getting angrier by the second as she continued to laugh. And what’s so damn funny?  
“Yeah!” Ella laughed. “He’s my boyfriend!”  
Time froze.  
Nobody moved.  
“Oh, well, in that case, June, might I take you to dinner tonight?” Fred asked her, smiling, a hopeful look on his face.  
June turned around and stared at me and Ella, a shocked look on her face.  
Ella pulled me closer to her and rested her head on my shoulder, sighing happily.  
I imagined that my face matched June’s stunned glance as I looked back at her. WHAT?!?! I screamed in my head in confusion.   
June didn’t move as she locked eyes with me.  
“June?” Fred asked, staring at her, and then he looked at me.  
June turned away from me slowly and smiled at Fred. “That would be really nice, Freddy.”  
What is going on here right now? I asked myself. None of this is making any sense.  
“I know you’re sixteen, now. I haven’t had the opportunity to wish you a happy birthday in so long,” Fred told her. “Consider this a belated birthday present, if nothing else.”  
“Oh, my gosh! She’s sixteen!?” Ella cried. “How cool is that? Ha! Happy birthday!” Ella giggled joyously and squeezed my hand with both of hers.  
I tried hard to swallow, but nothing went down my dry, empty throat as I continued to stare at June and Fred, frozen.  
“Why, yes,” Fred said, looking up at us. “Her birthday was only a little over a month ago. How long have you guys been traveling with her, again?”  
“Well, I’ve been traveling with Gary and June for almost a month,” Ella told him.  
Fred raised an eyebrow at me and then looked at Ella. “What do you mean?”  
“Well, Gary and June were traveling together for a long while, like, even since back in Kanto a couple of years ago,” Ella explained. “I only just came recently.”  
Fred stared at me solemnly. “Is that so?”  
“Yeah, that’s right,” I replied sternly.  
“Now, now, don’t take it like that,” June laughed, waving her hand at me dismissively.  
Whoa, I thought, gripping Ella’s hands tightly in reaction to June’s nonchalant attitude over me.  
“He’s really nothing but a great friend of mine,” June added. “And always has been. You boys are so silly.”  
“Yeah, don’t think anything stupid,” I said firmly, keeping my eyes on Fred.  
“I wouldn’t consider what I had been thinking as anything stupid,” Fred shot back as June turned to me, her smile fading as what I had said sunk in.  
Despite the cold energy between me and Fred, I felt strangely hot, and my skin prickled as I felt an urge to remove my coat, but I stayed still.  
Fred gave me a cocky grin. “I’ll be sure to have your friend back before midnight,” Fred joked. “If you’d like, I also know a nice place where you two can spend your evening.”  
“Oh, gosh! Really?” Ella squealed, gripping my hand even tighter and leaping up and down.  
Fred nodded, smiling pleasantly at Ella.   
Ella turned to me and beamed lovingly at me.  
I smiled against my will, unable to fight off whatever magic she held within her that she was showering me with.  
“Great. I can catch up with June, and you two can have a wonderful date, as well,” Fred said.  
I looked at Fred, nodding my head slowly, and then turned back to Ella, looking down at her wearily.  
June and I turned to each other once again before looking back at our individual companions.  
I have a date…? My eyes were sucked into Ella’s sexy eyes. With Ella…?  
*

 

“This is gonna be amazing,” Ella said happily as we walked together, our shoulders nearly touching as we walked underneath the several glimmering stars above us, down the sidewalk, past a variety of different kinds of stores.  
“Yeah,” I said, looking across the street at the block lined with stores selling doughnuts, snacks, fast food, clothes, and hardware products.  
“Kind of sucks being a Pokemon Trainer when you don’t come prepared,” Ella giggled. “I mean, if I had known I’d be going on a date while traveling, I may have taken at least one pair of nice clothes with me instead of all this rough terrain stuff.”  
“Yeah, I know what you mean,” I said, managing a nervous smile, my heart dribbling against my chest like a basketball. I reached my hand up and rubbed at my twitching right eye. Stop it already, damn you, I cursed the eye. You’ve been doing this for the past few hours. Relax, please!   
“This is it!” Ella stopped and pointed at a building to her right.   
Baby Blue  
“Sounds like the place,” I said, cocking my head at the black building with tinted black windows, the sign above in a shade of blue so light, it was shaking hands with the color white.  
“This will be great!” Ella walked forward and pulled open the tall door, and I grabbed it as I followed behind her.  
You idiot! I yelled in my head. YOU’RE supposed to open the damn door! YOU!! And she has a cane!! I am such a failure. I sighed as I rubbed my twitching eye and looked around, stopping next to Ella at a counter with a small cash register, a man in a black and white waiter’s outfit smiling at us from behind it.   
“Welcome to the Baby Blue restaurant,” he greeted us. “Will you be dining with us this evening?”  
“Yes, just us two,” Ella said before I could find the right words to answer the man.   
This is getting embarrassing, I thought to myself. Man up!  
“Right this way,” the man nodded, and walked ahead of us swiftly.  
Ella turned to me and let out a joyful squeal before hurrying after the man.  
As I walked quickly across the baby blue carpeted floor after the two, I looked around at the tables occupied by either couples or groups of people enjoying their meals and conversations, some laughing, others whispering. My mouth nearly watered looking at a man slicing his large steak with a knife, his fork in the middle of it, juices running out of the meat and onto the plate.  
I’m one of these people, I thought in amazement. I would never dine alone, and I’m not with my family or anything. I’m at a restaurant, with a girl! My… girlfriend?   
“Here you are,” the man said as he stopped beside a table with a large white cloth draped over it, the ends a few inches above the floor.  
I moved forward quickly and offered a huge smile as I attempted to pull out Ella’s chair.  
Unfortunately, Ella was already in the process of pulling it out herself.   
I grabbed the back of the chair she had been pulling out and gave it an overzealous tug, smiling broadly at Ella, merely attempting to do the right thing.  
With a loud cry, Ella was pulled forward and dropped to the floor, her cane collapsing next to her. “Ooowww! Hey!” She looked up at me angrily as she rolled off of her knees and onto her backside, grabbing her pained knee.  
The sound of whispers and a couple of gasps lasted only a couple of seconds before the entire restaurant went completely silent.  
“Ella!” I knelt down next to her. “Ella, I’m so sorry! I was only trying to pull your chair out for you! I’m such an idiot. I’m so sorry! Ella, I’m so sorry!”  
Ella stared at me, her look of anger fading as a look of pity took its place for a few seconds, and then, suddenly, she burst out laughing!  
I was so embarrassed, my heart bouncing from all angles inside my chest.   
The people in the restaurant murmured as they watched us.  
“Madame, are you alright?” the waiter asked her, offering her a hand.   
Ella kept on laughing. “Yes, I’m fine! That was just so funny to me. Thank you.” She took the waiter’s hand and I grabbed her cane, handing it to her. She was still laughing as she took her seat and set her cane next to her chair, and my shaky legs carried me to my own seat, avoiding the eyes of those in the restaurant.  
The waiter nodded off to the side, and another waiter who stood with several other waiters and waitresses several feet away, all of them watching me ruining my date, walked up to our table and placed a menu in front of us both, swiftly walking away.  
Another waiter walked up to us from the group of waiters and waitresses as the rest of them scurried off, and he set a basket of bread in front of us, a tiny plate with a large stick of butter and two butter knives placed next to the bread, and he walked off.  
A waitress walked up to us and placed two large cups in front of us. She poured ice from a clear pitcher into both cups, and then filled them with water from another pitcher before leaving.  
“Once you are ready to order, please, let us know,” our original waiter bowed, and then he left.  
I held my menu in shaky hands and stared at the front of it, looking down the list of food, but not really reading it.  
“Gary, will you look at me?” Ella pleaded.  
Surprised, I lowered my menu and stared across at her smiling face, her eyes wide and pleading. “You’re so cute,” she spoke sweetly.  
Nervousness morphed my face as my eyes looked around me nervously. “Thank… You…?” I swallowed hard. Say it back, you dimwit! I urged myself.  
“You’re so nervous, aren’t you?” Ella asked, sorrow coming over her face.  
“I guess.” I looked down at the menu again. French fries, rice, chicken fingers, macaroni and cheese, mixed vegetables, I quickly read in my head before turning the page. Spaghetti, lobster, chicken breast, hamburger…  
“Gary, I’m so sorry about earlier, and all of this, really,” Ella told me as she gazed down at her menu, looking up at me after a moment. “I didn’t mean to call you my boyfriend like that back there. I just felt like things were getting awkward and I just…” She paused, glancing down at her menu again, and a smile slowly crept across her face. Her eyes returned to me again. “I think you’re very kind. And sweet. And cute. And I guess I wanted to show them up just a bit.” She giggled, but her smile faded quickly with a sigh. “I’m stupid and I only made things worse, though, huh?”  
Do it, do it! I shouted in my head. I opened my mouth and hesitated as Ella glanced over her menu some more. “You’re b-b-”   
Ella looked up at me expectantly.  
“You’re very pretty, Ella,” I said shakily. “Very, very-” Beautiful! Freaking hot!! “Very much. Um, I think you’re really b-beautiful, actually. And I’m glad we’re on this date.” My eyes shot around nervously as I swallowed.  
“Aww! Gary!” Ella’s eyes twinkled at me and her cheeks went red.  
I smiled back broadly, suddenly wishing I had a wedding ring with me that I could give to Ella while on one knee. My eyes actually swept the floor quickly, hoping that by some miracle, a ring might just be waiting for me to pick up from the floor so that I could propose to her. “I’m really happy you came along with us on this journey,” I added.  
“This has been one of my most favorite parts of this journey; traveling with you and June,” Ella nodded eagerly. She turned the page of her menu and scanned through it before returning her gaze to me.  
“Are you two ready to order?” a voice said next to us, and we turned to see our first waiter standing with an electronic pad in one hand, a stylus in the other, smiling.  
“Yes, actually, I’d like the chicken parmigiana, please?” Ella said to the waiter as my eyes frantically tore around the menu.  
Everything’s so expensive! I realized. I can’t afford this stuff!  
“And for you, sir?” the waiter asked me.  
“Um, yeah, I’ll have… Fries…” I said feebly, my face growing hot as I refused to face the man.  
“And what else?” he asked patiently.  
“That’ll be all,” I muttered, lowering my head. A frightening thought suddenly came to my head. What if Ella expects me to pay for all of this? How much money do I have left??  
“Um, just French fries?”  
“Yes, please.” I closed my menu and pushed it away from me.  
“Okay, sir, madame.” He took our menus and walked away.  
“Being a Pokemon Trainer isn’t the most cost effective way to live, huh?” Ella laughed lightly.  
“Well, not at this restaurant. For that price, the fries better leave me needing a new size in pants,” I sighed, embarrassed that I wasn’t the richest man in the world, and also at my horrible joke I instantly regretted making.  
Ella laughed and I managed a smile back, surprised that she was laughing. “You’re funny!” She sighed happily. “So, you think June and Fred are having a good time?”  
“Maybe…” My mind reflected on Fred.

“I’ll see you guys later,” June had said to us as Fred walked behind her, his hand on her waist as she led the way out.  
“Bye, June! See ya, Fred!” Ella called to them, waving. She had then turned to me. “What’s wrong?”  
I was glaring at June and Fred as they walked through the open doors of the Pokemon Center, and then I turned to Ella and shook my head, my eyes lowering to the floor.  
“Gary, are you jealous?” she asked, crossing her arms, a teasing smile on her face.  
“It’s not even that. I just-” My sentence was halted as I watched the doors to the Pokemon Center close behind Fred, his foot still in the building. I squinted in the sunlight that was shining in through the windows and the glass doors as the doors seemed to close and go right through Fred’s foot! I had shaken my head in disbelief and stared at the doors in shock.  
Fred’s foot was no longer in sight.  
I squinted in confusion at the doors. Stupid sunlight, I thought, rubbing my eyes.

“He seems nice, huh?” Ella asked me. “It’s nice to meet old friends again. His relatives sure were kind to pay for his trip from Sinnoh into Unova.”  
“Yeah…” I muttered.

“Where could he be taking her?” I asked Ella a little after June and Fred had left the Pokemon Center.  
“Maybe to his house so she can change into some nice clothes?” Ella suggested. “I’m afraid I’m gonna be looking like trash for our date.” Ella smiled at me, displaying her perfect teeth, making me feel self conscious about my own.  
“No, you won’t. Don’t be silly.” I managed a small smile behind closed lips. “I don’t have any dressy clothes, either.”  
“Yeah, well, my non dressy clothes aren’t for dining out,” Ella laughed. “Gary?”  
My gaze had returned to the front doors. “It’s the middle of the afternoon. What could they be doing until later tonight…?”  
“Well, she is sixteen,” Ella replied.  
“What’s that mean?” I asked, turning to her in confusion.  
“Ha, nothing. Just a joke,” Ella said, shaking her head. “Gary, she’s fine. She’s a big girl. I had no idea she was sixteen. I thought she was younger. Good on her!”  
I didn’t reply, looking back at the doors to the building.

“-miss Cheryl,” Ella finished saying as something landed in front of me.  
“Huh?” I looked up to see a short waiter place a large plate in front of me on the table, barely a quarter of it containing fries, heat rising from them.  
Ella’s plate contained two large pieces of steaming, breaded chicken topped with red sauce and melted cheese.  
The waiter took the forks, spoons, knives, and napkins from our table and replaced them with fresh ones, along with a bottle of ketchup, salt, pepper, and a few other various condiments.  
“This looks so yummy!” Ella said happily, eagerly grabbing a fork and knife. She looked over at my fries. “Not sure that’s gonna fill ya up, hon. Wanna share mine?”  
“No, this will be just fine, thank you,” I smiled weakly at my fries.  
“I was gonna just slide one of the chickens onto your plate. I know you don’t want my germs,” she laughed.  
“No, it wasn’t that! I just-”   
Ella laughed. “Gary, will you lighten up?”  
I sighed and smiled, looking down at my plate of fries, and I got lost in my head as another thought about Fred made its way into my mind. “Whoa!” I exclaimed as I was removed from my thoughts as Ella used her fork to slide one of her pieces of chicken onto my plate.  
“Eat up!” Ella said as she took her plate back. Her giggle was cut short when she saw me finally smile. Concern came over her face. “You’re really worried about June, aren’t you? You really care about her.”  
“No, I don’t!” I said angrily.  
Ella gazed at me as if I were crazy.  
“I mean, not like that! I do care, and I’m sure she’s fine… I just was thinking about something Fred said that I just realized was a little odd,” I explained.  
“Like what?” Ella stabbed at her chicken with her fork and sliced off a piece. She raised the fork into her mouth and her eyes lit up. “This is amaaazing!” Her eyes widened and she covered her mouth, looking around as a few diners turned to her. She stifled a laugh and chewed rapidly before swallowing the food. “Sorry, go on,” she whispered.  
I managed a smile. “Right, well, he said that once he saw June, he couldn’t believe it was her.”  
“Right…”   
“We got there in the middle of the night,” I told Ella. “He said he wasn’t sure it was June, but that he ran after us anyway to make sure it was her, just in case, right?”  
Her mouth full of more food, her eyes full of confusion, she nodded.  
“We met him in the afternoon, Ella,” I continued. “That means he saw us in the middle of the night, went home or something, and waited until the next day to see us. Why would someone who said they wouldn’t risk missing June like that, wait so long?”  
“I guess that’s a little odd, but I think you’re overthinking it.” She sliced off another piece of chicken. “Maybe he just was thinking about it the next day and finally decided to come to the Pokemon Center to check.”  
I shook my head, staring at my food.  
“Gary, are you gonna eat that?”  
I didn’t answer her, glaring now. Something’s wrong here, I knew. He lied.   
“I almost kept going on my way home, but I couldn’t do that. Even if it wasn’t you, I had to be sure,” I remembered Fred’s words.  
“I can’t!” My hands rose up and dropped onto the table, rattling the plates and silverware, and I stood up and walked away from my food.   
The diners, as well as Ella, gasped at my outburst and the restaurant was filled with silence.  
“I’m sorry, Gary,” Ella said sadly. “I really didn’t know you didn’t like chicken parmigiana.”  
“No, it’s not that, Ella,” I said firmly. “I can’t leave June with that guy.”   
Ella squinted up at me with what could have passed for a pained look. “June…?”  
Knowing I couldn’t waste another second, I ran, my feet pumping hard out of the restaurant, people screaming as I ran for some reason. Now what? I wondered. What restaurant did they go to? Full of adrenaline, I hopped in place, looking around me quickly, and spotted an old, balding man staring at me, surprised.  
“You need help, son?” he asked me hesitantly.  
“Um, yes!” I said quickly. “Do you know what fancy restaurants are in this town? I need the best one!”  
“Well, there’s the Baby Blue behind you, and then there’s the Fareign Establishment, but that’s not the fanciest place to eat,” the man said out loud, thinking. “In fact, I’m pretty sure they’re gonna get closed down soon. I took a young girl there just last month, and we ordered the-”  
“Sir, I really need the name of the best place to eat, here!” I said impatiently, wondering in the back of my head what this old man meant by taking a “young girl” out to eat.  
“Hmph. Well,” the man thought to himself, a frown on his face. “Personally, I think the Baby Blue restaurant is best, but if that’s not what you’re looking for, there’s the Illumise Beat restaurant. A lot of young couples go there. Sweet little place for the sappy lovers, I guess.” The man laughed.  
“Where is it? Please!” I begged him.  
“Cross the street, head down about five blocks, and you shouldn’t miss it,” the man pointed.  
“Thank you, sir!” I looked both ways before running across the street, and then I tore down the sidewalk, running as fast as I could, nonstop, past stores, people, and across streets. I’m so sorry, Ella, I thought. I just can’t. Something just isn’t right with that Fred guy. About five minutes later, out of breath but refusing to slow down under any circumstance, I saw the sign from across the street in glowing white letters that read: Illumise Beat.  
A large, plastic Illumise and Volbeat hung above the sign, their bodies glowing, their faces smiling, Volbeat’s tail flashing yellow repeatedly.   
I immediately ran into the door, surprised by how heavy it was, and forced it open, running onto the black carpet along the floor.  
“Excuse me, sir?” a voice called out behind me.  
I ignored the voice as I scanned the inside of the restaurant, gasping noisily, my throat dried out.  
Several loving couples looked up at me from their tables, surprised by my intrusion.  
I finally spotted June.  
She wasn’t dressed fancy, and neither was Fred, both of them dressed exactly how they had been when they left Ella and I in the Pokemon Center. They sat by a window further back in the restaurant. Even from far away, I could see June’s face was flushing red, a plate of food in front of her, untouched, while Fred stared at June with a handsome smile, talking to her, ignoring his plate of food as well.  
In a rage, I ran through the restaurant, people screaming out in shock.  
June looked up at me with a smile as I got closer, and her smile faded immediately as disbelief took over. “Gary?”  
Fred turned around as I stopped near him out of breath, and I slammed my hands on the table. I snatched up a glass of water from his side and gulped it down thirstily, finishing the glass before slamming it back down angrily.  
“Are you completely insane?” he glared at me, speaking slowly.  
“You listen here you little creep,” I told him, pointing my finger in his face.  
“What is wrong with you?” June screamed in horror.   
“Excuse me, sir, but you are going to have to leave,” a voice, accompanied by a prodding finger on my shoulder, said strictly from behind me. “I’m sorry if this young man is a guest of yours, but he has been causing far too much of a commotion.”  
“Please, take him away, sir,” Fred insisted. “Call the cops, in fact. I have no affiliation with this guy.”  
June covered her face with her hands and shook her head.  
“Sir, come with me,” the man said.  
I didn’t even turn to face him, keeping my eyes on Fred. “What do you want with June?” I demanded.  
“What happened to your girlfriend? Is she not good enough?” Fred asked seriously. “I thought she was quite attractive. Not as beautiful as June, but beautiful all the same.”  
“Gary, where is Ella?” June asked, her hands over her mouth.  
“Sir!” the voice behind me insisted, grabbing my shoulder.  
“NO!” I shouted, and pulled away from him, turning to face him.  
The waiter, dressed in red and black, towered over me, a furious look on his face. He inhaled deeply and puffed out his enormous chest, his broad shoulders widening. “You’re coming with me, right now!” He reached out and grabbed my shoulder.  
“Wait, please!” I begged as his large, powerful fingers dug into my shoulder.  
A loud roar grabbed my attention, and I turned to the window by June and Fred, the both of them turning to it as well.  
A huge, dark figure hovered by the window, glaring at us with one eye! With another loud cry, the ghostly creature raised a huge fist, and its entire arm was outlined in a mix of black and purple. The dark energy separated itself from the monster and flew out in the form of a fist, smashing through the window!  
Everyone screamed, June ducking to the ground, Fred scrambling out of his seat, me stumbling backwards, the waiter releasing me as he covered his face with his arms.   
People around us ran in a panic as the monster flew into the hole it made.  
“Fred!” I yelled angrily as I watched him scurry for the front door.  
With another roar, the monster flew past me and through the restaurant.  
“Oh, my gosh, what is that Pokemon?” June exclaimed, shivering in place.  
I pat my pockets, but I didn’t have my Pokedex, my Pokemon, or any empty Poke Balls with me. June, Ella and I had left our stuff at the Pokemon Center.   
“That coward!” I screamed, my eyes on Fred as he shoved several people out of his way and made his way out the door.   
“I can’t believe he would do that,” June said sadly, shaking her head, staring after him.  
I walked over to her and helped her to her feet, picking up her cane and handing it to her.  
Dusknoir. The Gripper Pokemon and Duskull’s final stage of evolution. It holds lost spirits in its belly and can receive messages from the spirit world instructing it to bring certain humans or Pokemon back with it.  
I turned to see a young boy, his arm around a girl who was shivering in his hold, holding a Pokedex in his hand as he scanned the Pokemon. “It’s a Ghost type Pokemon! It’s trying to take us all to Hell!” he screamed in fright.  
Everyone shrieked, jumping through windows, pushing each other out the door, and running through the back of the restaurant, the alarm sounding as people ran through the emergency exit.  
Dusknoir looked around silently as the restaurant emptied out. “DUSK!” Dusknoir flew right through the front door as if it wasn’t there and disappeared.  
“We have to stop him!” June whispered, still trembling on the spot.  
“But we don’t have our Pokemon!” I told June. “I guess we can run to the Pokemon Center and back, but who knows how many people it will have taken by then!”  
“It’s better than doing nothing!” June screamed at me.  
June was right, and I nodded in agreement. “Let’s go!”  
June tossed her cane to the side and ran past me.  
“June!” I stared after her with wide eyes.  
“We don’t have time for that! Let’s go!” June didn’t even look back as she ran.  
We both made it outside, people running all around us in various directions.  
Dusknoir was in the air, flying past large amounts of people.  
“He’s after specific people!” June said, pointing at him.  
“But who? Why?” Is this how some people die? Their time just comes like this, at the hands of a vicious ghoul? Is this natural? Why these young teenagers? This can’t be right!  
“Freddyyyy!” June shrieked.  
“Fred?” I gasped.  
Fred ran frantically, far ahead, but Dusknoir was gliding easily after him.  
June ran towards the two, and I ran after her.  
Dusknoir reached out for Fred, who turned around and swatted his hand at the Pokemon.  
“Leave Freddy alone!!” June burst out shrilly. “Why my Freddy? STOP!!”  
Panting heavily already, I struggled to catch up to June.  
Dusknoir came to a stop. His eyes glowed a bright orange and the designs on his body also flashed orange. A huge, blue beam fired from him and flew past Fred as he screamed and ducked. The beam seemed to collide with an invisible wall as it hit an empty space just a few feet in front of Fred. A hole opened up, and Fred came to a stop, backing up. The hole’s contents were colors of purple, black, red, blue, and orange, swirling inside.  
I was short on breath as I gazed at the hole spreading even wider, a strong wind pulling at June and I, Fred struggling to back away.  
“Dusknoir!” Dusknoir yelled, pointing at Fred.  
“DUSKNOOOOIR!” June ran past the Pokemon and extended her arms out in front of Fred.  
“June! STOP IT!” I ran past Dusknoir and grabbed June’s arm, but she angrily pulled away and turned back to Dusknoir.  
The terrified people in the area had stopped running and were now looking at the four of us in awe, fear on most of their faces.  
“Please, don’t take him from me! He’s my best friend!” June begged, tears running from her eyes. “I love him. I love him! Why? Why does he have to die so young?”  
Dusknoir stared at June silently as the wind behind us continued to pull at us, the three of us struggling to maintain our footing.  
“June…” Fred whispered.  
I turned to face him and watched him place a hand on June’s shoulder.  
“I won’t let him take you!” June insisted.   
“I see you still can read the genders of Pokemon,” Fred chuckled.  
Why is he so calm? I wondered, staring at him in confusion. Why is he smiling?  
“Yes,” June nodded, staring determinedly at Dusknoir. “And I can still understand them when they speak, and they can understand me, too.”  
“I’m so glad to have witnessed this one last time,” Fred said, lowering his hand from her shoulder. “I think it’s time now.”  
“Time for what? What are you talking about, Freddy?” June said, her voice rising, but not taking her eyes off of Dusknoir.  
“I apologize to everyone for the panic I’ve caused here,” Fred said, gazing around. His eyes stopped on me. “I only wanted to say goodbye to my best friend. I didn’t mean to hurt anybody.”  
“Freddy…?” June’s arms lowered and she turned to her friend.  
Fred turned to June. “June, please forgive me. I didn’t intend on causing any of this. I thought, maybe I could escape long enough to meet my best friend again. When I saw you, I knew I didn’t have a lot of time. As soon as the opportunity presented itself, I broke free and reached you before you had left.”  
“Freddy, you’re not making any sense! Stop it! You’re scaring me!” June was shivering in place, her voice cracking.  
“I had a date with my best friend in the entire world, and my secret crush,” Fred smiled. “I was unworthy of such a gift, but I was so desperate. When I saw you, I knew it might just be my only chance. I’ve thought of you every day, even in death.”  
June gasped long and sharply.  
My eyes and mouth both expanded.  
“Seeing you again was like a dream. I could never give up on a dream. As my best friend, you know that better than anyone else.” He laughed.  
No way. My heart was beating itself against my insides.  
“Freddy,” June whispered. “No, Freddy. No!”  
Fred looked up at Dusknoir, and then looked back down to June, whose eyes twinkled behind a constant buildup of tears that tumbled down her cheeks, her lips quivering. “I’m so sorry for lying to you, June. I have to go now. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me one day. I do love you.” Fred turned around and walked towards the hole in the air that was tugging him towards the spirit world.  
“Fred!” June cried out, and ran after him.  
“June!” I screamed as she ran towards the hole, and I took a step after her.  
June grabbed Fred’s shoulders and turned him around, to Fred’s visible surprise.  
I watched, frozen in place, my body trembling in fear. What is she doing?  
“Freddy, I love you so much. Even as a kid, growing up, I loved you with all my heart. Other than the Pokemon, you were my best friend. My family. And much, much more. I’m so glad I could meet you again. Please, what happened? When did you…?”  
“Noir…” Dusknoir said in a low voice, making us turn to him. He stared at Fred, bobbing silently in the air.  
June and I turned back to Fred.  
“Dusknoir will tell you everything,” Fred chuckled. “I have to go. I love you, June. Thank you so much.” He tried to turn around, but June held him tight, not letting go of his shoulders. “June, I-”  
June leaned forward and kissed his lips, her eyes closed tightly, her right hand resting on the side of his face.  
Fred’s eyes bulged open in shock before he closed his own eyes.  
My already rapidly thumping heart beat even faster, my lips parted slightly as I watched.  
June pulled back slowly and stared at Fred mournfully.  
Fred slowly opened his eyes and stared back at June. “June.”  
“Goodbye, Frederick.”  
“I’ll never forget today, June,” he beamed. “I’ll keep it with me, forever.” He turned to me and squinted a little bit before looking back at June. “You’re in good hands.”  
“Huh?” June asked, confused.  
Fred turned around and walked into the hole, June taking steps back to avoid being pulled in.  
I ran up to her and grabbed her shoulders.  
“Gary!” she gasped, turning to me, and she wrapped her arms around me as she stared back into the hole, Fred’s black silhouette morphing inside of it until it disappeared, and the hole slowly closed up.  
The wind ended as soon as the hole disappeared, and June and I were left staring at the town we were in. We slowly turned around to Dusknoir, the people around us watching silently, several couples holding onto each other as they waited for what was next.  
Dusknoir kept his eyes on us.  
June pulled me in even closer, staring back at him, my own arms enclosing around her.  
“Dusknoir. Noir, Noir, Noir. Dusknoir,” Dusknoir spoke gently. “Noir. Dusk Dusk Dusk. Noir Dusknoir.”  
I listened as Dusknoir spoke to June, June trembling in my arms as she listened to the Ghost’s words.  
“Dusknoir,” Dusknoir nodded.  
June nodded back. “Thank you,” she whispered weakly.  
Dusknoir immediately flew into the air, disappearing into the night sky.  
My eyes met with a stocky teenager wearing a blue bandana around his forehead, an amazed look on his face.   
I looked away as June slid down my body, collapsing to her knees, and she covered her face, crying loudly, gasping painfully, lowering her head to her lap, her screams and cries echoing throughout the town.

*

“It’ll be nice visiting Mistralton City, where Ella grew up,” June said to me, smiling as we waited outside.  
“Yeah. It’ll be a little strange, though,” I said, staring at the ground. “Meeting her family and stuff.”  
“Ha! That’s kind of how I felt when I met your mom…” June’s voice died down near the end of her sentence, signifying that she had regretted even bringing that up.  
I pretended I didn’t even hear it. “And then, we can continue collecting Badges.”  
“Yep! Ella’s town has a Flying type Gym. A lady named Skyla, who’s a legendary pilot in Unova. Her grandfather was also a famous pilot. Ella had told me a lot about him. He hosted a lot of contests and events in the area around Mistralton. A lot of it was stuff for the kids. He was very much involved in his community.”  
“I wonder what my best bet against a bunch of Flying types would be,” I pondered to June.  
The doors to the Pokemon Center opened before June could reply, and a cheerful Ella came out, smiling beautifully at us. “Hey!”  
“Hey, Ella!” June greeted her.  
“You ready to go? How was your phone call home?” I asked.  
Ella chuckled, her smile fading as she avoided my eyes, keeping them to the ground. “Um, well, it was nice… I spoke to my dad, and everyone’s doing well...”  
“Okay…” I replied. She’s hiding something, I told myself. Something’s wrong.  
“Ella, is everything alright?” June asked.  
Ella nodded at her, looking up. “Mhm. I guess. I mean, yeah.”  
“Ella, you don’t have to tell us everything that’s going on in your life, but if there’s anything you want to tell us, you know you can always tell us anything,” I assured her.  
Ella sighed. “I know.” She still refused to look at me, looking down again.  
Silence surrounded our trio.  
“Okay, well, let’s head off for Mistralton City,” I said, trying to smile a little, but concerned about Ella.  
June didn’t move, keeping her eyes on Ella.  
Ella’s eyes closed tightly. Her fists shook at her sides. “I have to leave!” she blurted out.   
“Huh?” I didn’t understand what she meant.  
“I have to leave! I can’t keep traveling with you guys anymore!” Ella looked up at June, and then finally turned to me, her eyes shimmering with tears.  
“Ella, what happened? What’s wrong?” June questioned, confusion and shock on her face.  
“I’m going to Mistralton City to see my dad, and…” Ella paused, closing her eyes tightly again. “My dad, and my boyfriend.”  
“Boyfriend?” June and I exclaimed in unison.  
Ella closed her eyes even tighter, her entire face scrunching up, sinking her teeth into her beautiful lips.  
“You’re back with... Him?” Disappointment was deep in June’s voice, and she shot me a quick glance.  
I didn’t say a word and lowered my eyes, my heart crying inside of my chest, beating so hard, I was certain it was trying to commit suicide.  
“I did,” Ella said, covering her face with her hands. “I think that, considering everything, I should go to Mistralton alone. I’ll even try to only stay a couple of days if you two really want to go there for the next Badge.”  
“We’ll find another city,” I said quickly. “Enjoy your time in Mistralton City, Ella.” I forced a slow, painful smile onto my face, refusing to show any tears that I could feel burning behind my eyes. “It was an incredible journey with you. Thanks for coming along with me and June for a while.”  
Ella cried out and wrapped me in a hug, crying against me.  
I held her back, but refused to shed a single tear, or even sniffle. I couldn’t help but inhale the sweet scent of her hair, the aroma of a variety of sweet fruits infiltrating my nostrils. My hand rubbed the back of her coat, and after a couple of minutes, we let go of each other.  
She wiped at her eyes and looked up at me, still crying heavily. Her gaze eventually shifted over to June. “My Juni!”  
“My Ella!” June’s face was lined with tears, and the girls embraced in a tight hug. “Honey, have a nice time with your family and everything. You’re always welcome back, my love!”  
“June, you’re too sweet, you know that? I love you so much. I’m so sorry about what happened last night. You’re one of the strongest people I know, babe.”  
June paused for a moment at Ella’s words. “You’re pretty strong yourself, after what you told me about your night,” June laughed, pulling away from Ella.  
Both girls laughed and turned to me.   
I forced another smile to my face and rolled my eyes as if I was taking all of this nonchalantly. “I can’t apologize enough for that, can I? My heart was in the right place.”  
“And what a beautiful heart it is,” Ella said softly.  
“Thanks, Ella,” I smiled back.  
“Yeah, but you ruined a date that was already starting off bad enough, for nothing.” June crossed her arms with a smile. “I could have handled the entire situation on my own. You didn’t actually do anything to help.”  
My smile faded and I shot her an angry look.  
Ella laughed. “You two crack me up.” She sighed. “Maybe I can finally get my fifth Badge. You’ve been nothing but bad luck for me, Gary! I missed out on two Badges, busted my leg, and got ditched on a date. Maybe us separating is a good thing.”  
My heart was stung by her words, but I managed a shaky smile to my face as I looked up at the sky helplessly.  
“Don’t be mean,” June said lightly, pushing Ella gently.  
“Okay, that was a little harsh,” Ella agreed. “But he knows I’m only kidding. Right, Gary?” Ella looked at me with pleading, sorry eyes.  
I nodded, looking at her puppy dog face. “I know you are, Ella.” In the back of my mind, I felt like those things Ella had listed were the reasons why she was leaving our group and getting back with her boyfriend. I didn’t believe she just brought them up for no reason. The saying, “many a true word is spoken in jest,” was one I believed was displayed by most everyone.  
Ella sighed, looking down again. “This is so hard for me, honestly. I’ll miss both of you guys and all of your Pokemon. This has been the most fun I’ve had since my journey began! I mean, I didn’t get anything done and I got hurt, but being with you two was so great!”  
“I really wish you didn’t have to go, Ella, but I understand.” June turned to me.  
“Yeah,” I nodded. “We understand. You go on, and we’ll just find a different Gym to challenge. There’s tons out there.”  
Ella’s eyes shimmered and overflowed with tears. “I love you guys! You two are the best!” She wrapped us both in a hug, and we hugged her back together. “I can’t wait to see my dad! I’ll tell him all about you guys. I promise! I’ll miss you so much!!” She stared at me for the longest time, her lips quivering, and she slowly lifted her hand up towards my face before dropping it to her side and closing her eyes. “Goodbye...” She turned away from us. “Goodbye!” She began to break down in tears, gasping and sobbing loudly, mournfully, as she walked away from us quickly, wiping at her cheeks.  
“Ella!” June stepped towards her.  
“June, no,” I said, grabbing her shoulders gently.  
“No!” June turned to me. “Oh, Gary. You…” She reached up and wiped at my cheeks covered in my tears. She got closer to me and hugged me, her head against me as she wept, staring at Ella.  
I wrapped my arms around June, not taking my eyes off of Ella as she walked further away from us, not looking back, tears flowing painfully, but quietly, from my eyes.


	33. Once Lost, Now Found

“Tympole evolved?” June asked, an excited look on her face.  
“He evolved during the battle against Clay’s Stunfisk and Golurk,” I told her. “And then Pidove evolved later on. I explained this when we were leaving Driftveil City. You weren’t listening.”  
“Pidove, too?” June gasped happily, her face lighting up even further. “Does he listen better, now?”  
“Yes, June,” I sighed with exasperation. “You haven’t seen my Pokemon in a bit, huh?”  
“Well, we all stormed out of Driftveil after beat you Clay, and our Pokemon have been in the Pokemon Center since we got here while we all were…” June lowered her eyes to the ground.  
I glared down, my mind immediately focusing on Ella.   
Last night, I had taken a long walk by myself outside. I had managed to hold back a wave of tears in front of June, several drips managing to escape my eyes, but alone, in the woods leading back to Chargestone Cave, I bawled on my knees, threw rocks, screamed into the sky, kicked trees, and threw a huge tantrum, feeling furious, depressed, alone, and completely worthless. Why would she go back to him after leaving him for cheating on her? I had thought furiously. Was I really that bad?   
“You’ve been nothing but bad luck for me, Gary! I missed out on two badges, busted my leg, and got ditched on a date. Maybe us separating is a good thing.” Ella had claimed that was just a joke.  
“Complete crap!” I had screamed in the woods that night, kicking at the ground furiously. I knew she had left for those reasons. And because girls are just stupid. She’s going back to her boyfriend who cheated on her, I thought angrily. I’d never do that to her! Why do girls always go back to the assholes? How come I can never find the right person for me? Why do I have to end up in this position? Maybe I’ll just go around slapping girls and demanding they go out with me and then hit on their best friends in front of them! “Is that what girls want?!” I cursed in a rage and made a raucous in the woods, Pokemon scurrying and flying away from my wrath as I stormed around.  
The only thing that took my mind off of the pain in my heart over Ella was a different pain in my heart that I had been holding back until it finally burst free from its cage and took over me, gripping my heart in a freezing, tight grasp that froze me on the inside and made my body shiver, causing me more pain than anything else in my life ever had. Alone in the woods, I could take the time to think about something that had been bubbling up from deep down inside of me, and now, it had bubbled over the top and into the forefront of my mind. I was now thinking about June’s encounter with Fred, and I couldn’t help but wonder about my dad. If a friend of June’s could return from the dead to see her one last time out of love, where was my dad to do the same? Why hasn’t he come back to see me? Did Fred know my dad?  
And then I wondered: What about Aly…? Did neither one of them care enough to return to comfort me after all this time when I had been suffering from their losses? These thoughts and countless others made me cry harder than I’d ever cried in my entire life, a helpless feeling dropping me to the ground effortlessly, and I laid there, soaking the soil underneath my face with my tears. All alone, with no one and nothing but myself and my honest emotions, I realized that the situation that had occurred between June and Fred made me feel jealous. Unwanted. Unloved. There was so little I understood, and so much I needed to know. So much I felt I was entitled to know! But all I was given was nothing but an endless supply of tears to give to the dirt.  
The sky was still dark but was starting to light up as I walked back to the Pokemon Center, dim signs of daylight introducing a fresh morning I didn’t want to be given. I showered before going to bed at about six, and when I awoke several hours later, the look on June’s face told me that she didn’t have the best night’s sleep, either.   
We didn’t say a word to each other for a couple of hours, but slowly, surely, we found ourselves having small talk, and eventually conversing like normal as we tried to move forward.  
“So, let me see my little Tympole, now!” June was reaching her arms out towards me and pulling me from my dark, angry thoughts. “Come on, come on!”  
“Alright,” I muttered, walking away from the Pokemon Center we stood in front of. “I guess I’ll send out everybody. I haven’t seen them in a bit, myself.” I threw all six Poke Balls to the ground.  
“Tranquill!” Tranquill happily flapped his wings in the air.  
“Daaaarmanitaan!” Darmanitan’s large fists punched at the ground.  
“Elgyem!” Elgyem cried out to us.  
“Coooottonee!” Cottonee said cheerfully.  
“Toooooad!” Palpitoad gurgled.  
“DRIIIIIILL!!” Excadrill shouted eagerly, raising his large claws into the air.  
“Hey, guys! Take a look!” I pulled out the Quake Badge from the inside of my lightweight jacket I was wearing this surprisingly warm day. “I didn’t get the chance to let you guys know earlier, but our battle against Clay in Driftveil City paid off, and we won the Quake Badge! Badge number five! And, Pidove has evolved into Tranquill, and Tympole evolved into Palpitoad!”  
All of the Pokemon, except for Elgyem, cheered joyously, talking with each other excitedly.  
Elgyem silently looked up at the Badge for a moment, and then his eyes focused on Tranquill, who paid him no mind as he and Palpitoad were surrounded by my other Pokemon, celebrating.  
Palpitoad turned to June and cried out happily, running over to her.  
June cried out and backed up a few feet away from Palpitoad as he stopped in front of her and smiled.  
“Hey, there!” June said happily, smiling.  
Palpitoad jumped towards her.  
June let out another cry and moved out of the way, Palpitoad dropping to the ground.  
He looked up with a confused look at June.  
“What was that for?” I asked angrily, crossing my arms.   
“Nothing,” June said hesitantly.  
“Why are you acting so weird around Palpitoad? You weren’t like this when he was a Tympole.”  
“He’s very nice. Congratulations on evolving, Palpitoad,” June nodded, and she walked away, not taking her eyes off of him as she got behind me.  
I turned swiftly to her, frowning. “June, what is wrong with you?”  
Palpitoad stared at June with an unsure face.  
“Gary, I’d really prefer not to touch that thing, if you don’t mind,” she whispered.  
I gasped in shock at her words. “Excuse me?”  
“Gary, please don’t make this into a big thing, okay?” she pleaded.  
“You just told me you don’t want to touch my Palpitoad!” I said loudly.  
Palpitoad cried out in shock.  
My other five Pokemon had gone silent, watching us now.  
“Gary!” June whined.  
“Why would you say that?” I demanded.  
June sighed, a flash of anger crossing her face as she glanced briefly at Palpitoad. “Since you’re going to make this a big stink, I just am not a fan of Ground types, okay?”  
Palpitoad’s eyes widened as he gurgled sadly.  
“Ground types? What do you mean? Are you afraid of them?” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing from her.  
“No, I’m not,” June shook her head. “I just don’t like Ground types.”  
“But what does that mean? Why are you saying this?”  
“Because you asked! I don’t like Ground types. They can resist Electric moves, and I love Electric types, and they just… I just do not like them, okay! You hate Bugs, and I hate Ground Pokemon!”  
Palpitoad let out a loud, long croak, and I turned around to see him sitting on the ground, wailing.  
“Palpitoad!” I walked over to him and rubbed his back.   
“You see what you did?” June shouted angrily at me.  
“ME? No, YOU!”  
“If you had just dropped it, or not been so loud, this wouldn’t be happening! Why can’t you just accept that I don’t like Ground types?”  
“I thought you didn’t really have a problem with any types! You seemed to like my Baltoy just fine,” I reminded her. “And my Dugtrio, too. And Excadrill is part Ground, as well.”  
“Cadrill!” Excadrill crossed his arms, glaring up at June.  
June stared at Excadrill nervously before turning to me. “Baltoy is cute, but that doesn’t mean I like it! I’ve never touched any of your Ground types, have I? I don’t like Ground types! Why is this so hard to understand?”  
“Because now I have a crying Pokemon and you’re being completely unapologetic about this!” I yelled at her.  
“Excuse me, you’re Gary, aren’t you?” a kind voice called out.  
June and I turned around to see Nurse Joy smiling at us, standing outside of the Pokemon Center.  
Palpitoad stopped crying but began sniffling at the sound of Nurse Joy’s call.  
“Yes, I’m Gary,” I told her.  
“Oh, I’m so glad,” Nurse Joy said with a relieved voice. “You have an emergency phone call from Prof. Oak.”  
A loud gasp escaped my throat, June also gasping out behind me.  
Nurse Joy’s smile faded as she looked at us with wide eyes.  
I swallowed and cleared my throat. “Excuse me, I-I didn’t hear you. Could you please repeat that?”  
“Prof. Oak? The Kanto region Pokemon Professor? He’s on the phone and he wishes to speak to you!” Nurse Joy said to me. “He said it’s an emergency.”  
Professor Oak? My head was spinning. No way. It can’t be. Impossible. This must be a trick. He can’t possibly know I’m in Unova.  
June and I exchanged fearful glances before returning our stares to Nurse Joy.  
How could he know? Prof. Juniper? Why did it take him so long to try to reach me? Was he calling the wrong Pokemon Centers, trying to find me? My battle with Clay! My eyes widened as I remembered that the battle I had with Clay was televised throughout Unova. Was it only Unova? Did someone from Unova who knows Prof. Oak, call him after seeing my battle with Clay? Did the person recognize me? How could they have? Did they record the battle and have Prof. Oak review it, not knowing that it would give away my location? Not knowing that the kid battling Clay was someone Prof. Oak was looking for?  
“Gary?” Nurse Joy called out to me.  
Run! Just run! I shouted in my head. Screw it. Collect your Pokemon and get out of town! My entire body was shaking on the ground as my eyes were stuck on Nurse Joy’s face.  
“Prof. Oak is waiting on the phone for you, right now,” Nurse Joy smiled. “He said he has something very important to tell you involving your Pokemon and your friends.”  
“What?” I climbed quickly to my shaky feet. “My Pokemon? My friends! Charizard, Porygon-Z, and the others! Kiwi? Robin? What’s happened to them?”  
“I wouldn’t know,” Nurse Joy said kindly. “That’s what the professor wants to speak with you about.”  
I had no choice. I had to go speak to Prof. Oak. I returned my six Pokemon to their Poke Balls, all of them looking up at me, confused by what was going on, Palpitoad also looking at me in confusion, but still sniffling from June’s hurtful words, his eyes still watering.  
Nurse Joy led the way into the building, June following behind me.   
My heart thumped strongly as Nurse Joy pointed towards a computer at the front of the counter she stands behind, Audino standing by it. I walked over to Audino and around the desk, staring at the screen of the computer.  
In thin, large font, in black letters, the word HOLD was blinking on a blue screen. Prof. Oak is here, I thought fearfully. He’s right there, on the other end of the line. I stared at the phone receiver sitting next to the charger of the phone. I should run, I thought. But I can’t. My Pokemon. My friends. I have to find out what’s happened to them. But, what if this is a trick? What if I get arrested as soon as the professor knows it’s me? I could be sealing my fate! I can’t answer this phone. I can’t! My shaky hand reached out for the receiver. Don’t, Gary! Don’t do it! I gripped the receiver and squeezed it tightly in my hand, raising it to my right ear. No, Gary, this is your last chance. Just get out of here, man! My left hand reached out to the ENTER button on the keyboard, and I shakily, slowly, pressed it.  
The blue screen gave way to a stern face that tore into my heart like a dagger, and I nearly dropped the receiver, gripping it even tighter instead.  
Prof. Oak glared at me silently, the inside of his lab visible behind him.  
I shook in place, wishing I were in a bathroom due to the different feelings maneuvering throughout the inside of my body.  
“Gary, it’s been a while,” Prof. Oak nodded solemnly.  
“Professor,” I whispered shakily in fear.  
“You look like you’ve been traveling,” Prof. Oak stated. “The dirty, beaten, worn out face of a young traveler is what I see.”  
I could only manage to nod, having no idea of how to respond to him, until suddenly, the words exploded from within me. “Sir!! I’m so glad you’re okay! I-I was so, so worried! About you, my mom, my Pokemon! I’m so sorry! None of this was supposed to happen. Everything just spiraled out of control!”  
Prof. Oak raised a hand, silencing me, and then his hand slowly lowered. “How have you been, my boy?”  
“Worried sick!” I shouted at him, my eyes tearing up. “Sir, how are my Pokemon? You have information on my friends? What’s going on? Is my mommy alright?”  
Prof. Oak stared at me solemnly for a moment.  
I was too afraid to say anything, waiting for him to answer me.  
“Your mother is doing fine,” Prof. Oak finally answered. “She hasn’t spoken to me since you left, and was enraged, understandably. She has secluded herself in her house and wants nothing to do with anyone. She doesn’t trust anybody at all and won’t even speak to Ms. Say. I can understand her feelings right now, and it’s best to just keep her to herself for now. I will be sure to let her know you’re alright. Right now, she is acting as if she doesn’t care where you are or what happens to you, so it would be best that you not contact her at the moment. Just remember that she does love you and is just hurt due to what occurred when you were last here. Give her time, and please, stay in contact with us both.”  
“Thank you, Professor,” I smiled gratefully, sighing in relief. “Tell her I love her. Please. Tell her I’m so sorry for everything. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. I feel so sick to my stomach. Things went too far. I had no control over this.”  
Prof. Oak nodded solemnly. “Professor Juniper informed me that she had met you a few months ago.”  
“Huh? She did?” I gasped in surprise.  
Prof. Oak nodded again.  
“So, you’ve known all this time? You’ve known I’ve been in Unova?”  
“Yes. I was quite upset after your Porygon-Z attacked me,” he said firmly. “I had no clue as to where you had gone. Charizard came back several hours later, and Porygon-Z returned a week later.”  
“Charizard’s back? Oh, my goodness! YES! He made it back to you! Porygon-Z, too! But, it took it a week? Why a week?”  
“How am I to know, Gary? One day, I was reviewing the latest information that my grandson had sent me on some new research that he has been working on for many months, and the next thing I knew, my computer crashed,” the professor said, his eyebrows narrowing further. “When I rebooted my computer, all of my very important research I’ve been working on and advancing on since before the day you were born had been rewritten in some cryptic code I have yet solve, and Gary’s data had been erased and filled with various images of you, your girlfriend Judy, and a Porygon-Z!!!!” Prof. Oak’s face was red and he was breathing heavily, rage on his face.  
“Oh, no…” I whispered, lowering my head but not taking my eyes from the professor.  
“Oh, yes!” Prof. Oak continued furiously. “It didn’t take me long to realize what had happened, and after screaming and shaking my computer, your Porygon-Z sure enough appeared!”  
“I don’t know what to say. That’s terrible! I’m really sorry!” My heart was beating in fear. I had never seen Prof. Oak this angry. But at the same time, I struggled to hold back a smile, the fear of Prof. Oak mixing in with the excitement in my heart at the news of my Charizard and Porygon-Z, both safe with him, mixing in with how funny I found it that Porygon-Z had done that to Prof. Oak’s work, though I’d never admit it to him. What Porygon-Z had done was seriously wrong, but it was kind of amusing, and I knew it wasn’t trying to be mean to the professor. It was just playing, like an innocent child splashing in the mud and then running through the just cleaned house.  
Prof. Oak closed his eyes and breathed deeply, inhaling through his nose and exhaling through his mouth, for undoubtedly five minutes, before his cold eyes opened. “Anyway,” he continued in a clearly forced, calmer tone as he spoke slower to me. “I explained the situation to Prof. Juniper, leaving out… certain… details of how and why you left, and basically said you were in a tight spot at your mother’s house. I told her you managed to run away and to not let you know I knew where you were. I said I’d reveal my knowledge of your whereabouts when the time was right. She agreed to this.”  
So that’s why she never mentioned me to Trixa or Ella, I thought to myself, nodding to Prof. Oak. “I’m so glad you’re okay, Professor,” I told him, wiping at my eyes. “Please, my other Pokemon, and my friends. How is everyone else?”  
“Well, that’s where things get a little more complicated,” Prof. Oak said, his voice lowering gravely. “The good news is, Drifloon, Kingdra, and Noctowl are all back here with me. Drifloon and Kingdra are doing alright, but Noctowl is still in a bit of rough shape. It should be fine in time, but for now, it needs rest.”  
“Thank goodness for that!” I smiled.  
“Robin has gotten a lot better and right now, is only in need of a cane,” Prof. Oak said to me.   
“That’s excellent!”  
“Yes, and Kiwi is also well, though still paralyzed from the waist down.”  
“Has there been any update for her as far as if she’ll ever walk again?”  
“The reports back from the doctors haven’t been very promising. Her parents are holding on strong to hope, but I can see that it is wearing them out.”  
“I hope she walks again, but even if she doesn’t, I just want her to be okay,” I said determinedly. “That’s my only real concern.”  
“Mhm,” Prof. Oak nodded. “Yes, well, now for the bad, and rather strange, news.”  
“Tell me!” I shouted urgently, desperately.  
Prof Oak’s eyes burned into mine. “I don’t know how to say this, but it seems-”  
A loud noise from outside rang out in the distance.  
The screen on the computer went black.  
“WHOA!” I screamed in shock, backing away from the computer. “PROFESSOR! PROFESSOR!! WHAT HAPPENED?!” I looked up in shock at June and Nurse Joy, who were looking around in confusion. “My call! It’s dead! What happened?!” I shrieked, and I looked back down at the screen.  
“I think something happened outside,” Nurse Joy said with concern. “We should take a look.”  
My phone call! I thought desperately as I replayed Prof. Oak’s final words in my head. It seems what?! June and Nurse Joy ran out of the building, and I dropped the receiver and ran after them.  
Another loud explosion from closer to us made us jump and we turned around, but couldn’t see anything. June and I followed Nurse Joy as she ran down the block and around the corner. She stopped with a gasp and pointed into the sky. “What’s going on?”  
June and I looked up to see a thick cloud of smoke billowing into the air from a distance.  
“Hey! What’s the big deal?” a voice yelled angrily.  
We turned to see a short teenager in black sweatpants and an orange muscle shirt, his large muscles on his stocky body revealed, a blue bandana tied around his forehead. He looked up into the sky and gasped.   
“Glenn, something’s happening!” Nurse Joy called out to the young man.  
“It sounded like an explosion!” Glenn said to her.  
“We should call the fire department or the police!” June suggested.  
BOOM!! BOOM!! BOOM!! BOOM!!  
A loud roar echoed from far away.  
“You guys do that! I’m gonna go and see what’s causing all of this!” Glenn ran across the street, right in front of a car driving by, barely missing him as the horn honked at him, but the car didn’t slow down. “BAH!” Glenn waved his hand behind him and kept running.  
“What is he thinking?” June uttered.  
“We can’t leave him alone! Nurse Joy, June, you guys call for help,” I said to them. “I’m going after that guy.”  
Before either of us could act, another loud explosion occurred, tossing materials and dust through the air at us. We covered our faces, screaming out.  
Glenn shouted from a distance.  
I squinted through the dirt and debris flying through the air and pulled my shirt over my mouth and nose.  
Nurse Joy coughed hard.  
“Whoa!” I said through my shirt. “It’s a Golurk!”  
“GOOOOOLURK!” The large Pokemon was in the air, its hands and legs already pulled into its body, and an enormous yellow and white beam blew from a hole in one of its arms where its hand usually would be found, exploding a building only mere feet away from the three of us.  
The force threw us all back easily and I fell facedown, sliding on my hands on the concrete street. Groaning from the stinging pain on my hands, I struggled up to my feet and shook my hands hard, trying to will away the pain. “June! Nurse Joy!” I screamed out to them, my face free of my shirt.  
They both were several feet away, collapsed on the ground in a heap.  
A groan behind me made me turn around, and I saw Glenn standing up, holding his head, his eyes closed.  
“Glenn, we need to help Nurse Joy and June!” I called out to him.  
More explosions surrounded us as Golurk flew around with no pattern, as if it had no control over its movements, and it continued attacking, its body spinning as it used Gyro Ball recklessly, smashing through buildings, filling the air with filth, wood, concrete, glass, and terror as people started to run out of buildings in a panic.  
“STAY INSIDE!” Glenn shouted at them all.  
Some people returned to the buildings at Glenn’s order, but others ignored him, running as fast as they could down the street.  
Why does this Golurk look different? I wondered briefly, staring at it. Something about the Pokemon was just slightly off, but I couldn’t explain what it was at the moment.  
“LUUUURK!!” Golurk dove down to the ground before flying back up, and another Hyper Beam hit the street, rocking the ground underneath my feet and sending me flying.   
I gasped as my back slammed into the concrete, my landing softened by my backpack beneath me, but my body still twitched in pain, my back arching up as a shock ran through it. “Damn it!” I growled. “Augh!” I rolled over onto my stomach and got on all fours, desperate to get back to my feet.  
The street now had a humongous hole in it, cracks reaching out from it, breaking into the sidewalks. Buildings were burning or had huge chunks taken out of them, and those were the lucky ones. A few spots that once contained buildings were now grounded entirely.  
“GOLURK!!” Golurk roared, and it fired another Hyper Beam over several buildings. After a few seconds, the beam landed, blowing up something else far away.  
“Let’s move it!” I screamed out to Glenn as people ran around us in fear, screaming.  
Glenn looked at me and shook his head with a determined glare.  
I closed my eyes as dirt got into them, but I forced them back open, although it stung to do so. “We have to get help!”  
“I can stop that thing! I have Pokemon!” he smiled, covering his eyes with one large, meaty hand.  
“Glenn, wait!” I called, reaching out to him.  
Glenn ran up to Golurk and grabbed a Poke Ball from his waist. “Throh, let’s go!”  
“Throh!” a short, muscular Pokemon shouted, and it tightened the belt around its waist.  
“Throh, use your Body Slam on that Golurk, before it attacks again!” Glenn ordered.  
Golurk fired another tremendous Hyper Beam several feet away at the street where several people were running away in terror, and the street blew up around them in a bright flash.  
I heard shrill screams as I closed my eyes, stumbling backwards, trying hard not to fall over. A pair of screams made me look behind me to find that June and Nurse Joy were both on their feet, screaming in each other’s arms.  
Nurse Joy had her back to the latest explosion that had occurred, her eyes closed tightly as her dress ruffled in the wind of the attack as June held the nurse in her arms, staring after Golurk with a scared, yet serious look on her face.  
“Throh!” Throh leaped into the air and… its body went through Golurk! Throh cried out in shock and slammed to the ground behind Golurk.  
“Yo, what is this?” Glenn shouted angrily.  
“Glenn, Body Slam is a Normal type move!” I called out to him. “It won’t hurt a Ghost type like Golurk!”  
Glenn growled angrily. “Fine! Superpower will take care of this!”  
Throh stood up and flexed its muscles, making them bulge out of control and push against its judogi. It leaped at Golurk and swung a fist at the back of its head, but flew right through the Ghost type, Throh’s eyes bulging out as it dropped to the ground in front its opponent.  
“That’s not gonna work! Fighting moves won’t hurt a Ghost, either, Glenn!” I screamed impatiently.  
“Oh, yeah? Well, what do you got?” he demanded, turning to me with a sneer.  
“GOLURK!!!” Golurk looked down at Throh, who was getting back to its feet, and the hole in its arm glowed brightly as it prepared to fire a blast at the Pokemon.  
“Throh?” Throh said, turning around and looking up at Golurk in shock.  
“I have Palpitoad!” I said, lifting up his Poke Ball in my hand. That’s when I heard sirens in the distance. “Hey, you guys hear that?” I exclaimed happily.  
“It doesn’t know what it’s doing!” June burst out suddenly.   
“Huh?” I turned to her.   
“Throh, get out of the way!” Glenn screamed.  
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!!!!!!   
CRAAAAAAASSSSSHHHHH!!!!!  
Several screams rang out from all directions as Golurk attacked again, the force from the attack tossing me back as if I weighed nothing. My eyes remained closed as I trembled weakly on the ground.  
“GOLUUUURK!” Golurk roared, and my eyes shot open.  
“No,” I choked out, coughing on the dirty air around me. I pulled my shirt over my mouth and nose again and gripped my Poke Ball tightly in my hand. Huh? I looked down at my hand that had Palpitoad’s Poke Ball, but it was empty! “Palpitoad!” I looked around for his Poke Ball, finally spotting it far behind me. Do I have time to get it? I asked myself. Should I choose another Pokemon? I turned back to Golurk, who fired another blast into the sky, and then another one, all while its body jerked from side to side, going to the left for a second and then abruptly zipping to the right, repeatedly.  
Golurk looked down at me as it ascended rapidly into the air, and I fearfully kept my eyes on it, reaching for another Poke Ball.   
How is it able to use Hyper Beam so many times, consecutively? I thought in fear. That move uses up the user’s energy. They need time to recover for a moment after an attack like that! How is it still going?  
The sound of sirens sounded far away, while I could have sworn there were other sirens ringing from much closer by.  
The police? An ambulance? I thought hopefully. Hurry up, you guys! We don’t have much more time!   
“THROH!” I heard a familiar yell, and I turned my head quickly to see Glenn on the ground on his stomach, one arm holding him up, his head glaring ahead. “THROOOOH!”  
I looked in the direction he was looking in and saw Throh on its back.  
The sirens continued to cry out, sounding closer than ever.  
We need to hold this thing off with something! I need to send out a Pokemon! My mind frantically tried to remember the Pokemon I owned, but it was frozen in panic. Just grab something! I shouted in my head desperately, and I grabbed a random Poke Ball as Golurk zipped back towards the ground. “GO!”  
“Tranquill!” Tranquill cawed.  
“Gust attack! Clear this air!” I yelled, and spit out a mouth full of crap from the air.  
“Quuuuiiiiiiiillll!!” Tranquill flapped his wings, blowing away the dirty air, clearing it quickly.  
“GOLURK!” Golurk fired another blast at Tranquill.  
“Tranquill, keep out of the way!” I urged him.  
“QUILL! Tranquill!” Tranquill ducked under the first blast, flew around the second one, and soared above a third blast.  
A police car sped around the corner and drove towards us, accompanied by two ambulances.  
“The police are here!” I pointed excitedly. “We’re saved!”  
The three Hyper Beams that Golurk had fired at Tranquill flew through the street, one crashing into the building down the block, the other two smashing into the police car and ambulances, causing them to explode into one gigantic, fiery ball.  
Screams were heard from all around me, feet pounding the pavement from blocks away, heard clear from where I laid.  
All hope of survival burned right before my eyes as I shook in horror on the ground. “No…” I whispered shakily in defeat.  
“Gary, Tranquill can’t keep that up!” I heard June shout.   
Paralyzed from shock that the help we needed had just been destroyed, it took me a moment before I could move to look and see June still holding a weeping Nurse Joy, her hands covering her face as her head was buried against June’s shoulder.  
“June, what’s wrong with that thing?” I called out to her helplessly.  
“I don’t know! It’s out of control!” June’s eyes never left the rampant Pokemon.  
“Why?!”  
She suddenly screamed, pointing into the sky.  
I looked up to see yet another Hyper Beam fire from Golurk and head for Tranquill, who was trying to avoid it, but it was too obvious that this Hyper Beam was aimed perfectly as it soared for Tranquill.  
“Tranquill!” I reached out to him with his Poke Ball, trying to return him, but the red beam from the Poke Ball couldn’t reach my bird. He was just too high in the air.  
“THROH!”  
Something brown flipped through the air fast and it landed right in front of the Hyper Beam!  
The Hyper Beam slammed powerfully into the object and was immediately reflected, flying back at Golurk! The Normal attack flew through Golurk and smashed the ground beneath it, further wrecking the street and tossing up concrete and debris into the air.  
“Tranquill, help us out!” I called out to him as I watched the object that had protected him, drop to the ground heavily, right in front of Glenn.  
Tranquill used Gust, clearing the air in seconds as Golurk flew haphazardly away from us, crashing into a building in the distance.  
“What’s this thing?” Glenn asked, touching the object on the ground.  
“Glenn, what is that?” I stumbled over to him, my body sore and weak.  
“I don’t know,” Glenn groaned as he climbed to his feet. He bent over to lift it, but it didn’t budge from the ground. Groaning hard, he lifted the object up and stared at it, breathing hard as he struggled to hold it up. “But Throh flung it to save your Tranquill.”  
We both turned to Throh, who was motionless on his back.   
“Throh! Hey!” Glenn ran over to his Pokemon.  
“He took the Hyper Beam when it was reflected back!” June told us, sitting on the ground with Nurse Joy, Nurse Joy with her head in June’s lap, not moving, appearing unconscious. “He was caught in the explosion!”  
“Is Nurse Joy okay?” I asked June loudly.  
“She fainted! We-!”  
“LUUURK!” Golurk shouted as it flew past June and Nurse Joy in a zigzag pattern, just barely colliding with the two girls.  
June screamed as she pulled Nurse Joy even tighter into her arms, ducking her own head.  
Golurk straightened up again and roared loudly, and then it flew at me! Its body stopped close to me, hovering over me, several feet in the air, the hot air blowing against me from underneath its body, making me squint up at the colossal Pokemon.   
My eyes widened as I looked at its sturdy form. I see it now, I realized.  
Golurk raised both arms into the air, swinging them around wildly.  
I know why it looks a little different, I thought.  
It pointed one of its arms directly at my face, and it charged up for another Hyper Beam.  
“GLEEEEEEEEENN!” I screamed at the top of my lungs.  
The beam fired.  
“YAAAAH!” Something appeared next to me, and the Hyper Beam bounced off of the being, flying through Golurk and disappearing into the sky.   
“GLEN!” I gasped in amazement.  
“FOR THROOOOOOOOOH!!!” Glenn took a strong leap into the air and pulled his arms behind his head, holding the object Throh had thrown to save my Tranquill. “TAKE THIS!!” He slammed the object onto Golurk’s chest.  
“GOOOOOOLUUUUUUURRRRRRRK!!!” Golurk’s voice bellowed. Its voice echoed strongly throughout the wrecked town.  
Glenn desperately hung on to the object he had slammed onto Golurk’s chest as it stuck there. He looked down at the ground below, crying out in fear, his eyes wide.  
Golurk gently lowered itself to the ground as its legs and hands appeared from its body. It reached out and carefully grabbed Glenn, placing him softly on the ground.  
Glenn looked up at Golurk in shock. “Yo, give me that back!” he barked. “I was gonna use that plate to beat you down!” He jumped to grab the plate that was now stuck on Golurk’s chest, but Golurk raised a large hand to cover it.  
“Glenn, don’t do that!” June’s voice reached us from where she sat, cradling Nurse Joy. “That was it! That was what was wrong with Golurk. It needed that seal. Without it, it was going nuts!”  
“What? You’re not making any sense!” Glenn snapped at her.  
“Maybe this can help, then,” I suggested, pulling out my Pokedex.  
Golurk. The Automaton Pokemon. This is Golett’s evolved stage. This Pokemon was created by an ancient society of people to protect them. The power inside of its body is contained by a seal on its chest. Removal of this seal causes this Pokemon to lose complete control of itself.  
Glenn backed away from Golurk with a shocked cry.  
More sirens continued to call out, sounding as if they were on the next block over.  
“But…” Glenn stumbled away from Golurk. He dropped down next to his Throh, who remained still on his back.  
He hadn’t moved at all.  
“THROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!” Glenn shouted to the skies, and dropped his head against his Pokemon’s body, sobbing loudly. “Not my Throh! Please! Throoooh!!” He gripped his Pokemon tightly in his hands, crying painfully.  
Oh, no, I thought sadly, my eyes swelling with tears, and I closed them, lowering my head. Was this really all just a freak accident? Golurk’s seal fell off, and now, because of that… I opened my eyes and looked around at the destruction around me.  
The burning buildings, the destroyed buildings, the blown up street, the torn apart sidewalks, the sirens and screams surrounding me.  
Nurse Joy remained passed out in June’s lap as June kept her eyes on Throh before looking to me, looking on the verge of breaking down.  
Three police cars screeched as they turned the corner and drove at us quickly, accompanied by five ambulances.  
Golurk turned to the oncoming cars, but didn’t move, staring silently.   
Glenn’s cries filled my head and I closed my eyes, dropped to my knees, and sighed in exhaustion.

*

I frowned at the Town Map in my hands as I walked beside June.   
Neither of us had said a word since leaving the destroyed town behind and had decided to find the next place where I could fight for my next Badge.  
My eyes were on the Town Map, but I hadn’t actually been searching for the next location. My mind was filled with too many thoughts. The last time I had genuinely used the map was when I had found our location on it and found the direction to Mistralton City. Knowing that there was no way we were going there, I headed through a different path, but I hadn’t checked exactly where it would lead to. That wasn’t my main concern.  
I had wanted to heal my Tranquill and leave my other Pokemon at the Pokemon Center for the night so they could eat and to be certain that Tranquill was alright, but besides the power being dead at the Pokemon Center, there was far too much commotion and panic going on, and the area was deemed unsafe and needed to be evacuated.  
When Nurse Joy had finally come to, she did a quick check up on my Tranquill and told me that he was in fine shape and really only needed a little rest.  
Glenn went with his Throh, driven by ambulance, to a nearby town for help. Throh was in a lot of pain and probably wouldn’t be able to do any kind of fighting for a long time, but he was alive and would recover, which brought Glenn over the edge in happy tears.  
Golurk was going to be released into the wild after an investigation was done to understand how the seal came off in the first place.  
“They just don’t come off like that,” a male officer had told me. “These things are on tight, to prevent situations like this from occurring. It’s almost as if it was forced off, intentionally.”  
This was what troubled me the most about the entire ordeal.   
“It’s almost as if it was forced off.”  
My eyebrows narrowed angrily.  
“Intentionally.”  
I gripped the Town Map in my hands angrily and then crumbled it up. Growling, I shoved it into my pocket.  
“Gary?” June asked me softly.  
“Yeah,” I said, sighing, trying to calm down.   
“Do you want me to hold the map?”  
“Whatever.” I pulled it out and tossed the paper ball at her.  
She dropped it to the ground and sighed, stopping.  
I stopped, too. “Hey, I didn’t mean to throw it, June. I’m-”  
There was a clearing in the woods several feet ahead of us.  
I squinted my eyes at movements up ahead.  
“It’s okay, Gary,” June said, bending over to pick up the Town Map. “I-”  
“Sh!” I shushed her quickly, waving my hand at her frantically.  
“Huh?” she said.  
I could hear noises and scuffling from the movements in the clearing. Voices?  
“Gary?” June spoke.  
Why won’t she shut up? I thought angrily, waving my hands frantically at her.   
One figure stood up and stared at me, dressed in dark clothing, the setting sun shining weakly on the group.  
June got closer to me, spotting what was ahead of us, now silent.  
I could see other figures on the ground, doing something, moving around wildly.  
“Hey!” I called out to them.  
Two more figures stood up, and I heard the shrill scream of a girl. The three dark clothed figures ran away into the woods like shadows, vanishing.  
“HEY! Get back here! What are you doing?” I ran into the clearing, stopping in front of the girl who was on her side, screaming, her voice echoing into the darkening woods.  
“What the hell were they doing to her?” June shouted in disgust, stepping past the girl, glaring into the woods after the three individuals. She turned and kneeled down next to the girl. “Honey, are you alright? Please, tell me what happened to you?”  
The girl cowered away from June, curling up into a ball, shivering hard, her face full of fear. The girl was wearing tattered, black sneakers, filthy purple jeans, and a black hoodie. Her head was covered in a black, tight stocking cap, completely covering any sign of hair. She pulled her hood down over her head, covering her face. June reached out to the girl, but the girl backed away from her, letting out a whimper, and bumped into my legs. She screamed out and turned to me with a start.   
Our eyes met.  
Her light blue eyes widened. Her small lips parted as she let out a small, repetitive cry. Her skin was so pale, with small, red veins and red spots visible on her face. She screamed again and climbed to her feet, stumbling backwards and tripping to the ground over June, who was still crouching behind her. Screeching out, she fell and then scrambled away, shrieking at the top of her lungs as she got back to her feet and turned away from us, taking off into the woods.  
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!” I bellowed as loud as I possibly could, and I leaped over June, running after the girl as fast as possible, my arms outstretched. I caught her easily and gripped her shoulders tightly.  
She wailed out in pain and collapsed easily.  
“Melissa!” I shouted, and fell to my knees with her. “Melissa!”   
“Oh, my gosh!” June gasped, mortified. “Gary, are you sure?!”  
“It’s Melissa!” I barked, not taking my eyes off of her.  
Melissa covered her face with her hands and started to cry, curling up into a ball at my knees.  
I scooped my sister up and pulled her into my arms, holding her carefully, tightly. “Melissa. It’s okay, now. I’m here. Your little brother, Gary, is here now. It’s okay. Everything is finally okay, Melissa.” I didn’t take my eyes off of her, my tears dripping onto her hoodie as I held her close to me in disbelief.  
June was breathily noisily, shakily, watching us.  
Melissa continued to cry shrilly, her voice louder than ever, a howl of sorts, her hands shoved aggressively into her face.  
I continued to cry with my sister, promising to never let her go.  
Ever again.


	34. Twisted Sister

Melissa cried hard, curled up against me with her hands covering her face, her knees to her forehead, her black hood pulled down over her head, hacking loudly.  
I wrapped my arms around her body even tighter and she gasped at my grasp. A glob of saliva went down my tight throat as I sadly watched the sobbing form of my sister, Melissa, a painful wave of confusion and fear crashing continuously within me. My eyes blinked repeatedly to clear my vision of the tears that continued to fill them, forcing the tears to run down my face or fall from them.   
June silently stood gazing at us, her face displaying immense shock, confusion, and disbelief.   
Darkness was all around us, along with the sounds of crickets calling out for mates. A warm breeze blew, rustling the grass and the leaves above us gently.  
“Melissa,” I spoke slowly. “Melissa. I’ve got you.”  
Melissa’s arms wrapped around her shoulders and she lowered her head even further as she continued to cry, heaving loud gasps, her cries coming out shakily, pained, mixed with choking coughs.  
My heart felt as if it were being grasped by a pair of freezing cold hands and torn apart continuously at the sound of my sister’s anguish. “Melissa.” The amount of time that had passed was unknown, but it didn’t matter how many minutes, how many hours, or how many days it could have turned into. Despite knowing that my sister, who I hadn’t seen in over three years, was right here in my arms, I found myself struggling to ignore the feeling of disbelief causing my heart to throb painfully. This is her, I told myself. This is my sister. This is Melissa. I found her. I found my sister, Melissa. This is amazing! Despite the happiness I felt inside of me, I couldn’t manage to crack even the tiniest smile, and I wrapped my arms around her even tighter in an attempt to calm my trembling body.  
Melissa gasped as my arms tightened around her, and she moaned weakly.  
“Melissa.” I rubbed her back, pressing my hand hard against her black hoodie. It was like a dream to be touching my sister. A scary, wonderful dream. The feeling of fear running around inside of me was barely explainable, but I knew what I was feeling was definitely fear. What was there to be afraid of? I had found my sister. And yet, something about this moment was terrifying to me, to a certain extent. Deep down inside of me, I truly couldn’t believe that my sister was in my arms right now, crying. It didn’t make any sense. My arms tightened around her, my body bubbling over with excitement, fear, happiness, and other feelings I couldn’t quite put into words.   
Melissa suddenly struggled from my grip, trying to break away from me!  
“NO!” I shouted at her, wrapping my arms around her even tighter, and she screamed out. “Melissa?” I gasped at her, not letting go.  
“You’re hurting me!” my sister’s whiny voice complained as she continued to struggle in my grasp. “Please! Stop it!”  
I refused to let go of her. There was no way I’d ever release her from my grasp, and to ensure that, my arms tightened around her even more.  
Melissa screamed, her voice rising even higher as she shrieked and cried.  
“Melissa!” I loosened my grip, staring at her in shock.  
She looked up at me, her light blue eyes shimmering behind tears, mucus running down her nose. “Please!” she begged me, her pale, thin, dry lips quivering.  
Wait a minute, I thought, squinting into her face, staring at the red veins and red dots all over it. My sister never had freckles. What are those?  
“Gary, let go of me! Why are you hurting me?” She continued struggling in my arms.  
“Melissa, don’t go!” I pleaded, tightening my hands on her shoulders. “What’s wrong? I’m not even holding you tight!”  
Tears were running down the exhausted face of my sister as she continued to try and free herself from my hold, her eyes closed tight in pain, her body twitching. “Get off of me! Why are you doing this to me? Please! This hurts, Gary! Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!!”  
“I won’t!” I insisted. “I won’t let you get away from me again!” My hands tightened around her shoulders as my fingers dug into her hoodie.  
Her voice burst out, her cry echoing painfully in my head and throughout the woods.  
“Gary, what are you doing? Let go of her! You’re hurting her!” June kneeled down next to me and placed her hand on my shoulder, giving me a gentle push back.  
“I’m not! I’m not hurting her at all!” I yelled angrily at June, keeping my hold on Melissa. “I’m not even gripping her that tightly! Stay out of this!”  
“Gary, please, she’s crying!” June had both of her hands on my shoulders now, gently pushing at me, trying to get me to let go of my sister.  
“Back off, June! This has nothing to do with you!!” I was ready to send a swift kick towards June, my words to her a severe warning that she had better back off before she gets hurt. How dare she try to make me let go of my sister I hadn’t seen in years! What nerve to try and get in between this moment between the two of us! This was a family matter. June had no business here, whatsoever.  
Melissa’s face dripped tears as she struggled to her feet, but I kept her down on the ground, anger filling my body. There was no way she was getting away. My face scowled at her as I easily forced her onto her back and held her down.  
She struggled to move her arms, but I made that impossible, and she started swinging her head from side to side. Her feet kicked at me, hitting me in the stomach and sides, kicking me with all of her might, but her attempts were surprisingly weak and helpless, and I maintained myself over her. She helplessly flailed at me, crying, hacking as if trying to force something up from inside of her, mucus running down the sides of her face and into her mouth.  
“Get off of her!”   
Something strong hit me in the side and I was forced off of Melissa, landing on my other side in the grass. “YO!” I glared up at June, who glared right back at me, having kicked me off of Melissa.  
“I said to cut it out, Gary!” June demanded.  
I’ve had enough of her, I thought furiously as rage began to take over my mind and body.  
Melissa scrambled on the ground, backing away from me, her petrified eyes moving from me, to June, and then back to me again.  
I jumped to my feet and took a couple of steps forward, deciding whether I needed to throw June into a tree, or continue to restrain my sister from getting away. The answer was obvious, and I jumped at Melissa, forcing her onto her back again, positioning myself on top of her as she shrieked out. My hands pinned her shoulders to the ground, my legs around her, at her sides, my breathing coming out heavily, angrily, glaring at Melissa, my head shaking. “Not... again...” I breathed, and then swallowed saliva for my dry throat.  
“Gary, I said to get off of her!” June shoved me again, but while her angry push moved me, it didn’t get me off of Melissa.  
My hand shot out and I grasped June’s shoulder, though my eyes were for her neck. I pulled her down to the ground and close to my face, baring my teeth at her, giving June’s shoulder the tightest squeeze I possibly could.  
“Ow! Gary, sstop!” June begged, struggling in my hold.  
“This hurts,” I growled at June, shaking her roughly, making her whine out in pain. “I am not doing this to her, June!” I shook her shoulder again, digging my fingers into her, the feeling of dissatisfaction within me as she struggled and complained. I wanted to hurt her much more than her groaning would result in. I felt nothing but hatred for June right now. Shoving her way into such a personal matter as this was way beyond the line to ever be crossed. “Stay out of this!! I am not losing my sister again!! Don’t you understand that?!” I dug into her shoulder even tighter, causing her to grab my hand with both of hers as she shouted painfully before I forced June back as hard as I could.  
She dropped easily onto her back and stayed there for a moment.  
A loud shriek rang out, and a pair of hands grasped my face.   
“Whoa!” I turned around to see Melissa’s long, dirty nails clawing weakly at my face. “Stop it!” I slammed her effortlessly back down and she collapsed, remaining still, her eyes closed. “Melissa?” My eyes widened when Melissa didn’t move from her spot. June stirred from where I had shoved her, but I didn’t turn to face her, my eyes glued on Melissa. My hands reached out and gently shook her shoulders. “Melissa, wake up! Wake up!” I shook her harder.  
Melissa remained motionless.  
“What did I do?” I uttered in a panic. “Melissa!”  
“You idiot…”  
I turned to June, fear on my face over concern for my sister.  
June was sitting up on the ground, glaring down at Melissa. “Something is wrong with her. Couldn’t you tell?” She looked into my eyes angrily, shaking her head. “She’s hurt or something. You were grabbing her and hurting her, and you just didn’t care.”  
“But, I wasn’t hurting her!” I insisted. “I wasn’t even grabbing her that tightly!”  
“Says who? The guy who hasn’t seen his sister in several years?” June inquired angrily. “How surprised are you to see her, Gary? How excited do you feel? Are you even aware enough to answer accurately? Are you able to tell how that is transcending in how you are grabbing and shaking and throwing people around right now? Huh?? Well, Gary?! Answer me!!”  
My mouth refused to give an answer, or even open, as June’s words sunk in, and I turned back to Melissa. I slowly reached out and placed a hand against the side of her face. Freckles, I thought as my hand rubbed against her face tenderly. No, not freckles. What are those? My finger traced a long, red vein. What happened to you? Why is your face like this? Why do you look so malnourished? “She’s weak,” I said in a low voice, unsure if June could even hear me. “When I held her, she felt so thin. And she looks just a little bit… different. But there’s no way this isn’t my sister. This is definitely Melissa.”  
“We should get her to a hospital,” June told me solemnly, and pulled the Town Map from her pocket, grabbing a Poke Ball in the other hand. “Galvantula, go!” She extended her hand with the Poke Ball in it and Galvantula was sent out, waving her feelers in the air. “Flash!”  
Galvantula’s body lit up and illuminated the darkness around us.  
June leaned forward towards her Bug Pokemon, holding her Town Map between her hands, and she looked over it. “Well, I guess we didn’t take this route, so we must be here,” June muttered. “According to this map, there’s a place called Spart Town nearby, but it’s over a mountain. Our best bet is to just go back and take the path to Mistralton City. It should be a lot less dangerous than climbing a mountain.”  
“Fine, we’re going to Mistralton City,” I nodded, turning to Melissa. No time to think about Ella and her crap, I told myself seriously. I need to save my sister.  
“Thank you, Galvantula. You can come back now.” June retreated her Pokemon.  
Melissa suddenly groaned, and her eyes tightened.  
I gasped.  
“Gary, give her some room! Please!” June pleaded with me.  
Nodding, I got to my feet and took a couple of steps away from her, ready to grab her if she tried to run.  
Melissa’s head turned to the side, and then to the other side, and she groaned again, her eyes opening. She raised a hand slowly to her head and rubbed it, using her other hand to try and sit up, and her hoodie fell off, revealing her head that was covered in a black stocking cap. Our eyes locked, and she froze with a gasp. Her mouth hung open in shock, her eyes wide, disbelief within them. She scrambled backwards, trying to get to her feet.  
My heart beat painfully at my big sister’s reaction to her only little brother. “Melissa, why?” I walked after her carefully, giving her space. “Melissa, why are you running away from me? Why are you so afraid of me?”  
“Please, don’t!” She jumped to her feet and turned away, pulling her hood back over her head, and she ran.  
I took off like a bullet, catching her almost instantly as I wrapped my arms around her waist.  
She struggled and stomped at the ground, swinging her arms around frantically, screaming as if I were going to kill her. “You’re hurting me!! Get off of me! Leave me alone! Leave me alone! Get away from me!”  
“Melissa!” My heart was in pain at her words. “Why are you saying this to me? It’s me! Gary! Your little brother! Don’t you remember me?”  
“Yes! That’s why I’m running away from you! Go away!” Melissa slapped at me, trying to get me off of her.  
Her words not only confused and hurt me, but weakened me, catching me off guard, and my hold loosened.  
With a cry, she broke free from me and ran deeper into the woods.  
No! I shouted in my head, and took off after her again. No! No! No! No! I can’t just let her get away like that! What is wrong with her? Why would she say those things to me? What about me scares her so much? Why is she so fearful of me, her little brother? Why??!  
Melissa’s shoulder slammed into a tree trunk and she stumbled back hard, colliding into me, and I grabbed her shoulders and roughly turned her around. “Melissa, we’re going to Mistralton City to get you some help! Do you understand me?” I said strongly. “Enough of this!” Melissa struggled in my hands, but I shook her determinedly. “NO! Why are you acting like this? What did I do to you? You’re acting like you hate me, Melissa! I’ve looked for you for over three damn years, just to have you running away from me like this? This is complete bull, Melissa!! Why are you hurting me like this??”  
Melissa looked like a frightened little animal, her eyes filled with tears and terror, her hands by her chin, looking up at me, just a few inches shorter than I was.  
I could hear June’s footsteps as she got closer to us, running through the woods, and it wasn’t much longer before they stopped near us, her breathing the only sound between the three of us.  
“Three?” Melissa whispered.  
“Huh?” I asked, desperate to understand what she was saying.  
“You said, three years…” Melissa told me in light voice. “Three… Years…”   
“Yeah! I’ve been looking for you for over three years, Melissa!” I screamed at her. “Don’t you know how long you’ve been gone? Why haven’t you called mommy? Why haven’t you kept in touch with any of us? You drove mom mad, Melissa. She’s ruined! A ruined mess! Don’t you care? You haven’t seen the family in over three years, and when you finally see your little brother, you run away? Melissa, why?!”  
Melissa whimpered, shivering in my hands, more mucus running from her nose. “Ow… Please, Gary. My shoulders. They hurt.” Her voice was so little, and so pained.  
“No! I can’t, Melissa,” I told her, shaking my head. “I can’t trust that you won’t run away again. I can’t let you get away from me. You need help. You’re so thin, and you look unhealthy. Have you eaten?”  
Melissa whimpered softly and shook her head, looking away from me, closing her eyes.  
“Melissa, we have food,” I told her. “Eat, please! June, grab something for her! Give her a bottle of water!”  
“No! I can’t!” Melissa struggled.  
June dropped her bag to the ground and opened it quickly, digging inside of it and coming back up with a bottle of water in one hand, a bag of grapes in her other hand.  
“Melissa, take it!” I said angrily, and grabbed her by the wrist, keeping my other hand on her shoulder, and I extended her hand towards the bottle of water June held out to her.  
Melissa shivered in my hands, but her hand wrapped around the bottle. She shakily pulled the bottle to her lips.  
“Drink slowly, please,” June warned. “Not too fast. You look so dehydrated. If you drink it too fast, it could be more harmful to your body. Take your time, dear.”  
Melissa nodded and slowly raised the bottle to her dry lips, the bottle shaking in her hand as if she were struggling to hold it up.  
I gently grabbed the back of the bottle and helped her to control the flow of water.  
A small splash fell onto her lips, some of it dribbling from her mouth. She swallowed it, choking a little bit, and tried to pour even more into her widening mouth, but I resisted her pull and only allowed for a small amount to drop from the bottle.  
“Easy, Melissa,” I said firmly. “I know you’re thirsty, but you need to take your time.”  
Melissa nodded quickly, but tried to pour even more water down her throat.  
“No, no,” I said to her, pulling the bottle from her.  
She whined weakly, opening her mouth wider, pleading for more water.  
“Sit with me, please,” I told her, and I slowly sat down, pushing down as gently as I could on her shoulder to encourage her to follow my lead.  
She grabbed my shoulder with both hands and June grabbed Melissa’s other shoulder, Melissa turning and removing one of her hands from my shoulder and grabbing June’s with it as she lowered herself down. Before long, we had all dropped to the ground, sighing.  
I raised the bottle of water to Melissa’s mouth and allowed a little more water to dribble from the top.   
Melissa slurped up the tiny amount I had given her and then wiped at her mouth.  
“Here. These have juices in them, too,” June offered, holding out the open bag of grapes.   
Melissa reached into the bag and pulled out a handful of grapes, bringing them to her mouth eagerly.  
“Nu, uh,” I said, gently grabbing her wrist, startling her and causing her to drop all of the grapes to the ground.  
Melissa reached out for the fallen fruit with her other hand, but I reached out and grabbed that wrist, too.  
“June, can you feed her, one at a time, please?” I asked her before turning to Melissa. “We’ll get you fresh grapes. Don’t eat so fast. Please.”  
“But…” Melissa made a whiny noise as she struggled to go after the grapes on the ground, but I held on to her.  
“I said no, Melissa,” I said strictly, feeling as if I were talking to a preschooler.  
“Here, honey,” June said, holding up a grape in her hand towards Melissa’s mouth.   
Melissa obediently opened her mouth and hungrily chewed on the grape. After swallowing it, she coughed once before her mouth opened immediately for another, and June fed her another grape.  
I can’t believe this is happening, I thought, watching June feed my sister grapes. How is this possible? This is so surreal.  
June and I went back and forth between feeding Melissa and giving her water. The bottle emptied out first, and June handed me the bag of grapes to feed Melissa while she got another bottle of water from the bag. When we had finished the bag of grapes, June handed me the water bottle and then found a banana in her bag. She broke it into pieces and fed it to Melissa as I managed her water intake.   
Melissa had gone through three bottles of water, a bag of grapes, a banana, and a large jar of applesauce before she burped, her head lowering in embarrassment. “Excuse me,” she whispered.  
“Are you feeling okay, Melissa?” June asked her.  
She nodded, her head still down.  
“Melissa.” My eyes were locked on her head that was covered by her black hood.  
She didn’t look at me.  
My eyes remained on her, but I didn’t say another word.  
June looked at me, and then back at Melissa.  
Finally, after a couple more minutes, Melissa slowly turned her head towards me.   
“Melissa, are you alright?” I asked.  
Melissa nodded, looking away.  
“Please, don’t.” I reached out slowly towards her face, and she flinched as my hand touched her cheek.  
“No…” she said in a hushed voice as she shook her head hard. I pulled my hand away, and she turned to me with a sorrowful look.  
“Melissa, what happened to you?” I asked her.  
She inhaled and her breath came out shakily. Her mouth opened as she inhaled a hesitant, nervous, quivering breath, and then it came out. She tried again, inhaling deeply. “I’m so sorry, Gary. I didn’t mean to treat you like that.”  
My eyes instantly filled with tears at the sound of her apology. I opened my arms towards her, hoping for a hug.  
Melissa lowered her head and shook it slowly. “I’m not ready,” she whispered to me. “I’m sorry. I’m… Just not ready yet.”  
My arms dropped, my heart falling with them, possibly to never return. “I don’t understand. It’s been over four years since we’ve been together in person. Over three years since you’ve seen me at all, and you’re not interested in hugging your own brother?”  
“It’s not that,” she explained slowly. “I love you. You’re my little brother. I want to hold you. I… need to hold you! But, not right now. I’m still not… sure what’s going on. I don’t know what to think or believe. It doesn’t feel like it’s been… three years since I’ve last spoken to you, Gary. It feels more like…” She swallowed. “I don’t even understand it. I have no recollection of time anymore. I don’t remember how three years feels! Or even a month. I can barely comprehend the feeling of a day passing by. What does it mean? All I really remember is…” She turned to me, drops falling from her hauntingly pale blue eyes. “You… Mom… Daddy…”  
“Mom and dad.” I allowed tears to fall from my own eyes.  
“How is mom?” Melissa’s voice trembled.  
“Why don’t you know, huh?” I demanded, my voice rising. “Why don’t you know for yourself, Melissa?” The tears were picking up speed as they formed and left my eyes, my eyebrows starting to narrow as outrage, confusion, and despair mixed inside of me for an explosive combination. “Why haven’t you called any of us? You just vanished! How did you even get here? How did you get into Unova?”  
Melissa swallowed, lowering her head. “I don’t understand, Gary.”  
“You don’t understand?” My voice continued rising as I got more and more upset at her. “You don’t understand? I haven’t heard from you in three years, and you don’t understand?!”  
June’s eyes met mine, but she quickly looked down, seeming to want to say something.  
I was glad she had decided to butt out, or I would have seriously lost it on her.  
Melissa cowered away from me just a bit.  
“What is it that you don’t understand, Melissa? Because I sure don’t understand a lot, either!”  
“I mean, I don’t know how to answer your questions,” Melissa said in a tiny voice.  
“What do you mean?” My hands flew up into the air before dropping. “You’re in Unova, but you started out in Kanto! How did you get out here? Why haven’t you picked up a damn phone to call home? These aren’t hard to answer questions, Melissa!”  
Melissa sniffled and covered her face, crying again.  
June looked over to Melissa, and then at me.  
Although she didn’t say a word to me, I could understand what she was telling me. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I’m sorry, Melissa. It’s just that, I’ve been through so much without you. Mom has, too. You abandoned the entire family. I’ve wanted answers all this time, and finally I have access to them, but you don’t know how to give them to me?”  
Melissa wiped at her face, sniffling hard, and coughed several times. “It’s been an endless amount of time since I’ve seen you, and yet, I feel like we were together just yesterday, at mom and dad’s house, talking about Pokemon and stuff. Seeing you here is so creepy. I feel like I should be happy to see you, but I’m not. I’m scared and confused.”  
My sister’s words were nothing but constant stabs at my heart with the sharpest blade, but I kept my eyes on her lowered head as she spoke.  
“When I saw you, I didn’t know what to do or think,” she said to me, speaking very slowly and carefully. “It was like, I knew who you were, and yet, who the hell were you? I couldn’t believe it was you, and that meant a flurry of different things for me. It was like, ‘yay, my little brother is here,’ and at the same time, ‘oh, no. My little brother is here.’ It was like, I couldn’t let you see me like this, even though I don’t even know what ‘this’ means exactly. Everything is just so wrong. That’s how it feels, at least. It feels like everything is backwards. And forwards, too. And sideways, up, down, spinning. I don’t know when the last time I spoke to mom was. I could say I spoke to her yesterday and honestly feel that’s the truth, but you’re saying it’s been three years… I don’t know what’s happened or how long whatever has happened, happened. I do remember that I was, at some point, a Pokemon Trainer.” She leaned over and dug into her pocket. When her hand came out, a Poke Ball was inside of her palm. “I have this empty Poke Ball for some reason. I don’t really know why. It’s one of the few things I have left on me.”  
“Wait, what about Bulbasaur, the Starter you choose when you left on your journey?” I asked her.  
“So, I chose a Bulbasaur?” she asked, turning to me.  
My heart stopped, my eyes squinting at her, my eyebrows narrowed in confusion. “Yes, Melissa. You chose Bulbasaur from Prof. Oak!”  
“Bulbasaur…” she said, looking back at her Poke Ball.  
“Melissa, what happened to your Bulbasaur?” I asked, staring at her in shock.  
Melissa turned to me with a blank stare. “I don’t have any Pokemon. I kind of remember having a couple, I think, but, I don’t have any anymore. I don’t really remember what happened.”  
June’s face was stunned staring at Melissa , looking at her as if she had just admitted to having committed the most heinous of crimes known to man.  
I licked my lips nervously. “How did you get into Unova? Do you remember?”  
Melissa lowered her hand, closing her fist around her Poke Ball as she stared at the ground silently.  
Several minutes of complete silence passed, none of us making the slightest bit of noise as Melissa searched her mind for the answer, crickets chirping around us, grass and leaves moving about from unknown sources on this windless night.  
Finally, Melissa shook her head. “I don’t remember how I got here at all. I had no idea I was even in Unova until you told me.”  
My teeth clenched tightly together. What does that mean? I asked myself. How is that possible? You can’t just walk into Unova from Kanto! There’s no way she just woke up in a new region, but she can’t be lying to me. Right? Why would she? But, if she’s not lying, what happened to her? She really needs some severe help, right away. This isn’t anything to be taken lightly. She’s gone through something terrible.  
Melissa leaned forward and coughed repeatedly.  
June gently pat her back and grabbed the bottle of water on the ground, waiting for Melissa to cough up whatever she was struggling with. Melissa wiped at her mouth with the back of her hand and sat up, opening her mouth as June poured a little more water into her mouth.  
I waited for Melissa to take a few sips of water before bringing up the next question on my mind. “Were you in the Desert Resort a few months ago?”  
“What’s that?” she asked, turning to me.  
I breathed in and out slowly. “Were you in any kind of desert environment in the past few months?”  
Melissa kept her gaze on me for a while, and then looked away. “Like I said, I don’t really know how much time has passed for most anything I’ve done anymore. But, as far as a desert environment, I don’t have any recollection of any such place. Why?”  
June squinted at me, and her mouth suddenly dropped open, her eyes widening in realization as they turned to Melissa, but she didn’t say anything.  
“Just wondering if you had been through there. That’s all,” I said in a voice below a whisper, lowering my gaze. What would she know? I told myself. She doesn’t even remember crossing a freaking region. But was that really her in the Desert Resort? How can I be sure? I guess it doesn’t really matter. She’s right here in front of me, now.  
“Melissa, could I ask a question?” June asked her suddenly, grabbing my attention.  
Melissa looked over to June and then looked down quickly. “Um, I guess. Who are you?” Melissa asked hesitantly.  
“My name is June, and I’m a Pokemon Trainer from the Kanto region, as well,” June introduced herself with a caring smile. “I’m also a friend of Gary’s. I met him in Gringey City.”  
“Say…” Melissa slowly turned towards me. “Wait a minute. Gary, what are you doing in the Unova region?”  
June and I exchanged glances.  
“Are you out here just to look for me? No way!” Melissa shook her head. “Did you finally become a Pokemon Trainer, Gary? Wait. Three years, you said! You have to be, like, twelve or something, right? Did you get your license to become a Pokemon Trainer?”  
“I’m thirteen, and, yes, I did get it, Melissa. But right now, I’m not concerned with that,” I told her seriously.  
Melissa smiled weakly. “Gary, I’m so proud of you, little guy. Why did you decide to start in Unova?”  
“Melissa, I’ll explain everything to you later, okay? Right now, you need medical attention,” I insisted.  
She sighed wearily and pulled her knees up, resting her elbows on them and covering her face with her hands. “This is all so much to take in at once. I can’t even comprehend what’s going on properly.”  
“Then let’s get to Mistralton City, right away,” I said, standing up.  
June got to her feet, and together, we bent over to help Melissa up.  
“What direction is Mistralton?” I asked June.   
“Back this way,” she pointed, and the three of us turned around in the direction she directed us in.  
“Um, June, is it?” Melissa asked June as we walked slowly, carefully, through the woods.  
“Yes, Melissa?” June replied, wide-eyed.  
“You had a question, right?”   
“Oh! Well, yes…” June admitted hesitantly.  
Melissa sniffled and wiped at her nose with the back of her hand. “What was it?”  
“Well, it’s just, when we found you, you were surrounded by a few people,” June told my sister. “I was kind of wondering if you knew who they were. Why were they with you? What were they doing to you?”  
Melissa stopped walking, and June and I stopped after her, turning back.   
“Melissa?” My heart started to pick up its pace when I saw the look on Melissa’s face.  
Her eyes were blank, gazing straight ahead. She seemed to be in another place in her mind. Her eyes closed and she pulled her hood down over her face, tugging it hard, and her hands began to shake as she let out an ear piercing screech from her throat.  
“Melissa!” I stepped towards her, but she turned around and ran. I ran forward and grasped her hand tightly.  
Melissa whipped her hand hard, and my hand slid off of it as something slippery got onto my palm.  
I looked down at my hand briefly before looking up to chase after Melissa, but then I stopped and looked down at my hand again.  
Melissa continued running deeper into the woods, getting away from me.  
“Melissa! Wait!” June ran up to me. “Gary, what’s wrong? Aren’t we going after her? Oh, my gosh!” June covered her mouth with her hands as she gazed down at my hand.  
I turned to June, and then looked back down at my hand. It was coated in a layer of blood.   
“Gary, what is that?” June asked, her hands still covering her mouth.  
“Melissa’s.” I looked after where Melissa had run.  
She was completely out of sight in the mix of trees, not a sound to be heard from her running anymore.  
“Gary, we really need to get her to a hospital!” June urged. “What did I say? Why is she running? Something’s seriously wrong, here!”  
Without a word, I ran as fast as I possibly could, knowing this was the top speed I could move at. I felt in my heart that I had never run faster at any point in my life. Branches grabbed at my jacket, roots and things on the ground made me stumble, but I didn’t slow down and continued running after my sister. What is wrong with her? I asked myself. Why is she bleeding? She wasn’t bleeding before. I hardly even touched her! What’s going on with my sister? Why is she running? Everything was going perfectly fine! What the hell did June say? Who were those bastards around her when we found her?  
June was far behind me, but I could still hear her running after me, her breathing harsh.  
A loud rumble was followed by a scream from somebody, both sounds from further up ahead.  
That wasn’t Melissa’s scream, I thought, flying through the forest that was a blur of dark colors.  
The rumbling noise actually sounded more like a collision of large objects crashing loudly to the ground, and it was getting louder by the second.  
What is that noise? I wondered. “MELISSAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!” I bellowed. The next thing I knew, I had burst through the forest and was staring out from the top of a cliff! The edge of it was several feet away, and I slowed down to a stop as I gazed out at the surrounding mountains around an enormous, gaping hole in front of me, dropping down further than I wished to know.  
“JUST LEAVE ME ALONE ALREADY!!” a voice with a foreign accent begged.  
I turned around to see a man wearing a black blazer buttoned up over a white shirt, black slacks, and black shoes, staring at a pile of large boulders on the wall of a tall mountain he was standing next to. He took a step back, close to the edge.  
“Hey, watch your step!” I yelled out to him.  
The man turned to me in shock, and then looked back at the large boulders. He turned to me once again and then ran towards me. “Get out of here! It’s not safe!” he said, out of breath. He sounded like he was from the U.K. His black hair was a mess on top of his head, his face deadly serious and unshaven, a thick beard covering the bottom half of his dirt smudged face. Up close, I could see how dirty his attire actually was, filth coating his clothing noticeably in large, various spots. His pants had a couple of small holes in them, his blazer displayed a large cut in the front of it near his stomach, and his shoes were badly scuffed.  
“What do you mean?” I looked around. “Where’s Melissa?”  
“Who? You need to find your way to another area, immediately!” the man warned. “It’s not safe here!”  
“But, my sister is here!” I told him, and I ran past him, looking around. To the right of me was a dead end, displaying the end of the forest and the end of the cliff, in front of me was the gaping hole after the edge of the cliff, and to the left of me sat the pileup of huge boulders, blocking a thin path near the edge of the cliff that I could see behind them. “Melissa??” I ran forward, looking over the edge of the cliff.  
The drop was enough to fill me with panic, the bottom of the cliff seeming endless, nothing but gray mountain walls and a pitch black hole leading to the end of your life.  
“Don’t you listen?” the man snapped at me. “What don’t you get about what I just told you? Get out of here! I’m telling you this for your own good!”  
I turned away from the hole. “Where is my sister?” I demanded.  
“There’s nobody here but me, my Ninetales, and now, you!” the man said impatiently. “It isn’t safe right now!”  
“What?” I shook my head quickly. “No! That’s not possible! I just chased my sister out here! Now where is she?”  
“I am only going to warn you one last time, and then you’re on your own,” the man said, speaking firmly, slowly, glaring at me. “I was out here with my Ninetales, and then those boulders over there dropped from the top of the mountain. After that, you showed up. Now, will you kindly get out of here! I’m not going to live with your blood on my hands if something bad happens to you!”  
“They just fell? That was the loud noise I heard?” My head turned towards the large boulders again.  
“Yes. They just fell! Do you now see why it’s not safe here?” the man screamed frantically.  
A noise made me and this angry man turn around.  
June ran out from the woods, gazing around, looking worn out from running.  
“Oh, great. There’s more of you?” the man shouted angrily.  
“Gary! Where’s Melissa?” June asked, running over to me.  
I spun around in a circle again, but there was nobody here but me, this man, and June. My eyes turned to the boulders. They just dropped there, I thought. Just now. “MELISSAAAAAAA!!!!” I took off, running away from June and the man.  
“Gary, wait! Where is she? What happened?” June spoke with exhaustion.  
A loud, sharp noise from the top of the mountain beside me was joined by the even louder sound of a powerful explosion.  
I stopped running and looked behind me, up the side of the mountain, but I couldn’t see the source of the new noise above.  
The man growled as he glared up the side of the mountain.  
June gazed fearfully at the top of the mountain, her mouth open slightly.  
Melissa, no, I thought as my entire body quaked as if an earthquake were erupting inside of me, and I ran on quaky legs, back towards the woods I had gotten out of. My body was sore, begging me to stop, but I pushed on to keep running.  
Knowing that, no matter how fast I ran.  
And no matter how fast help arrived.  
If the fearful thought bobbing in my mind, filling me with dread, horror, and nausea, was true.  
Melissa was already dead.


	35. Nine Tales

The backhoe loader scooped up one of the final boulders, backing away from the remaining boulders with a low rumble and roar to make room for the next backhoe loader to move in, and it dumped the large boulder down the huge hole to the side.  
The boulder slammed against the side of the mountain and rumbled before going silent as it fell down a long, deep drop.  
Several loud noises from the top of the mountain made me look up momentarily, but I returned my gaze back to the remaining two boulders as the next backhoe loader lifted one and backed up, the first backhoe loader moving in to grab the final boulder.  
June stood by my side, staring with worry on her face as the backhoe loader lifted the final boulder and backed up. She whimpered by my side as she stared at the empty ground as the backhoe loaders released the boulders down the hole.  
The police had formed a line several feet in front of me, staring at the spot where the boulders had once been before being removed.  
I shakily walked over to the line of male and female police officers, getting a better view at what they all were silently looking at.  
Nothing.  
The gray ground of the mountain sat empty with no signs of anything having been there previously. A thin path curved around the side of the mountain.  
The officers all turned to me with matching, solemn glares.  
My eyes closed as tears filled in them, and I silently cried to myself, lowering my head, hot tears dripping from between my eyelids. Melissa… I thought to myself. I heard footsteps from in front of me draw closer before stopping.  
“Gary,” a male officer spoke.  
I wiped at my eyes, sniffling, but I couldn’t manage to bring my head up to look at the man.  
“There’s no sign of anyone here,” he spoke firmly. “No blood, no body, no anything. Your sister wasn’t underneath that pile of boulders, luckily.”  
The distant, low rumble of the boulders that had been tossed down the hole, crashing to the bottom of the mountain, rose to my ears.  
I nodded and sniffled again, closing my eyes even tighter, forcing more tears to the ground.  
The crackle of his walkie-talkie made my eyes open, and I looked over at it on his hip. I couldn’t understand what was being said from the other side, but the officer raised the device to his mouth. “Alright. Same here. Nothing. Over and out.” He lowered his walkie-talkie and stared down at me with a serious glare, sighing. “Our officers have searched all throughout the forest, kid. There’s no sign of your sister. They didn’t find anybody at all.”  
I swallowed and looked down, the tears falling from my open eyes.  
“The woods around here don’t go very far and only empty out onto this mountain,” the officer explained. “There isn’t anywhere she could have run off to since we began searching. She isn’t here.”  
I sniffled as I rubbed my hands into my sore eyes.  
“We’ll keep an eye out for her and be sure to inform your mother if we find her, but for now, there isn’t much more we can do,” the officer said. “This hasn’t been anything more than clearing the path of some fallen boulders, for now.” He reached up and patted my shoulder. “Come on, boys, ladies!” he called to the other officers, and the collection of law enforcers followed the man into the woods, leaving me alone with June.  
Another rumble as the final boulders finally reached the bottom of the mountain echoed out before silence returned.  
Where did she go…? I thought weakly, my body trembling hard with fear.  
Having run back to the nearest town, where the Golurk had attacked, I found a police officer and begged for help finding my sister, who I had believed was crushed underneath the pile of boulders that had crashed from the top of the mountain. After I admitted that I hadn’t actually seen her crushed by the boulders, several police officers were radioed in to search the surrounding woods for her, while backhoes were called in to work on removing the boulders.   
I had been driven to another town’s police department because the one that had been attacked by the Golurk was still not properly functioning due to their lack of electricity. I filed a Missing Persons Report on Melissa, giving my mother’s number to call if they found her. When asked why she hadn’t been reported as missing earlier, I explained that she was a Pokemon Trainer. The short answer I gave spoke many words, and it seemed to be enough of an answer to be understood by the police, and yet, something hit me in that moment.   
The answer of being a “Pokemon Trainer” didn’t sit right with me. Something about that answer being acceptable for this kind of a situation frustrated me. So what if she was a Pokemon Trainer? She’s still somebody’s daughter. My sister! What makes it more understandable that she’s missing because of that?  
Now, standing beside June, a warm breeze making me uncomfortable in even my lightweight jacket, the sun beaming high in the sky, I turned around and stared out at the surrounding mountains forming a circle with the cliff I was standing on, a deep, gaping crater in between. My body was weak. The urge to run and jump from the cliff was tempting. I had just lost my sister. I had her, and I just let her get away. My eyes lowered as my hand lifted towards me, and my gaze focused on my palm where Melissa’s blood had been several hours ago. What was that? I wondered, my eyes glued to my palm. Why was she bleeding? Why did she run away from June’s inquiry? What happened to her?  
“Gary,” June whispered behind me.  
How could I let her just get away from me that easily? I asked myself.  
“Gary,” June whispered louder.  
I took a step closer to the ledge of the cliff, and then another, followed by a third step. My eyes surveyed the wide hole, and I took another step, intending on looking over the edge to see the long drop to a bottom I wouldn’t be able to see from this high up.  
“Gary!” June cried. “Where are you going?” She ran up to me and grabbed my shoulder, stopping further steps.  
It’d be so easy to just jump, I considered. And, why not? Once I leap, even if I regret it, it’ll be all over and there will be no turning back. There’s nothing for me anymore, after all. Nothing makes sense. Nothing matters. I can’t take this. I feel as if… I’ve lost… Everything!  
“Gary, who is that guy?” June asked me in a low voice, her hand gripping my shoulder tightly.  
I looked up at her as her question interrupted my thoughts, and I turned around towards the woods and stared at a familiar face.  
It was the man from earlier who had warned me about the surrounding area being dangerous due to the boulders that had landed. He also mentioned something about a Ninetales. He stared at us from near the woods, eyeing us suspiciously, looking a filthy mess in his stained clothes and homeless man’s beard.  
“Why is he staring at us?” June asked fearfully.  
I didn’t really care. I had other things on my mind at the moment. My life was over at this point, and whatever was going on in the world around me, wasn’t my concern anymore. I turned back to the gaping hole and took another step forward, my head over the ledge, looking down the endless drop. Just staring down from here made me feel as if my body was swaying. The thought that I might just accidentally drop down into this hole filled me with a mix of fear and excitement. Joy and pain. Satisfaction and depression. Suddenly, my shoulder was grabbed and I was pulled back a couple of feet and turned around roughly, now staring into the squinting eyes of June.   
“Gary? What are you doing?” she asked me strongly.  
My eyes lifted and stared past her, suddenly widening.  
June stared into my eyes and turned around, and a gasp escaped her mouth.  
The man was walking towards us quickly, glaring at us, his fists at his sides.  
“Who are you?” June cried fearfully.  
The man didn’t stop walking until he towered above us both from only a foot away. “My name is Damian,” he told us both. “I warned this guy over here already, but hopefully you’ll hear me out and convince your boyfriend to heed my warning.”  
“What warning?” June asked.  
“Excuse me!” I said angrily, glaring at Damian.   
Damian and June’s eyes turned to me at once.  
“I am not her boyfriend!” I said seriously. “And can you leave us alone, please? I’m really not in the mood for whatever it is you’re talking about right now.”  
“Not a couple but you wish to be left alone with her,” Damian noted, squinting down at me.  
I didn’t like the look on his face. I suddenly found myself holding back the urge to sock him square in his nose, but instead, I only glared back at him. “Will you beat it already?”  
“Not until you guys get out of here! It’s not safe around me,” Damian insisted.  
“The boulders fell. There isn’t anything else we could possibly be worried about around here,” I said impatiently. This guy was getting on my last nerve.  
Damian suddenly whipped his body around and screamed. “STAY AWAY!!! PLEASE!!! I’M SORRY!! I’M SORRY!!”  
I turned to see what he was yelling at, but I saw nothing but trees.  
“Damian, what’s wrong?” June asked him.  
The ground started to rumble.  
June and I exchanged surprised glances.  
I started to stumble around uncontrollably.  
“Gary, come here!” June grabbed my shoulders and pulled me away from the edge of the cliff, and we both stumbled and tripped to the ground.  
“What’s with the ground?” I asked, and I looked up at Damian who was trying hard not to fall.  
“It’s coming! Not again!” Damian cried, his voice sounding on the verge of tears. “Why? Why? What did I do to deserve this? Why?”  
A loud cracking noise made my head turn towards the woods, and my mouth was now wide enough to catch flies in it.  
Many of the trees in the woods a short distance away from us were now shaking, bending, stretching. The bottoms of the trunks twisted, curved, and loud moans rose from the woods as the trees seemed to uproot themselves from the ground! The branches curved down, a large, dark hole appearing near the middle of the tree trunks, two smaller holes forming above it. The trees creaked, cracked, groaned, and moaned as they were freed from the ground and seemed to be staring at us all. The two smaller holes above the large hole seemed to shrink and grow back, reminding me of blinking eyes, and they suddenly seemed to narrow with anger! The larger hole beneath them became a thin, horizontal line that then curved into the shape of an upside down ‘U,’ giving the trees an angry look.  
“RUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN!!!!” Damian bellowed, and he took off away from June and I.  
With a loud, staggering roar, the larger holes on the trees widening, the trees rocked the ground mercilessly as they all ran after us!  
June and I let out terrified shrieks as we stumbled in disbelief to our feet and ran after Damian, alongside the mountain, the path curving quickly as we went uphill.  
“What’s going on here?!” June shrieked shrilly.  
“Freaking trees!! Trees!!!” I shouted back in a panic.  
“That isn’t possible!! This is not possible!!” June screamed.  
“Tell the trees that!! Maybe they’ll stop!!” I suggested.  
The quaking of the trees rocking the ground underneath us made it very hard to run, especially with the path June and I were on being so thin. My right foot was literally running on the edge of the cliff, June safely on the inside of the path!  
Well, you might just get your wish to go over, now, I thought to myself. For some reason, that plan didn’t sound so appealing anymore.  
The path split, giving us the options to run forward, or continue the curving path up the mountain.  
June and I shot forward, and I spotted Damian, far ahead of us, pounding the pavement with his feet as he ran.  
Seeing him so far ahead made me desire to catch up to him, and I sucked in my breath, forcing my legs to move quicker as the ground continued to rumble, leaving June behind me.  
Damian was still a good distance ahead of me, and he tripped a couple of times, catching himself and continuing to run, which slowed him down just a bit, and I began to catch up with him.  
“HEY! You guys! Wait!” June begged from far behind me.  
She must be out of her mind! I thought to myself. I looked behind me. “June! Come on!” I urged frantically.  
The roar from the tree monsters echoed throughout.  
“But, those tree creatures are gone!” June insisted, stopping to catch her breath, slouched over.  
“The ground is still shaking, June!” I yelled at her urgently.  
“But they aren’t here, Gary!” June called out to me.  
Damian started to slow down and he turned to me. “She’s right.” He dropped to the ground and gasped for air.  
“Huh?” I slowed down my running until I came to a complete stop a couple of feet away from Damian.  
The ground stopped shaking abruptly.  
“Whoa! What happened?” I asked, shocked, out of breath as I stared at the ground. My body was not used to the sudden end of the quaking and I felt unsteady.  
“They’re not even here anymore,” June breathed heavily, weakly stumbling over to us.  
“But, the ground was just shaking! Why’d it stop?” I looked past June, trying to see if any of those trees were going to show up again.  
“It’s over for now,” Damian said before taking a deep breath. “You two need to get out of here, immediately.”  
“What about you?” I asked him.  
Damian swallowed, shaking his head. “Don’t-”  
A loud noise silenced Damian and grabbed all of our attention.  
“Did anyone hear that?” June asked quietly.  
Before any of us could answer her, a huge CRAAAAAAACCCCCKKKKK!!!!!! noise rang out, and the next thing I knew, I was falling! We all were screaming at the top of our lungs, our voices echoing as we dropped. I could see the hole above us that we had dropped from, the sun shining from above it as I dropped even further down into the blackness surrounding me, June, and Damian.  
“Galvantula, help us! Spider Web!” June yelled.  
Wait, what? I thought in a panic.  
I heard the Poke Ball open and the cry of “Galvantulaaaa!” before I saw the bright spark below me, the huge electric spider Pokemon sitting amongst the spark.  
“Ugh!” I exclaimed as I fell into Galvantula’s net and got stuck, fast.  
June and Damian landed in the net as well, shaking it hard, but I was still stuck in the sticky webbing.  
“Gal?” Galvantula said from the wall, staring at her web.  
“AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!” a surge of electricity shot through my body, and I heard June and Damian scream out in pain as well.  
Galvantula cried out along with us, watching us from the wall she clung to.  
June let out a grunt, and a familiar cry met my ears. “Rotom, get us out of here!” June ordered as we continued to get electrocuted by Galvantula’s web.  
Still screaming, I felt a strong force tug and pull on my body. With a final, hard yank, my body was freed from the web and now hovered in the air. My body went limp, shivering in pain, sparking with electricity.  
Moaning, I looked over and saw June and Damian hovering above the sparking web below us, also silent and looking exhausted and weak, their bodies sparking. They were both outlined in a light green color.  
I looked down wearily at my body and noticed that it was also outlined in green. What is this? I wondered, and a cry above me made me look up to see Rotom smiling down at us, its eyes glowing green.  
“Galvantula! Galvantula!” Galvantula cried from the wall, waving her feelings at me.  
“Get away…” I moaned weakly, not wanting that thing to touch me.  
“Galvantula! I said Spider Web, not Electroweb!” June scolded her Pokemon.  
“Galvantula! Gal! Gal!” Galvantula waved her feelers even more.  
Goose bumps ran across my body and I shook in disgust at the spider.  
“Well, you have to try harder to make sure you use the right moves, okay?” June told her Pokemon sharply.. “Please be more careful in the future.”  
Galvantula looked down sadly.  
“You two, please, don’t look down,” Damian warned us warily.  
Of course, I turned my head and looked down. My eyes widened, my heart leaping into my throat from what I saw beneath the sparking web.  
June screamed, her voice echoing throughout the dark area we were in.  
Only about ten feet below the web Galvantula had made sat the bottom of the hole we had fallen into. The floor of the hole was covered in jagged rocks the size of any one of our entire bodies!  
Damian sighed. “I guess I shouldn’t have said anything if I expected you to listen.”  
“June,” I whimpered, shaking inside of the Psychic hold Rotom had me in. “Please.”  
“Rotom, go!” June called up to it quickly.  
Rotom nodded eagerly and, keeping its eyes on us, floated up into the air.  
The three of us ascended, our eyes all remaining on the huge spikes that nearly ended our lives.  
What are the freaking odds of that? I questioned. Huge spikes at the bottom of a cave that just opens up from out of nowhere? Is this a cheap adventure movie or something?   
The pointy tips of the rocks below seemed to gleam.  
I blinked my eyes and squinted at them as I continued to soar up higher. Get out of here, I thought in amazement as my eyes widened so wide, it hurt. Impossible. I turned to June, who was also gazing at the deadly rocks in disbelief, her mouth open in horror. “June? Do you see what I’m seeing?”  
June didn’t answer.  
“Don’t tell me you see it, too,” Damian muttered.  
The rocks below appeared to be shaking hard, rocking in place, side to side.  
PESHEW!  
One of the large rocks flew up from the ground with a sharp cry, tearing right through the electric spider web, and soared past Damian, just barely missing him.  
Damian screamed and started to struggle in Rotom’s Psychic grasp.  
“ROTOM! MOVE IT!!” June bellowed.  
Rotom flew faster into the air as the rocks below began to fly up at us, one at a time. One of the rocks flew right through Rotom, but it didn’t seem to notice.  
“Uck!” I exclaimed in disgust as Galvantula, her body outlined in green, soared by my side, being carried up by Rotom.  
“Rotom!” I begged it, shedding tears as rocks flew all around and in between the five of us. “Save us!”  
“It’s me you want!” Damian screamed. “Leave the kids out of this! Just take me!!”  
I turned to him in confusion and screamed as a large, pointed rock flew by me, right in front of my face! Had my cap been on forward, the sharp rock would have easily taken it off of my head! The light from above caught my attention and I looked up at the hole that was only a few feet away. “Yes!!” I cheered.  
Rotom was already through the hole.  
June was brought out of it first, Galvantula, Damian, and I right behind her.  
“We made it!” I cried happily as we landed safely.  
An onslaught of spiky rocks soared from the hole in the cave where June, me, Rotom, Damian, and Galvantula had just managed to escape from only a second ago. The dangerous rocks flew high, disappearing into the sky.  
Damian sighed and collapsed on his back. “Please, will you kids leave here already? I can’t take this anymore!”  
“What is going on here, Damian?” June demanded, getting to her feet and walking over to him. “This isn’t normal! What do you know? Something is going on here!”  
“This is my fight, not yours!” Damian shouted, sitting up. “I’m trying to keep you two safe! Why are you being so stupid about this?”  
“Safe from what, Damian?” June stomped on the ground once. “I want to know what’s causing all of this! This can’t possibly be real!”  
“It’s real enough, okay?” Damian crossed his arms, glaring at June.  
June slowly sat down and her face softened. “Yes, Damian. It’s real enough.” She crawled over to Damian and sat closer to him, keeping contact with his eyes. “Why won’t you tell us what it is, though?”  
Damian looked off to the side. “Because there’s nothing that can be done to stop it,” he answered slowly, softly. He got to his feet, his eyes remaining on what now had his attention. “It wants to punish me.”  
June, Galvantula, Rotom, and I all turned to see what he was staring at.  
“A Ninetales!” I exclaimed in shock. “Where did that thing come from?” I pulled my Pokedex from my pocket.  
Ninetales. The Fox Pokemon and the evolved form of Vulpix. Each of their nine tails are said to possess a different, mysterious power, including attributing to their extremely long lifespan that is said to extend into one thousand years.  
“Is it yours?” I asked him.  
Damian nodded. “The way it acts, you’d think it wasn’t, though. It’s really taking the piss right now.”  
I stared at Ninetales. “Doesn’t look like it’s urinating if you ask me,” I muttered, shrugging. “But, anyway, what’s going on? Do you two have some kind of issue?”  
“All I did was pull one of your damn tails, Ninetales!” Damian screamed. “Why are you being this way over that? I apologized! I didn’t know you’d get this way over that!”  
“Oh, no,” June whispered.  
I turned to her, confused, and then looked back over to Damian and Ninetales. “You pulled one of its tails?”  
“Yes,” Damian said, his voice cracking with fear. “They say that the tails possess special powers, like your Pokedex said, and while I was brushing its fur one day, I rubbed my fingers through its tail, and I gripped it and just gave it a tiny little tug! I didn’t hurt it or anything. I don’t even know why I did it. It was just an affectionate little pull! Ever since then, all of these crazy accidents and freak occurrences keep on happening! It’s been going on since summer last year, and I am lucky to still be alive, but at this rate, this Pokemon is going to kill me!”  
“Over a tail pull?” I turned to Ninetales in disbelief. “That doesn’t make any sense! Why would it do that over that?”  
“Gary, Ninetales is a very vengeful Pokemon,” June said shakily. “I’ve heard to never cross one. They can lay a one thousand year curse on people. They’re not known for their forgiveness.”  
“Damian is… cursed?” I couldn’t believe what was going on.  
“The boulders that fell, the trees chasing us, the hole we fell into,” Damian recounted, his voice shaking, breaking. “Even the Spider Web turning into Electroweb. It’s all Ninetales. I’ve been running for my life from all kinds of things like this. I don’t know what to do anymore!” His head fell and he began to cry.  
“June,” I said, turning to her. “Isn’t there anything you can do to sort this out?”  
June was cowering on the spot, trembling in fear, her eyes wide with terror, locked onto Ninetales.  
What is that noise? I acknowledged. It was like the sound of something moving at top speed, accompanied by an almost unnoticeable whistle, and I’d been hearing it for the past minute or so, but I hadn’t registered it in my mind at the time. I looked up into the sky and screamed.  
A shrill scream was heard from June.  
Damian turned to me and June and started to look up into the sky, but he was too slow. With a gruesome noise, one of the large, pointed rocks that had flown out of the hole we had escaped, returned from the sky and forced itself into Damian’s left shoulder. He screamed out louder than anything I may have ever heard.   
I covered my ears and closed my eyes as his cries rang out through the mountains.   
Damian begged and screamed painfully from the ground.   
I peeked at him through one eye, closing it immediately afterwards after what I had seen.  
His blood was splattered on the ground around him, on his body, and all over the spike that was shoved through his shoulder and into the ground, pinning him down.  
I looked at June, who was on her knees, her back turned towards the gruesome scene, covering her face, weeping loudly.  
Galvantula walked over to her Trainer and touched her with one of her many legs, Rotom staring at the screaming Damian with a stunned look on its face.  
Ninetales, I thought. It got Damian. It caught him. Now what? I turned around, opening one eye again, but closing it and flinching at the sight of Damian. Ninetales, I told myself, and I forced my eyes open, looking into Ninetales’ red eyes.  
It sat there, glaring at Damian, ignoring me entirely.  
Damian let out a pained cry and grabbed the spike shoved through his shoulder with both hands. “Do it!” he shouted up to the sky in a pained groan through gritted teeth. “Do it!!! Kill me already!! You’ve got me!! Just spare the kids! They have nothing to do with this…” His voice was turning into a weakened groan, and his hands slid off of the spike. “I’m sorry, Ninetales. I’m sorry.” He coughed repeatedly, and then laid still on the ground, not moving.  
Ninetales continued to stare at Damian, not moving in the slightest.  
June had stopped crying, but I didn’t turn around to see what she was doing now. My eyes were focused on what Ninetales would do next.  
Ninetales eyes flashed brightly and glowed yellow, its body surrounded by a swirling, gold aura, its tails waving individually behind it.  
I gasped and crawled backwards, fear holding my heart in a vise-grip.  
June gasped.  
Damian’s body was outlined in a black and red flare of shimmering color, and his body glowed white. His body shrunk, morphed, and molded into a shapeless form. It then moved to the side, freeing itself from the spike, and then flashed a brighter white before returning back to the noticeably less flashy white. The two shades of white traded places repeatedly, blinking back and forth several times before the black and red flare around his body faded away, and the white glows vanished.   
June cried out and began to choke in shock.  
“Galvan?” Galvantula spoke raspily.  
Rotom let out a series of severe stutters.  
I couldn’t believe my eyes.   
I couldn’t believe my own eyes.  
In place of Damian, there now stood a Dunsparce!   
The Pokemon, Dunsparce, was where Damian had been!  
Dunsparce looked around, turning from Ninetales, who was no longer surrounded by its golden aura, its eyes their normal red color, its tails no longer moving, and looked to me, June, Galvantula, and Rotom, and then back to Ninetales.  
Ninetales and Dunsparce both stared at each other without saying a word.  
Ninetales then got to its paws and arched its back, hissing at Dunsparce.  
Dunsparce’s tiny wings flapped, and it ascended into the air, flying back down the path Damian, June, and I had run from when escaping from the monster trees.  
I turned back to Ninetales.  
In an instant, Ninetales ran past us, making us leap out of the way with a frightened shout, and it easily leaped up the side of the mountain wall, climbing it quickly, leaping from rock to rock, scaling the wall, and disappeared at one of the landings above.  
A warm breeze blew around me, my body shivering as if it were below zero weather outside. I swallowed the saliva building in my mouth, but it didn’t seem to truly go down my tightened throat, and it hurt when I tried to forced it down again. What just happened here? I wondered, looking up the side of the mountain that Ninetales had just managed to climb with ease.  
“I’m sorry about that, Galvantula,” June said softly, shakily. “I didn’t know. You did Spider Web just fine. That Electroweb wasn’t your fault. Now, please, come back.”  
I didn’t look at her, but I heard her return Galvantula and Rotom back to their Poke Balls. June’s footsteps approached me, but I still didn’t look away from the mountain wall that Ninetales had climbed so quickly.  
June breathed shakily, but didn’t say anything.  
My tongue ran over my lips as my eyes lowered and looked at the path ahead of us. I managed to swallow and cleared my throat. “June.”  
“Y-y-yes?” she stammered in a whisper.  
“Remind me to never catch a Ninetales,” I said in a low voice.  
There was a long silence between us, and in that time, I shoved my hands in my jacket pockets, trying to get my body to stop shaking.   
I was just about ready to never hear the name Ninetales again, or ever address this situation again for as long as I lived.  
“Gary?” June said.  
I turned to her and stared into her eyes.  
She was gazing back at me, visibly shaking, and she looked away from me, opting to stare at the ground instead. “Remind me to never touch a Vulpix.”


	36. Scraftyz Wit Attitudes

Melissa’s face had looked up into mine, her light blue eyes filled with tears and terror, her hands up by her face that held the look of cornered prey for a ferocious beast.  
“You’re hurting me! Gary, let go of me! Why are you hurting me?” Melissa had screamed as she struggled to break free from my hold.  
I hadn’t even been holding her that tightly, and yet she was screaming as if I were beating her. Was it all an act to break free from me and run away? Why?  
“How surprised are you to see her, Gary? How excited do you feel? Are you even aware enough to answer accurately? Are you able to tell how that is transcending in how you are grabbing and shaking and throwing people around right now? Huh?? Well, Gary?! Answer me!!”  
June’s words had reminded me that I may have been gripping my sister tighter than I had been aware at the time. Maybe I was hurting her.   
That still didn’t explain why she had run away from me in the first place.   
And, what made Melissa freak out and run away from us the last time before she escaped from me?   
“When we found you, you were surrounded by a few people,” June had said. “I was kind of wondering if you knew who they were. Why were they with you? What were they doing to you?”  
June’s questions had resulted in Melissa, who had been calmed and was willingly walking with us towards Mistralton City for medical attention, to start screaming and run away from us.  
But, why?  
What happened to Melissa in the past three years? What happened to all of her Pokemon? Why was she in Unova? Who were those people who had Melissa on the ground? What were they doing to her? Why did she run away from me? Why?  
I’d freaking found her!!  
June hadn’t spoken a word since yesterday, and we were now walking through the wide path of one of the landings on a mountain.  
I was furious at June, and if she had dared to open her mouth to talk to me, I felt like I might have exploded, so I was glad she hadn’t spoken in a while. I kind of blamed her for Melissa’s disappearance, since it was her words that had seemed to scare off my sister.   
But what was it about her words that made Melissa react like that?   
I let out my breath silently through my nostrils and closed my eyes, confusion filling my head, depression gripping my body, the desire to give up on everything I had going for me, increasing. What did I really have to live for, anyway? My own sister wasn’t even happy to see me. The memories of her running away from me cut deep, but I didn’t stop dwelling on them. The pain that was slicing at my heart felt good in a sort of masochistic way, and I reveled in the pain I was giving myself. It was a mental pain that transcended beyond that, into the physical, my heart throbbing badly, and I could feel my body twitch roughly against the emotions that thrived within me. Melissa… I thought mournfully, hot tears burning into my eyelids. I found you, and yet, I’ve learned absolutely nothing. Was it worth it? I wondered. Yes, I found her, but was this what I wanted? Was it not better to have not found her at all than to have found her in this state, looking so unwell, confused as to her own whereabouts and past? What were those red spots on her face? Why was she bleeding all of a sudden? Was this what I’ve been seeking all this time? Maybe this wasn’t what I wanted, but is it not what I wished for?  
Large boulders ahead of June and I sat around on the ground, some taller than us even if we were standing on each other’s shoulders, while other boulders only reached up to my knees, the rest of the sizes differing.  
We silently neared them, my eyes on the ground, Melissa being the only thing on my mind. I’ll never find her again, I told myself. This opportunity will never arrive a second time. This was a once in a lifetime chance. How did she get away from me? Is she okay? No, she isn’t. She’s hungry and alone and terrified. I swallowed hard. My mommy. How will I ever be able to tell her that I found her only daughter and then lost her before the day was over? How can I ever face my mom again? Light mumbles reached my ears, but I didn’t pay any attention to them, acknowledging them in my head for only a second before my thoughts returned back to Melissa and my mom. I found her daughter, I thought. I found her, and then I lost her. I didn’t even chase after her until it was too late. I’m an idiot. What is wrong with me? Why didn’t I run after her? She was bleeding! All the more reason to make sure I remained by her side and got her some medical attention! Damn it! Murmurs and low cries from around me reached my ears again.  
June lifted her head and looked around, sadness on her face, her eyes revealing that she had just been removed from deep thoughts.  
I looked around briefly before lowering my head. Whatever the noises were, I wasn’t concerned with them. At least I know what region she’s in, I thought. At least the police now know that she’s in the Unova region and are pursuing her.  
“Gary, wait a second,” June whispered, her first words to me in about a day, stopping as she looked around.  
A growl was accompanied by a leg as something stepped out from behind one of the huge boulders before June and I.  
I stopped walking and looked up, my heart picking up its pace as I stared at an unfamiliar creature.  
Another creature that looked exactly like the first one, stepped out from behind the same boulder and stood beside the first being.  
Suddenly, a few more mutters and cries were heard as even more of these mysterious things stepped out from the boulders littered about. I turned around at the sound of more grumbles and saw more of the creatures step from behind the boulders surrounding June and I. We were surrounded by the glaring creatures, some of them hunched over, a few of them standing up straight.  
My hand dug into my pocket and I pulled out my Pokedex and pointed it at the things before me.  
Scrafty. The Hoodlum Pokemon. Scraggy’s evolved stage. This Pokemon can destroy boulders with swift, powerful kicks and can be found hanging in groups, sometimes causing trouble for little reason.  
“Scrafty…” I whispered as I put my Pokedex away.  
June and I looked around at the surrounding Pokemon, turning around continuously.  
“This isn’t good,” June warned against their murmurs.  
“What are they saying?” I asked her, my first words to her in a while.  
“They’re speaking kind of low, but it seems like they’re really curious about us,” June responded.  
“Curious? This is gonna turn out a lot worse than just curiosity, isn’t it, June?”  
“Yeah. I’m betting it will,” June nodded quickly, fear in her voice.  
“Scrafty…” A Scrafty stepped away from the group, the red crest on the top of its head noticeably larger than the ones on the Scrafty nearby it. “Scrafty! Scraft! Scrafty!” it growled at us.  
“What’d it say?” I asked June.  
“He said we’re both about to pay!” June cried.  
“For what?” I gasped.  
Scrafty ran forward, his eyes on me. As he ran past June, his arm extended and he backhanded her in the face.  
June cried out painfully from the SMACK and dropped to the ground.  
“June!” I screamed, and before I knew it, Scrafty pulled back a fist as he continued towards me and swung at my stomach. I bent over as my breath left me, grabbing my stomach, groaning, and I felt as if I could throw up at that very moment.  
“Scrafty!” Scrafty grabbed the back of my head and forced it to the rocky ground.  
“Aaahhhhh!” My cap fell from my head as Scrafty smudged my face down. My face stung painfully as the rest of my body dropped. A blow came to my stomach and I curled up on the ground, Scrafty releasing my head. My eyes teared up in pain as I slowly turned my head towards my attacker, wheezing for the air.  
“What are you doing?!” I heard June scream shrilly.  
Scrafty sneered down at me and then looked up at June. He nudged his head in her direction.  
“Hey! Let go of me! Get off of me!! Let go!!”   
June’s calls made me roll over onto my side so I could see her. I opened my mouth, but I couldn’t get any words out from my throat, my stomach lurching instead as it ached, and I held back the feeling to throw up, swallowing the stinging, burning, horrible taste of puke sitting in the back of my throat. I hated the feeling and taste of throwing up so badly. I refused to let it out. June! I groaned in my head.  
June’s arms were held behind her back by two Scrafty as she stomped on the ground, struggling hard to break free from them.  
A pair of Scrafty walked over to her bag on the ground and fumbled around with it for a moment, finally getting the zipper to open, and they each grabbed one end of the bag and dumped the contents onto the ground.   
All of the Scrafty eagerly looked at what fell out, including Poke Balls, clothing, healing items for Pokemon, bottles of water, bags and boxes of both Pokemon food and food for June, and other things amongst the mess.  
Three Scrafty walked over to the pile and dug through it, tossing aside things that didn’t interest them until one grabbed a box of Pokemon food. The other two each grabbed a bag, one containing cookies, and the other containing cereal.   
A few other Scrafty strolled over casually and dug through the items.  
“Scraft,” the Scrafty behind me said in a low voice, and I felt my backpack being tugged while still on my shoulders.  
“Hey! Get off of me!” I shouted, trying to struggle against the Scrafty. It hurt to move, my stomach sore as I struggled to keep my bag. Something heavy landed on my back and I screamed out as my stomach was pushed to the ground and my arms were forced behind me as my bag was tugged hard and finally removed. Moaning, my arms weakly fell. I didn’t move, my breaths coming out quickly and pained.  
“Scrafty,” Scrafty said as he walked over to his friends with my bag in his hands.  
The three Scrafty that were holding June’s food were fumbling with the tops of the bags, the few other Scrafty now scratching at bags of Pokemon and human food they held in their hands.   
The Scrafty with my bag managed to unzip it and dumped my items out of it before flinging my bag to the side.  
The group of Scrafty with food had finally torn the bags open, one of the bags spilling its contents all over the ground.   
The Scrafty who had spilled its food looked down in confusion.   
The other Scrafty who had managed to open their bags without spilling their food, pointed at their confused friend and laughed before tilting their heads back and messily pouring the food into their mouths, loads of food dropping all around them, missing their opens mouths.  
June grunted angrily. “That’s our food! Stop that! What is wrong with you guys? Please, don’t do this!”  
The Scrafty were laughing as they filled their mouths while other Scrafty walked over and scooped up the food from the ground, hungrily packing their faces.  
I groaned but crawled onto my knees, my head still to the ground, spinning from dizziness as I watched the Scrafty.  
June struggled in the arms of her captors, the two Scrafty glaring down at her as she tried to free herself. “You freaking crooks! Unhand me, right now! Who do you think you are? You can’t just do this to us! That’s our food!”   
“Scrrrrafty!!” one of the Scrafty barked at June, getting its face close to hers.  
June turned to her left and glared back at the Scrafty who had just spoken to her. She spit in its face and swung her left foot back at the Scrafty’s stomach!  
The Scrafty held on to June, but its eyes had bulged out in shock at her hit and it bent over.  
The Scrafty on June’s right moved swiftly and grabbed June’s face with its entire hand and squeezed.  
She let out a muffled scream of pain.  
Scrafty growled at June as it tightened its grip on her face and slowly forced her down to her knees.  
June could only whimper through the abusive Pokemon’s large hand.  
Scrafty finally released her face, and the Scrafty on the left of her straightened up and caught June by surprise with a sharp slap to her face with a wide palm.  
June’s head dropped instantly, and I could just barely see tears falling from her face as she silently wept.  
At once, I stumbled forward, leaping to my feet, and ran towards the two Scrafty holding June. I just barely got four feet before I was yanked by the back of my jacket and slammed onto my back. My eyes tightened in pain, but I opened them at the sound of Scrafty laughing and spotted two of them behind me, gleefully pointing at me.  
One of the Scrafty stopped laughing and raised a leg, his foot dropping onto my forehead.  
I screamed as my head practically exploded and I grabbed it, curling up in a ball as the two Scrafty began to kick at my body.  
“Garyyyy!!!” I could hear June shriek.  
I tried to crawl away from the two Pokemon, but before I knew it, I was pulled up to my feet and my neck was gripped tightly.  
“Scrafty!” a Scrafty shouted in my ear, and I realized I was in its headlock.  
I choked painfully, trying to free my head and get some air into my lungs. It was a struggle to even swallow.   
“Scraft,” the Scrafty said to me, and its grip around my neck tightened, blocking my air completely.  
I grabbed at its arm and tried to lower it, but its thin arm wouldn’t budge. Can’t breathe, I thought frantically. I reached behind me to try and grab Scrafty’s face, determined to get this thing off of me.  
Two other Scrafty ran past the group of Scrafty who were devouring me and June’s bags of food greedily, excitedly, emptying them of what was inside and tossing the bags behind them before grabbing even more food to eat from. The two Scrafty stopped near me and began to take turns swinging blows at my stomach.  
My legs gave way on the first hit, my breath forced from my throat in a way that made my throat sore, but I wasn’t able to just fall to the ground because the Scrafty behind me was still holding me in a headlock. The continuous punches forced my breath out in wheezes through the tight lock Scrafty had my head in. Damn it, was my first thought before the Scrafty behind me finally released my neck and I fell down. My entire body was shivering and throbbing, my eyes closed, awaiting more hits from the Scrafty.  
The Scrafty chattered eagerly, their feet shuffling around my head, but none of them were attacking.  
Mistralton, I thought to myself weakly, my body groaning. Should’ve gone to Mistralton. What are we even doing here? What did we do to deserve this? I desired to get back to my feet, but I was too afraid to move. Maybe if I play dead, they’ll go away, I considered. A weak cough came from my throat. I stayed as still as I possibly could.  
“Scrafty!” a Scrafty yelled.  
My body was pulled up as a tight grip surrounded my neck, and my eyes shot open. I was viciously shaken around and I tightened my neck to prevent it from snapping as I was carelessly swung around in the air by it, choking.  
Most of the Scrafty in the area were all watching, some cheering with their hands in the air, others nodding repeatedly with their arms crossed, while others chattered and pointed at me.   
A small group of Scrafty were still digging through me and June’s things, tossing aside clothes and items including Super Potions, Full Heals, and extra Poke Balls that we had bought. Some of the items landed far away from the Pokemon, while others bounced along the ground, eventually tumbling off the side of the cliff.   
I kept my eyes on the Poke Balls that had a sticker with a letter on them. Those Poke Balls were the ones containing one of June’s Pokemon. So far, those five Poke Balls remained on the ground, untouched by the Scrafty.  
June was breathing heavily on her knees, her arms being held behind her back in the air by the two Scrafty, her face covered in dirt, black smudges, and markings. She stared up at me as tears caused her eyes to sparkle.  
What do they want? I wondered as I stared at them all, my neck in pain from the tight fingers digging into it, feeling as if it might snap at any second as Scrafty continued shaking me roughly. My body was slammed down and I twitched as I laid on my back and was helplessly dragged along the ground by my neck, tears clouding my vision. My breath came out in short gasps as I struggled to inhale through the hand that was tightening against my neck and pushing up underneath my chin. I could see my cap on the ground, the Poke Ball on the back facing me. Our Pokemon, I thought. We need our Pokemon. June wasn’t able to get her Poke Balls, but mine were still on my belt. I looked down at them and tried to grab any one of them, but my hand merely twitched as it dragged along on the rocky ground. Come on, I urged myself. Grab just one! You have to save yourself and June! Come on, man! I struggled hard, but my breath came out painfully and I gave up. I had no energy left inside of me at all. The grip on my throat was too much. The beating I had taken had overwhelmed me. There was nothing I could do to save June and I. My eyes looked over and I saw that the Scrafty that was dragging my body was nearing the edge of the cliff, now only a few feet away.  
“Please!” June pleaded. “Just wait a minute! We can work this out!”  
The Scrafty ignored June and dragged me to the edge of the cliff. It lifted its surprisingly strong arm and held me over the edge.  
I looked down at the endless drop beneath me. This is what I wanted, I thought. This is exactly it. I lost Melissa… My eyes filled with tears that weren’t in connection with the tears already in my eyes previously. I lost my sister. I thought of my mommy. I’m sorry to you both. I’m sorry for the failure I am, in more ways than one. I love you both. I can only hope that you both know that. Tears rolled down my cheeks and fell into the deep hole beneath me. If only I had it in me to grab one of my Poke Balls. But… Is it that I can’t? Or that I won’t? How deep have I already fallen down the hole in my life? Do I care about anything anymore? Do I even care about my own Pokemon? My friends? Anything at all?  
Scrafty cried out loudly and shook my body once more, and I felt his grip loosen around my neck.  
This is it, I thought, my eyes widening as air began to flow more easily into my lungs.  
Scrafty’s hand opened to the cheers of the other Scrafty and the horrified scream of June as I dropped like a weight.  
My mouth opened in a scream. I was falling! I saw the entire group of Scrafty, every one of them standing and watching now, June’s mouth and eyes matching in wide, open size. I saw the gray mountain wall as I dropped next to it. And then, some kind of darker object before my left wrist was grabbed and I screamed as my left arm extended and was stretched to its limit, my shoulder cracking as I was suspended in midair, staring down at the blackness far beneath me. I looked up at what was grabbing my wrist.  
A stern faced, very muscular man with no shirt on, wearing black sweatpants and black boots, glared down at me from the side of the mountain wall, holding my wrist in his meaty hand!  
My breath escaped from my throat loudly as I stared up at the man.  
He looked away from me, looking up at the landing above us. With a loud, angry roar, the man swung his arm that was gripping my wrist, upward, and I was easily FLUNG INTO THE AIR!!!  
I screamed as I landed on the top of the cliff and wailed out as I dropped to my knees, my left shoulder also hurting, throbbing. I looked up and saw an unfamiliar blue creature in a karate gi, posing in a fighting stance, facing three Scrafty who were laying helplessly on their backs, staring up at their opponent in fear.  
I was too weak to even get to my feet, so I just stared at the blue creature who was intimidating its opponents.  
The other Scrafty behind the blue Pokemon let out an angry cry and ran towards the new foe.  
“HIIIIIIYYYYYAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!” a voice raged, and something flew forward, knocking two of the Scrafty down with an outstretched leg. It was the man from the side of the cliff! He took a martial arts stance and leaped into air, spinning, and delivered a powerful blow with his foot to a Scrafty’s face!  
A few of the Scrafty started to back up, others even running away in fear!   
Five Scrafty surrounded the man and the blue creature and leaped at them with one bent knee glowing red-orange as they all soared at them at the same time.  
The man and the blue creature exchanged quick glances and nodded with a grunt before facing the oncoming Scrafty.  
The man bent his knees deeply and closed his eyes.  
The Scrafty got closer.  
The blue creature kept its eyes on the Scrafty as they soared at it and the man.  
The man’s eyes opened and both him and the blue creature jumped high, the man’s knee in the air, the other leg extended at the ground. His leg that was pointed at the ground, rose into the air.  
The blue creature flew towards a couple of the Scrafty and sent out a flurry of punches at them.  
The man did a fantastic spin in the air, his extended leg’s foot connecting with the face of the remaining Scrafty that soared at him as he spun around in a circle.  
The five Scrafty collapsed to the ground and remained motionless.  
The two Scrafty holding onto June released her and she fell to her face, the Scrafty running away.  
The five Scrafty that the man and the blue creature had defeated weakly climbed to their feet and took off, the remaining Scrafty running after them in a panic.  
The man and the blue creature bowed in the direction the Scrafty had all run off in, and then, swiftly, the man threw a red and white object at the blue creature!  
The object I soon recognized as a Poke Ball hit the blue creature and opened, sucking it in with a red beam, and the Poke Ball hit the ground and instantly began shaking hard.  
The Poke Ball shook severely, nonstop on the ground.  
The Poke Ball continued to tremble on the ground, shaking vigorously.  
PING!  
The red glow faded from the Poke Ball and turned white, remaining still.  
The man quickly walked over to the Poke Ball and picked it up, and then he turned to me with a serious face.  
I swallowed hard, my dry throat stinging in pain, causing me to choke and cough as I kept my eyes on him.  
The man walked forward, keeping his eyes on me until he walked past me and he stared at June, stopping in front of her and kneeling to one knee.  
June looked up at the man and her eyes widened, a smile slowing creeping across her face.  
“Are you alright, young lady?” the man asked June in a deep, strong, smooth voice.  
June’s face went beet red and she didn’t move as she smiled at the man.  
“My name is Row. What is your name? Can you speak? Shall I escort you to Spart Town?” he asked her.  
June’s smile widened, and her eyes closed as she dropped against the man’s bare, sweaty, dark brown chest. Her smile never left her face.  
Row picked up June in his arms and stood up tall.  
June’s hands suddenly swept along Row’s wet chest and dropped around his shoulders, and a sigh escaped her throat.  
Row glanced at her curiously before looking at me. “Young man, how about yourself? Need I carry you as well to Spart Town?”  
I shakily forced myself to my feet, a feeling within me warning me that I was on the verge of puking. No, I told myself as I closed my eyes and shook my head. I’m fine. I won’t throw up. Honestly speaking, I had a bit of a fear of throwing up. I hated the feeling more than the horrid taste it produced, and I didn’t care to experience either for as long as I lived. My eyes opened and I weakly walked over to a Super Potion on the ground. Groaning, I bent over and picked it up, and then walked over to a Poke Ball with a sticker containing the letter ‘R’ on it. Slowly, I went down to pick it up, but my stomach ached at the effort, causing me to cry out.  
The man, still carrying June, swiftly moved forward and began scooping up the items the Scrafty had dumped, picking up the items in one hand while holding June in the other arm.  
June seemed to moan in pain, and her hand kept sweeping across this man’s broad chest for some reason, her eyes closed tight, her smile remaining.  
I moved a lot slower than Row, and he had picked up a majority of the things before approaching me. I stopped in front of June’s bag and uttered out loudly in pain as I bent and dropped what I was holding inside of it. My legs quivered as I lifted the bag up and they nearly gave way underneath me, but I managed to shakily stand up, my stomach absolutely killing me, and I held open June’s bag, Row filling it with what he had picked up.  
“How do you feel?” he asked, towering over me.  
My stomach was feeling queasy, and it took a lot just to stand up straight, but I mentally kept the pain at bay, trying my best to remain strong. I couldn’t manage any words.  
“I’m sorry about the Scrafty,” Row told me firmly. “They do nothing but cause trouble in this area. Had I not been out mountain climbing, things would have turned deadly. You two are in need of some medical help. If you can walk, I insist you follow me to Spart Town to the Pokemon Center. I’m sure they will be able to tend to your needs.”  
I could only nod.   
“Hm,” Row said, staring down at me. He knelt down suddenly and swooped his other arm around my waist, hoisting me onto his shoulder.  
My eyes widened as my breath came out harshly, challenging me to puke.  
“Let’s go!” In the next instant, he ran, the wind whipping around my body.  
June’s eyes shot open and she cried out as she looked up at Row.  
“This will be much faster!” Row said loudly as he ran like the wind, everything around me a complete blur of gray. “We’ll be in Spart Town in a matter of minutes!” Row’s face furrowed with determination as he seemed to pick up speed.  
I gripped Row’s sweaty, bulging arm, my eyes wide in a mix of fear and surprise. “Whoa!”  
“We’re almost there, kids!” Row shouted.   
June wrapped her arms around Row’s neck and gazed ahead, her eyes wide, displaying shock.  
The blur of gray around us turned into a blur of brown and black.   
Row suddenly stopped in front of a wooden building, the abruptness nearly tossing me off of his arm.   
A wooden ‘P’ was near the top of it.   
Row opened the door and stepped inside.   
Several black, wooden benches and chairs surrounding matching tables filled the room, a short row of white, wooden phone booths against the wall, a brown, wooden counter sitting at the back with a smiling Nurse Joy and Audino behind it.  
“Nurse Joy, it seems the Scrafty have been at it again,” Row said as he stopped in front of Nurse Joy, smiling broadly. “Please, assist these two to any medical needs they may have.”  
“Not a problem, Row,” Nurse Joy said, her and her Audino bowing. “A challenger was just here, looking for you. You may want to catch up to her as soon as you can. She left for your Gym a couple of minutes ago.”  
Row set June and I down on the ground gently and stood up tall, bowing at Nurse Joy. “Thank you for the info. I’ll be sure to try and find her right away.”  
I turned weakly to him, my legs quaking.  
June groaned and leaned weakly against the counter, turning to Row.  
Row was staring down at us solemnly. “You two take it easy. Be sure to stay away from Scrafty Walk. Good luck!” He turned and swiftly walked away from us, leaving the Pokemon Center.  
“Wow…” June sighed, a weary smile on her face as she gazed after Row.  
I stared at her with a raised eyebrow and then turned to Nurse Joy in exhaustion. “Miss, please. I really just need a bed.”  
Nurse Joy nodded. “Right after I give you two a checkup and everything is shown to be fine with you two, you can have all the rest you want. Row sure was kind to bring you both here. Despite being one of the most brutal Gym Leaders I know, he’s a deep, caring, intelligent, gentle man.”  
“Gym Leader?” I moaned, my knees slamming to the floor, and my entire body collapsed.  
“Oh, no! Audino, this is an emergency!” Nurse Joy ordered.  
My only vision was of the floor of the Pokemon Center, and that was fading, darkening fast.  
Before my vision completely blacked out, I could hear the back doors to the Pokemon Center open.  
I could hear the stretchers being wheeled out.  
I could feel Nurse Joy and Audino lifting me onto a stretcher.  
I saw June, staring back into my eyes, an exhausted look on her filthy, worn out, abused face, being lifted onto a separate stretcher by two other Audino.  
A feeling of relief filled my body as I closed my eyes.  
And passed out.


	37. Since You've Been Gone

The inside of the Pokemon Center was comfortably warm.  
Nurse Joy sat behind her wooden counter, flipping eagerly through a small book with a smile on her face, turning a page every minute.  
Audino smiled as she looked around the room repeatedly, standing patiently on her feet.  
June sat in a phone booth at the end of the row of booths, in a corner.  
I sat in a phone booth at the other end, staring at the blank, black screen.  
The lobby of the Pokemon Center didn’t have any other souls inside of it, eerily quiet aside from the pages turned in the book Nurse Joy had in front of her.  
I turned my head at the low murmurs of June and witnessed her glance my way briefly before disappearing deeper inside of her booth, her words inaudible.  
She must be calling to check on her Pokemon in Gringey City, I told myself.   
June never spoke about her Pokemon, but she’s called back home just about every chance she’s gotten.  
I never asked her about them, but that was just out of respect, trying to mind my own business about a sensitive subject. She never seemed down about it, and she never was one who was able to hide her true emotions, so I had always just assumed that her Pokemon were still recovering, but were doing okay, and that she’d tell me about them when she felt ready.  
With a low sigh, I turned back to phone in front of me and stared at the blank screen again. A small glob of saliva was forced down my tight throat, my body shaking with fright, my heart being gripped by a fist made of ice and shaken about violently inside of my chest. My hand rested over my heart and I felt it beating at the pace of a rapidly dripping ceiling in the middle of a storm.   
My body felt as if I had just been through an intense workout, throbbing, sore, and exhausted after the attack June and I had escaped from against the gang of Scrafty a couple of days ago. Row had disappeared after saving us, and June was just fine a little less than a day before I felt back to normal for the most part. She stayed with me in my room until I felt able to walk around again.   
My Pokemon had also been with us in my room during my weakened state. Cottonee sat right next to my head on the left side, Elgyem sitting on the opposite side, while Tranquill rested at the foot on my bed. The other three stood close by on the floor.  
June was on the opposite side of my bed, standing away from the other three Pokemon, and I knew it was because Palpitoad was out.  
Palpitoad looked up at June every few minutes and gurgled sadly before returning his attention to me.  
What is June’s problem? I thought angrily at one point as my toad Pokemon croaked lowly. We have to sort this out, once and for all. But not now. I’m just too tired…  
“Good luck, Gary,” were the words June had whispered to me about half an hour ago, her hand giving my shoulder a tight squeeze before she walked away to her phone booth.  
Now, I was still staring at the telephone screen, waiting for nothing. I didn’t want to make this phone call. How can I not? I thought to myself. I have no choice in the matter. I have to call her. I reached out with a shaky hand and my fingers slowly closed around the phone receiver, a light gasp coming from my mouth at the shockingly cold plastic in my hand. My hand lifted the receiver up, and it slipped into my lap, making me gasp again. My eyes closed tight and I inhaled several times, trying to get my throat to open and allow for more air to get in, hoping that my heart would beat at a slightly calmer pace than the one it was beating at now. I snorted lightly, snot building into the back of my throat, and I swallowed it before clearing my throat and then lifting the receiver again.   
The receiver was light, and it was freezing cold against my ear and cheek, a low tone coming from it.  
I pressed my face against it harder, trying to get the cold plastic to warm up. My other hand reached towards the keyboard in front of me and I pressed several numbers, holding my breath as I heard a shrill ringing through the receiver, the screen now glowing a very weak shade of blue.  
After a couple of minutes, the blue vanished, and my mother stood squinting at me from the screen. “Hello?” she said, her eyes squinting even harder, seeming to not recognize me.  
“Mom!” I gasped at her, my eyes wide, fear and regret filling me up.  
“Gary??” My mom rubbed at her eyes and they opened wide as she looked at me, her mouth wide open, dressed in a beige bathrobe, her thin hair looking moist. Her face looked worn out, stressed, tired, and perhaps even a little bit older than it had looked the last time I had seen her. “Gary, is that really you?”  
“Mommy!” My eyes instantly filled with tears. “Mommy!” The tears in my eyes began to stream quickly.  
“Gary! Oh, my goodness! Gary!” My mom wiped at her eyes that twinkled behind pained tears. “What’s going on? Where are you? Where have you been? Are you okay?? You look terrible!”  
“Mommy, I’m just fine. Are you alright?” I cried. “I’ve been so scared! I’ve been worried about you!”  
My mom sniffled and wiped at her face with both hands. “Gary, I’m fine. I’ve been worried sick about you! I was so upset and angry. I didn’t understand what had happened! I still don’t understand what happened! My main concern was that you were okay, and Prof. Oak told me a few days ago that you were fine and in the Unova region?!”  
“I am, mommy,” I told her. “Mommy, please, I didn’t know that was going to happen with the refrigerator. That wasn’t my idea at all! I’m so sorry, mom! I honestly didn’t plan on that, or any of this! I wasn’t planning on coming out to Unova!”  
“Gary, what happened?” my mom insisted, still wiping at the tears flowing on her now more serious, yet still emotional, face. “I don’t understand any of this. Prof. Oak said he was attacked by a Pokemon of yours, and that you were running away with some redhead girl. Is that the girl I met when you came by that one time before that big Pokemon competition thing you competed in a couple of years ago?”  
“Yes. It was June,” I nodded.  
“Right! June. I remember now,” my mom nodded back quickly.  
“Yes. June’s Rotom took over the fridge and it attacked you, and I…” I stopped, lowering my eyes in shame. “…I ran out of the house and left you there…”  
“June’s what?” she squinted her face at me.  
“Her Pokemon,” I replied.  
My mom’s face got even more solemn as she looked at me. “Oh.” Her face filled with attitude as her lips slide to the side of her face and her eyes hardened. “So, you really did run out of the house on purpose. I had thought maybe you were kidnapped or something. I’m glad you weren’t and that you’re safe, but to now know that you actually ran out of the house like that! And you didn’t plan any of this?”  
I shook my head hard, tears dropping from my eyes, a disgraced pain in my chest.  
“So, it could have been anything!” my mom screamed. “It could have been a robbery, or something worse! You didn’t know what was going on, but you ran away? I don’t understand. Were you scared? Were you trying to get help?”  
“No,” I muttered, struggling to keep my eyes on her angry face. It hurt so badly to see and hear her fury and pain, but I had to take it. I deserved this. “June had delivered a note to me and told me that she was planning something, and when I heard you screaming for help, I thought that maybe that was what the note was talking about, and I-”  
“A note?” my mom shouted angrily. “So it was planned! How did you get a note from her? You were locked in your room!”  
I started to feel angry at her last sentence. Yeah, mom, I thought quickly. Locked in my room! Do you even hear yourself right now? “I didn’t plan it, mom. June did, and she sent one of her Pokemon to deliver the note, and then another one to possess the fridge.”  
“So, do I have to throw out the fridge?” my mom gasped dramatically, and she turned her head around to look behind her.  
“No, mom. The fridge is fine,” I sighed.  
“Just great! Now I need a new damn fridge!!” my mom shouted, overreacting, shaking her head as she turned back to me. “All of the food is ruined!”  
“Mom, I just said you don’t need another fridge!” I said impatiently.  
“I’m getting a new fridge! I don’t trust those damn nasty Pokemon things! Do you know how expensive a refrigerator is? All the food is ruined! I have to go to a doctor now! I’ve eaten food from there! Damn it!” She scowled furiously at me.  
“Fi-!” I closed my mouth tight and closed my eyes, my eyebrows narrowed angrily, lowering my head. Inhaling through my nose a few times, I struggled to calm down, easing up my eyebrows. Gary, relax, I told myself. She’s all alone. You, her last child she still has contact with, was nearly killed from a huge explosion, and then left her to travel to a faraway region while she was being attacked in her own house by a Pokemon. She doesn’t exactly have a list of reasons to trust or like Pokemon. She loves you and is hurt by your actions. All things considered, you haven’t been the best son in the world. Just try to relax. We have something much more important to discuss, anyway. “Fine,” I said in a calmer tone. My eyes opened and I stared into my mom’s angry face. “Your fridge is just fine, but if you wish to get a new one, I understand, and I’m sorry about the fridge.”   
“Oh, he’s sorry,” my mom said sarcastically with a little laugh, tossing her hands up into the air as she looked up at the ceiling. “An eight hundred dollar refrigerator, ruined, and he’s sorry!” She laughed again.  
I sighed and lowered my head. “Mommy, please, will you listen to me for a moment?”  
“And did you really attack Prof. Oak with one of your Pokemon? Why would you do something like that?” my mom scolded me. “Why in the world would you attack him?”  
“I didn’t, mom,” I explained. “My Pokemon got out of his lab, I guess, and when Prof. Oak caught June and I running away, he stopped us, and Poryg- Um… my Pokemon attacked him.”  
She snickered. “You’d think a man who spends all of his time working with Pokemon and supporting them would have a better relationship with them,” she said with a smirk.  
“I guess,” I muttered.  
“So, this all started with June, huh?” my mom said, shaking her head, looking at me with disappointment.  
I nodded. “Yeah, and I went along with it. Things got way out of control. I mean, they started out of control, but it was never meant to start off like that. June didn’t mean for her Pokemon to do that to you.”  
“Yeah, I’m sure.” My mom’s arms crossed in front of her and she looked off to the side.  
“Mom, there’s something much more important that I need to tell you, though.” I stared into her eyes firmly. “Please, sit down.”  
The anger in my mother’s face lessened, and her shoulders lowered as she stared at me, concerned. “What about? Are you coming back home? Why do you look so beat up?”  
“Mom, please,” I insisted.  
She turned and walked away from the screen. A loud scraping noise was heard for a moment before it stopped, my mom returning with a large, wooden chair from the kitchen, placing it on the floor in front of the screen before sitting in it. She took a deep breath and released it. “What is it, Gary?”  
I hesitated, knowing it needed to be said, knowing I wanted to say it, knowing my mom had to know. My throat closed around the words in my throat, and I tried to force up the words, desperate for them to break free.  
“Well? Are you gonna say something?” my mom asked me, staring at me impatiently.  
I tried to swallow, but even that was impossible. Clearing my throat wasn’t any easier. Easy, Gary, I said to myself as I closed my eyes. Take it easy. Slowly. Relax. This has to be done. This absolutely must be said.  
My mom sighed on the video. “Helloooo? I don’t wanna be here all day saying nothing. What’s going on?”  
My body was shaking, my breathing heavy, not a word coming from my mouth. Easy, easy, I thought, opening my eyes, seeing my mother’s impatient scowl. Just say it. You have to just say it!  
“What’s going on there? Can you hear me?” She leaned closer to the screen.  
“Melissa!” I blurted out.  
My mom’s eyes widened and she leaned back.  
“I found Melissa!” I covered my face with my hands and cried into them.  
“What?!!”  
“I found my sister! I found her, mommy! I found Melissa, but she got away from me! She ran away from me as if I wasn’t her little brother! She ran! She escaped from me! She ran away from me, mommy! I don’t know why! I don’t understand what happened, but I found her!” I sobbed heavily into my hands, unable to bear to look into her eyes. I felt like a failure. A disappointment. I had lost someone that could have helped fixed this crazy family I had. I had lost someone who could have made things a hell of a lot easier for my overstressed mom. I continued crying, refusing to look up, refusing to show my shame.  
“Gary,” a gentle voice said to me.  
Sniffling, I kept my head down, keeping the receiver at my face.  
I heard my mom sniffle on the other end of the phone. “Gary, I need you,” she said weakly. “I need you to look at me. Please.”  
I tried to lift my head, but it suddenly weighed a ton, and I continued to cry.  
“Gary, please!” my mom begged, and the sound of her tear-filled voice cut deeply into my heart.  
I sniffled hard, noisily, and slowly looked up at my mom.  
She was wiping at her face with her hands, lines of tears all over her cheeks. She swallowed and looked at me with her pleading eyes. “What do you mean? You found her? In Unova? Where you are?”  
I nodded. “June and I found her on the ground, and she looked in terrible shape. She was starving, and dehydrated, and so we fed her and gave her water. She needs help. She doesn’t remember how she got here, and she’s just delirious! She kept running away from me and trying to escape. It hurt me to see her constantly trying to get away from me as if I wasn’t her little brother! As if I were some stranger! She finally lost me in the woods and I haven’t seen her since. I found the police nearby and asked them for help, but they couldn’t locate her, either. They said they’d call if they found her, and I left them your number.”  
“So, you found her,” my mom said shakily. “You actually saw your sister?”  
I nodded weakly.  
“You… saw her…” she said, her voice dropping.  
“I held her! Touched her! Fed her! Gave her water!” My voice was desperate and pained as I spoke. “I talked to her, mommy! Hearing her voice, so weak, so confused, so unaware. She was terrified of me, mommy!”  
“She must be so scared.” My mom wiped frantically at her eyes. “Did she say anything? Did she ask about me?”  
“She said a few things, but, like I said, she’s delirious. She doesn’t really know how long she’s been gone. She thinks she’s spoken with us just the other day, and yet says she feels it’s been ages since we’ve spoken! She asked how you were, but that was about it. She hasn’t even made an effort to keep in contact with us. She’s not well. She’s not right in the head. I can’t believe I lost her! I’m so sorry, mommy!” I covered my face again and wept, sniffling.  
“How did she get away? I don’t understand how she got away if she’s so sick!” my mom cried desperately.  
“I don’t know, mommy! I had her right by my side and we were going to a nearby city, and then…” I froze on my words.  
“Well, it’s just, when we found you, you were surrounded by a few people,” June’s words replayed in my mind. “I was kind of wondering if you knew who they were. Why were they with you? What were they doing to you?”  
It was then that Melissa freaked out for some reason, shrieking at the top of her lungs before running away from us, disappearing into the forest.  
I had grabbed her hand, but she had pulled free from my grasp, and that was when I froze, noticing that my palm was coated in blood.   
That was when Melissa got away.  
“And then what?” my mom demanded, startling me as I looked up at her.  
I swallowed and stared at her silently, several seconds passing before I could speak again. “Sh-she freaked out and ran away. She just took off. I thought we had gotten her to relax, but then she screamed and took me by surprise. I tried so hard to catch her, mommy. I honestly did. The woods were so dense.” My chest was now hurting from the abuse my heart was delivering to it.  
We both stared at each other in silence.   
My mom’s face was filled with anger and surprise, disbelief on her face at the words I had told her.  
I wiped at my eyes, breathing heavily, feeling completely tired out.  
“So, she’s gone again,” my mom spoke after a long while, her voice shaky from clearly trying to keep calm.  
“I lost her, yes,” I nodded, lowering my eyes. “I’m so sorry.”  
“Great, so we’re right back where we started!” she said, anger coming out.  
I nodded again. “I’m sorry. I screwed up.”  
She didn’t say anything.  
You really did screw up, you idiot, I downed myself. You found your sister, sick and weak, and the one thing you had to do was get her to Mistralton City. And what happens? She got away while you were sleeping? No. She got away while your back was turned? No. She got away while you stood there, looking at your hand like a dumbass? That’s right! My eyes teared up as I teared myself down.  
“So, what about you?”  
My mom’s question made me look up. “Huh?” I managed to whisper.  
Tears were streaming down her face that held a solemn, determined look. “What about you, Gary? Are you coming back home?”  
“No. Not right now,” I answered weakly, blinking out tears that landed in my lap.  
“What are you doing out there?” she asked me.  
My eyes continued to leak. “I’ve decided to compete in the Unova League. I’m catching Pokemon, battling for Badges, and, well, maybe, I’ll even find Melissa again.” And lose her again, right? I trounced myself again, lowering my gaze. So many questions that needed to be answered, and you finally had them all in your hands. You let it all go over a layer of blood on your hand. As if you haven’t seen blood before in your entire life! Something is wrong with your sister, and you just let her run away from all the help that she needed. What kind of worthless little brother are you? What kind of human being are you? Useless. Pathetic. Coward!  
It was my mom’s sniffling that made my eyes lift up and look at her, and I realized that it had been a little time since either of us had spoken.  
“So, you’re doing it all over again,” my mom said finally. “Everything you’ve already gone through and were very lucky to have survived, you’re just going to do it all again and maybe get killed this time?”  
“Mom, it’s not the same thing,” I insisted. “This time is different. I have a team of new, great Pokemon, and things haven’t been too dangerous.” I remembered my encounter with Burgh at Castelia City, being chased by a Ninetales that filled me, June, and Damian’s path will several curses, the Purrloin and Liepard I had run into, being attacked by a Sigilyph and chased off a desert mountain by a Cacturne, getting beat up on top of a mountain by a gang of Scrafty, the Exeggutor that had been burning on the island near Nimbasa City, and surviving the explosion from the Aggron attack in the Nimbasa subway. “It hasn’t been all that bad.”  
“Yeah, I’m sure,” my mom said angrily. “I still remember you were nearly killed by that one Pokemon you got when you first left to travel. You kept on traveling with it, saying everything was going just fine. And then those terrorists that nearly killed you! They blew up the area you were in with a bomb! You’re still going to travel with these monsters after all of that?”  
“Don’t mention those guys! They’re done with!” I said angrily, loudly. “I don’t have to worry about them anymore, okay? Things are different this time! You don’t need to worry about me, mom!” As I spoke, I knew that my words weren’t the best ones. She had plenty of reasons to worry about me. My journey in Unova wasn’t that much different at all from what I had experienced in Kanto.  
“Don’t worry? Really?!” my mom screamed. “Don’t worry! Ha! This kid is nearly killed hanging around with deadly monsters and he wants me to not worry!” She let out a laugh as she turned her head to the side, talking to herself.  
“Mom, I’m sorry, okay? I know you have plenty to worry about, but I’m fine!” I lifted my arms and smiled. “I’m okay! Everything is okay!” Idiot! I screamed at myself.  
“Oh, everything’s okay, huh?” she said, her eyebrows furrowing.  
“Wait-”  
“You get me attacked by some damn Pokemon, attack Prof. Oak, get into an entirely different region somehow, travel on another one of these stupid journeys of yours where you’ve been through things I’ll never know because I know you won’t tell me the truth about it, find your sister, who you say is weak and delusional, and lose her! But, not to worry; everything’s okay!! Everything’s just fine!! Well, it ain’t okay with me!!!”  
I was shivering in place, unable to find any words to calm down the situation. I had ruined everything. Perhaps this was unavoidable.  
“And, by the way, how did you get into the Unova region, Gary?” she asked me suspiciously.  
I swallowed hard. “Well, June and I had a little help from one of my Pokemon.”  
“What kind of help?” she snapped at me.  
I paused, thinking about how to answer her.  
“Well?” she demanded.  
“It just helped us get on the plane,” I muttered.  
“How?” she shouted.  
“Come on, mom!” I screamed back at her. “I’m not saying, okay? It helped us get on, and that’s that! Now, just drop it already!” My mom had every right to know the truth, and I knew it, but I wasn’t going to say it in a Pokemon Center, or anywhere public. Even though the lobby had been empty aside from Nurse Joy, June, and Audino, I didn’t know if anybody else had come in during the time I had been on the phone, and I didn’t know if Nurse Joy might overhear me. I might wind up in trouble. I still shouldn’t have yelled at my mom, and I knew it. There was no way this was going to end well.  
“Okay, fine,” my mom said, glaring at me. “Don’t tell me anything. Do whatever you want. I’m fed up. I’ve had enough of all of this. Goodbye.” Her angry face vanished from the screen as it went black.   
I slammed the receiver down and closed my eyes, frowning. I was shaking uncontrollably, breathing quickly, my heart pounding painfully. Just great, I thought. I really screwed that one up. Even if it would have ended with her mad at me or whatever, I still could have done better on my part. Why does she have to be so damn difficult sometimes, though? I sighed. Why can’t this crap just come to an end? Do I really have to choose between her and my Pokemon in order for things to be resolved between us? Is that really the only way?  
“Hey,” a voice whispered by my side. I turned quickly to see June looking over at me with a caring smile. “You okay?”  
I shook my head, lowering it. “Not really. That was my mom.”  
“I know,” she nodded, still smiling.  
I looked over to Nurse Joy and Audino, who both quickly looked away from me, Nurse Joy pretending to read her book, Audino looking around frantically, finally wiping at the top of the counter Nurse Joy was sitting behind with her bare hand.  
“You can always try again another day,” June said optimistically. “You know she’ll always pick up the phone for you. She loves you. She’s a mom, and a good mom. You know that.”  
“I do,” I agreed, nodding. “I can always try again another day.”  
“Well, that’s one person down.”  
“Yeah. I took care of the most important thing. Now, I need to find out what Prof. Oak was trying to tell me last time. And hopefully, we won’t have any freak accidents.” I picked up the receiver and dialed the number quickly.  
The faded blue color of the screen remained as a shrill ringing came through the receiver.  
“June, this is a serious moment, okay?” I warned her. “You damn well better behave.”  
“Don’t worry, Gary,” June smiled nervously. “He won’t even know I’m here.”  
The screen changed and I turned to see the stern, cold face of Prof. Oak. My breath was cut short as I leaned back a little.  
“Gary, good to see you,” Prof. Oak greeted me firmly.  
“Sir,” I nodded. “I’m sorry about last time. The connection got cut. There was an attack in the town I was in.”  
“Yes. I heard about it in the news. A Golurk attack?” Prof. Oak asked me.  
“That’s right!” I exclaimed. “I was there!”  
Prof. Oak nodded and lifted a cup to his lips, sipping from it before lowering it again. “Well, you look to be in a bit of rough shape. Are you alright?”  
“I’m just fine. But I just got off the phone with my mom,” I informed him.  
His eyes widened. “How was that?”  
“Not too good, honestly. It ended like it pretty much always does.” I sighed.  
“I expected as much,” Prof. Oak replied. He lifted his cup to sip from it again.  
“I told her I had found my sister, Melissa.”  
Prof. Oak’s drink was spewed from his mouth, running down the screen in several long drips. “WHAAAT?!?!” Prof. Oak’s cup fell from his hand. “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! HOT! HOT! HOT! HOT! HOT!! HOOOOOOOOOOOT!!!” Prof. Oak leaped to his feet and his cup smashed on the ground. He ran around frantically, patting down his pants, and disappeared out of view of the screen.  
“Prof. Oak!” I waited for him to return back to the screen.  
After a short minute, he reappeared, a big wet stain down the crotch of his pants, and he landed quickly in his seat, staring at me urgently. “Gary, did you just say you found your sister?!”  
“Yes, I did, but are you okay? Do you need to change your pants or clean up that-?”  
“Who cares about that right now, boy?” Prof. Oak interrupted me. “You found Melissa?! Is she okay? Is she with you? She’s in Unova?!”  
“Yes, she is, sir, but she’s malnourished and a little out of her head right now.”  
“How did you find her? Where?” Prof. Oak asked impatiently.  
“In some wooded area on the way to this town I’m in right now called Spart Town,” I answered. “Not far from the town where the Golurk attack occurred.”  
“Where is she? How did she get into Unova? May I see her? Has she been to a hospital? Is she with the police?” Prof. Oak bombarded me with questions.  
“Sir! Please!” I begged. “Let me finish!”  
Prof. Oak froze, finally inhaling and then letting out his breath, and he nodded. “I apologize, son. Do go on.”  
“June and I found Melissa, but she was malnourished,” I spoke. “She was also going crazy and tried to run away from us a few times before we got her to calm down and eat and drink water. She had no memory of how she got into Unova, and seemed surprised to know how long she’s been missing. She has none of her Pokemon anymore, either. We were about to take her to Mistralton City, but she… kind of freaked out for some reason and ran away from us. I tried to stop her, but she got away from me.”  
“You mean, she’s missing again?” Prof. Oak gasped in shock.   
My eyes lowered as I nodded. “I tried so hard to find her. I even had the police sweep the area, but she was just gone.” My heart picked up its pace as I thought of the deep hole in the mountain area just outside of those trees Melissa had escaped from me through. No, I thought to myself, closing my eyes. There’s no way. Damian said no one had been there. But what if he just didn’t see her? What if he was too busy trying to get away from his Ninetales? What if…?  
“I’m sorry to hear this news, Gary,” Prof. Oak told me, pulling me from the terrifying thoughts that were filling my heart, threatening to make it burst at any given second.  
My eyes slowly opened and I looked up at him. “Yeah. I feel so stupid. I really had her, Professor.”  
“I can only imagine your pain, Gary,” Prof. Oak said, sadness on his face. “Your mother must be in quite a lot of pain right now, herself.”  
“Yeah. She was really upset. I think she got even more upset when I told her I’d be competing in the Unova League.”  
A slight smile crept over the professor’s aging face. “I’m not at all surprised to hear that! How many Badges do you have so far?”  
“Five right now.”  
“Any of them from any Ghost Gym Leaders?” Prof. Oak winked, chuckling lightly.  
I laughed weakly, but cut it short. “Funny… No. I haven’t faced any Ghost Gyms.”  
“How about Psy-?” he started.  
“Don’t go there,” I warned him seriously.  
Prof. Oak laughed nervously. “Right. So, anyway, it’s good to hear that you’ve been collecting your Badges, but seeing as I have no new Pokemon from you, I can see that capturing Pokemon hasn’t been one of your priorities. I’m going to assume that you didn’t want any of them sent to me out of fear that I might then figure out what region you were in.”  
I nodded slowly. “Exactly.”  
“Well, with five Badges, I assume you must have a few Pokemon, nonetheless.”  
“I do! I caught a Tranquill, Darmanitan, Elgyem, Palpitoad, Cottonee, and an Excadrill.”  
“That’s quite the lineup, Gary. It’s still a minimal number of Pokemon, but it would be fair for me to assume that you would have much, much more if you had been out actively catching Pokemon instead of hiding from me, riiiiight…?”  
“Of course, sir,” I mumbled, lowering my eyes.  
“Well, since we’re talking with each other again, you can feel free to exchange between your Pokemon and capture some more as well, now,” Prof. Oak said happily.  
“Sounds good! I can finally see my old Pokemon again after all this time! I want my Charizard, first and foremost!”  
Prof. Oak’s smile was immediately removed.  
My own eagerness was shot down by the look on his face.  
“Well, I guess now is a good time for us to pick up where we left off when we last spoke,” Prof. Oak said grimly.  
“You never did tell me what was wrong…” I remembered. “You said you had bad news.”  
“That’s right. Unfortunately, there’s twice as much bad news, now, than I had for you the last time.”   
“Twice as much?” I asked him, stunned.  
His eyes were stone cold as he looked me in my eyes, making my heart jump as if it had been hit with an electric jolt. “That’s right.”  
We both stared at each other silently, neither of us speaking a word to each other.  
“First of all, when I had reached you the last time, I was about to inform you of this bit of news,” Prof. Oak began.  
“What?” I insisted loudly.  
“Well, my boy, it would appear that your Charizard has run away from the lab.”  
My eyes were wider than a cartoon’s eyes would be in shock. “What did you say, sir?”  
“I understand that this is hard for you,” Prof. Oak told me calmly. “One night, after dinner time for the Pokemon, Tracey and I had begun retrieving the Pokemon. Charizard was the only one who wasn’t found. The cameras revealed that, all day long since being let out, Charizard was looking off into the skies. It didn’t interact with the other Pokemon or play or sleep. It just kept its gaze on the sky above. Tracey had told me that Charizard seemed a little more off than usual that day, but I didn’t think it would do this! Charizard had been down since recovering after surviving its attack at the Pokemon League. Even after recovering, it was depressed and missing you, understandably. When you had managed to obtain it from my lab and escaped into Unova, it returned in a slightly happier state, but was still very down. Thirty minutes after eating dinner that night, it looked around and then flew away. I have no idea why it flew off, or where to, but I suspect that it is off looking for you.”  
“But, why?” I cried. “I told him I was coming back for him!”  
“That was quite some time ago, Gary,” Prof. Oak said seriously.  
“You’re right.” Charizard, why? I thought sadly. Why did you fly away like that? Why now? I was coming for you! Why didn’t you just wait for me?  
“It flew off about a week before we last spoke,” Prof. Oak added. “We tried to find it, but to no avail. I assume it knows you are in Unova?”  
“Yeah,” I said sadly.  
“Then it may very well be out trying to find you, although I have no idea how it expects to find you in a region it’s never been to before, let alone ever traveled to, and by itself,” Prof. Oak told me discomfortingly. “Unova is quite far from Kanto. It was clearly following its heart, but this was not a wise decision. There’s also the chance that Charizard isn’t looking for you at all.”  
“Really? Then why else would he fly away?” I inquired.  
“I don’t know at the moment,” Prof. Oak admitted. “It looking for you is the only answer I came up with so far, but it’s very possible that other reasons exist, too. It has a Poke Ball, so no Trainer can just catch it. I’ve reported it as missing, so, if anything comes up, you’ll be the first person I contact.”  
“Thanks, Professor,” I nodded solemnly. Where did you go, Charizard? Why? We were so damn close!  
“And now, the other news, Gary.”  
“Is it about my other Pokemon, sir?” I asked him fearfully, my heart thumping hard.  
He shook his head. “No, son. It’s about…” Prof. Oak paused and swallowed hard. “Kiwi.”  
“Kiwi?” I exclaimed loudly. “What happened to her? Is she okay?”  
“I have terrible news involving her.”   
The sadness in his face brought a cold chill of fear into my body.   
“Only about a week ago, just a couple of days after we last spoke, Kiwi was kidnapped.”  
My mouth opened, but no words came to mind that I could use, and my heart became frozen.  
“A few people broke into her house in the middle of the night and kidnapped her from her bed,” Prof. Oak spoke strongly. “Her father heard her screams and tried to stop them, but he was shot in the chest. Kiwi’s mother was just outside Kiwi’s bedroom door and screamed when she heard the gunshot, but when she ran in, they had leaped out the window with Kiwi in their arms and ran off into the night. Mrs. Tot tried to chase after the individuals, but they were gone by the time she had even gotten downstairs.”  
“Kiwi was kidnapped?? WHY?!”  
“Huh?” June gasped in a low voice.  
“We don’t really know,” Prof. Oak replied. He went silent as he stared back at me solemnly, his lips pursed tightly together, seeming to have more to say to me, but refusing to speak.  
“Sir?” I asked after a while of looking into his coal-black eyes that seemed to burn and tear at my own face.  
“Gary.” The Kanto region’s Professor of Pokemon research went silent again.  
I kept silent, a heavy feeling in my chest telling me that something was seriously wrong.  
He swallowed again before opening his mouth. “Mr. Tot didn’t survive,” he whispered to me weakly, swallowing again.  
My teeth clenched together tightly at his words as I squinted at him, shocked at what he had just told me. Breathing was now taking a lot more effort than normal.   
Mr. Tot was a face that wasn’t seen very much around Pallet Town. He worked as a truck driver, delivering Pokemon medicine to various Pokemon Centers all over the Kanto region and sometimes to the neighboring Johto region. He wasn’t home often, but he did his best to be around his daughter as much as he possibly could.   
I had only met him maybe ten times in my entire life. I couldn’t believe what Prof. Oak had just told me.  
“Mrs. Tot needs all the help she can get right now, from all of us, Gary. The only thing I can ask of you right now is to keep your eyes peeled for Kiwi. The odds of her appearing in Unova are near impossible, but her mother is so desperate to find her. You can only imagine the pain that she’s going through right now. The police are of course looking into this as well, but right now, there aren’t any suspects or anything. The pain Mrs. Tot is in right now; the pain she was in already…”  
Mr. Tot is dead…? I thought, horrified. What? How? This… No! Kiwi… Kidnapped? This news was unbelievable! “I can’t believe this… Sir, please, what else is there to tell me?”  
“Hmm?” He looked up thoughtfully. “There isn’t anything else that I can recall.”  
“But, you said you had twice as much bad news to tell me today!”   
Prof. Oak nodded. “Yes, well, I only had the one bit of news about your Charizard the last time. Today, I have the addition of what’s occurred in the Tot household. So, yes, twice as much news. There’s not much else to report on. Everything is at it was before you left. Ms. Say is outdoors a little bit more and visits me a couple of times every couple of weeks or so. Robin and his parents are all doing well.”  
“Robin!” I shouted, squeezing the receiver so tight, it hurt my hand. “How has he been?”  
“As I said, he’s just fine,” Prof. Oak smiled at me caringly. “He’s recovered just fine, and he only really uses his cane for balance as he works on regular use of his legs again. His parents are quite grateful.”  
“I should call him up! I haven’t spoken to Robin in way too long!”  
“Well, he’s still weary,” Prof. Oak spoke quickly, his eyes widening slightly. “He’s recovered quite well, but he’s completely exhausted almost all the time and sleeps quite a lot. I believe he slept for twenty-eight straight hours at one time!”  
“Man! Is he alright? That doesn’t sound good at all!”  
“He’ll be just fine,” Prof. Oak nodded. “He just needs to take it easy for a while.”  
“I understand,” I nodded back. “I’ll call his parents, then. Just to say hi and to tell them to say hi to Robin for me, too.”  
“Right, well…” Prof. Oak looked down briefly before looking back at me. “It’d be best if I carried that message over to them. I’m sure Mr. and Mrs. Butters would love to hear from you, but they’ve been getting very little sleep and are quite wiped out from all that’s occurred, so a phone call might not be something they’re up for at the moment. They may be unintentionally cranky from stress and lack of sleep. You understand.”  
“Oh, I see. Yes, of course!” I nodded my head quickly. “Please, just give them all my best wishes. Let them know that I miss them all. Ms. Say, too! Everybody!”  
“Of course, son,” Prof. Oak smiled warmly.  
I let out my breath with exasperation and lowered my head. Charizard has gone missing, possibly to look for me. We were so close, Charizard! Why didn’t you just listen to me, damn it? My heart stung painfully with concern. Kiwi’s life is in danger right now. Who would kidnap Kiwi? Why? My poor Kiwi. She’s suffered so much since becoming a Pokemon Trainer. Losing her very first Pokemon, being attacked by a Raikou, resulting in her paralysis, and now she’s been kidnapped! And to top it all off, she’s now lost her father?!  
“I do have a bit of good news,” Prof. Oak said.  
“Anything, professor,” I sighed wearily.  
“All of your Pokemon that were suffering during the Pokemon League have regained their strength back. Although I would wait a little bit longer before using them in battle, I’m sure they’d love to see you right about now.” Prof. Oak managed to smile at me, though his lips quivered painfully, clearly distraught by all that has been going on. “Perhaps you would like to say hello.”  
Although Charizard and Kiwi were both on my mind, I couldn’t hold back smiling and I nodded. Right now, I was in desperate need of a little happiness in my life.  
“I thought so. Well, Gary, how about we exchange Pokemon through the trading functions of this machine, and you can meet with your old friends while I spend a little time with your new Unova Pokemon?”  
“Deal, professor,” I agreed.  
“Excellent! I’ll be right back.” Prof. Oak got to his feet with a groan and walked away from the screen.  
I lowered the receiver from my face and turned to June. “You’ve done well so far, June.”  
She smiled weakly. “Gary, what’s going on? Did you say Kiwi was kidnapped?”  
I nodded. “Yeah. About a week ago. And Charizard ran away from Prof. Oak’s Lab.”  
“What? Why?” June said, stunned.  
“We don’t really know, but Prof. Oak thinks he most likely is trying to locate me.”  
“That’s crazy! He can’t just expect to find you here! A trip like that, from Kanto to Unova, is dangerous! And he has no clue as to where you are!”  
“Well, it’s just a guess, but the fact that it’s only a guess is also scary. I mean, if he isn’t out looking for me, where did he go?”  
“This is insane! And, who would kidnap Kiwi? Are there any witnesses or video or suspects?”  
“No. The police were called, but they don’t know anything, yet. Mrs. Tot ran after the kidnappers, but they got away. Kiwi’s dad was shot during the kidnapping, as well.”  
“Oh, my gosh!” June screamed in horror. “Is he okay?”  
I refused to look at June at that moment and looked down to my knees. “He died, June…” I spoke in a low voice.   
“No! No, Gary. Please, don’t say that… No. No!” She covered her face and backed away from the screen, shaking her head frantically. Her hands slid together and lowered to her lips as she turned to me, tears coating her eyes. “What about Robin? Please, tell me he’s okay.”  
“Robin’s just fine,” I told June, my eyes starting to water at June’s reaction to what happened to Kiwi. “Him and his parents, and Ms. Say, are all good.”  
June nodded and her hands fell to her sides with a sigh. As her head lowered, a pair of tears fell from her eyes and hit the floor.  
I held back my own tears and straightened up as a movement on the screen grabbed my attention and I saw Prof. Sketchit wearing a white lab coat, thin framed glasses, and an orange headband.   
“Gary! Wow! I can’t believe this! Good to see ya!” he said excitedly. “How’ve ya been?”  
“Tracey, it’s been so long!” I smiled, hoping he couldn’t see the tears in my eyes that I was holding back. “Nice glasses!”  
Tracey laughed. “Yeah, thanks! I don’t actually need them to see, but I like how they look!” He adjusted his glasses and straightened his coat proudly.   
I groaned on the inside, but smiled, forcing out short, light laughter. I loved glasses. They looked really cool on people, and especially attractive on girls, but I couldn’t stand when people wore them as a fashion statement and didn’t actually need them for vision.  
“Man, I can’t believe all that’s happened! I haven’t seen you since… I can’t even remember! I heard you’re going to meet your Pokemon for the first time in quite a while!”  
“Over two years!”  
“Wow! You must be excited!”  
“I can’t wait another minute!”  
“Well, I have your Porygon-Z right here,” Prof. Oak said as he appeared onscreen, holding up a Poke Ball as he took his seat.  
“Figures that you’d have that one first, sir,” I laughed.   
He laughed heartily.  
“Has it still been a nuisance?” I asked as I grabbed Tranquill’s Poke Ball and placed it in a small hole on the counter space next to the screen.  
“Gary…?” June whispered nervously, sniffling as she wiped at her tear filled eyes and stared at Tranquill’s Poke Ball. “What’s going on? Has what been a nuisance?”  
Prof. Oak continued to laugh, but it ended abruptly and his face turned serious. “Yes.” He pressed a button, and the trade began.


	38. Fight For Your Right To Sparty

Porygon-Z let out a screech that dropped me, June, Nurse Joy, Audino, Primeape, Kingdra, Butterfree, Weepinbell, and Noctowl to the ground, all of us screaming out.  
My brain rattled like a toy in a child’s hand, my eyes tearing up immediately.   
It wasn’t long before June was the only one shrieking, running around the Pokemon Center like a mad woman, Porygon-Z keeping up with her. “Gary, stop this crazy thing!” June begged me.  
I sighed and inhaled deeply to try and order Porygon-Z to stop playing with June when suddenly, I was tackled by a group consisting of my other five Pokemon.  
“PRIIIIIIIIME!!!!” Primeape screeched, his arms wrapped around my neck, literally strangling me.  
“FREEEEEE!!!” Butterfree was directly above Primeape, flapping her pretty wings happily.  
Noctowl was right above her, flying around in circles, crying out excitedly.  
“BELL!! BELL!! BELL!!” Weepinbell bounced right next to my head which was struggling for air on the ground.  
“DOO! DOOOOO!” Kingdra was shoving her snout against my face, crying nonstop, begging for my attention.  
“Primeape…” I choked. “Please… Get off…” My body was weakening in his choking grasp.  
“PRIME!! PRIME!!!” Primeape didn’t seem to hear me as he tightened his hold, crying out for joy.  
“DOO! DOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!”   
A huge stream of water flew out and slammed into Primeape, throwing him across the room. He slammed into the wall at the other end of the building. Groaning, Primeape rubbed his head and screeched angrily, charging at us.  
Inhaling hard, I sat up, blinking repeatedly, trying to regain my very soul back into me. “Gooooooooh!!” I groaned harshly as Kingdra leaped into my lap happily, my arms wrapping around her on instinct.  
She rubbed her head under my chin, unaware of her landing weight nearly crushing me.  
I turned to Primeape as he leaped into the air and pulled back a fist, rage in his eyes. “Primeape, wait a minute!” I begged desperately.  
June continued screaming as she ran throughout the lobby, Porygon-Z continuing to follow her.

*

“Flooooon…” Drifloon’s face turned red and she looked away from me, floating in the air, her appendages lazily swaying at her sides.  
“Bal! Baltooooooooooy!!!” Baltoy sang out, spinning rapidly around me, June, and Dugtrio faster than I had ever seen it move in my life, June smiling down at the Pokemon.  
“Trio! Trio! Trio!” Dugtrio called up to me from the ground, looking delighted to see me.  
June smiled as she stared at my spinning Baltoy, but backed up a couple of feet, being sure not to touch it.  
I held my icepack over my stinging right eye and smiled at my last three Pokemon. “Baltoy, Dugtrio, Drifloon, how’ve you all been?” I knelt down and waited for Baltoy to stop spinning, but it picked up speed and became a blur I couldn’t keep my eyes on. I sighed with a smile, turning to Dugtrio. “Come here, you! I haven’t seen you in way too long!” I wrapped my arms around his dry skin. “You been okay?”  
“Trio! Trio! Trio!” Dugtrio said, his three heads moving up and down in my arms.  
I looked up at Drifloon with a smile. “Hey, don’t be shy, now! Come down here and give me a hug, will ya?” I laughed.  
Drifloon turned to me slowly, and her face went an even darker red before she turned away, drifting slowly to the ground, her head drooping.  
“It’s been like that since it got back here after the Pokemon League,” Prof. Oak said from the screen of the phone near us. “I figured it was just missing you, but it seems even more upset now that it’s with you than when it was here with me.”  
“Really?” I got to my feet and stepped over Baltoy’s spinning body, walking over to Drifloon. “Hey, Drifloon, it’s been a couple of years since we last met. Don’t you wanna say hi?” I opened my arms wide and waited, an eager smile on my face.  
“Floooon…” She turned around and stared at me, a sad look in her eyes.  
“Drifloon? Hey, what’s wrong?” I asked her, concern building up in my chest, my arms dropping.  
“Floon,” she said quickly, and she turned her back on me.  
“Drifloon?” I turned to Prof. Oak.  
June had a sad, worried look on her face.  
“Why is she so down? Has she not fully recovered yet? Is she sick or something?” I asked.  
“Well, its tests show that it’s fine, but Ghost type Pokemon are quite different from all other types of Pokemon,” Prof. Oak stated. “That is to say, all Pokemon types are very different from one another, but Ghost types throw an entirely different, rather perplex formula into the mix. It’s hard to say exactly what’s wrong with it.”  
“Perhaps I should send her back to you, then,” I suggested.  
Prof. Oak nodded with a grunt.  
“Drifloon, I’m sorry I sent you out here so soon without making sure you were feeling okay,” I apologized to her, reaching out to touch her head.  
“Flooooon!” Drifloon floated away from me with a cry and lowered her head down, shivering.  
“Drifloon! I’m so sorry! Aw, man. Return. I’ll get you right back to Prof. Oak. You get all the rest you need.” I returned Drifloon before turning back to Dugtrio and Baltoy, and I managed to smile. I returned my icepack back to my burning eye and held out a Poke Ball to Baltoy, who was spinning around an uncomfortable faced June and a blank faced Dugtrio. “You guys, I hope you’re both ready to be on call for me. Once everybody is in pristine shape again, I’ll be alternating between you guys, so be ready, okay?” I nodded at them.  
Baltoy finally slowed down to a stop and stared up at me. “Baltoy!”  
June quickly stumbled away from my two Ground type Pokemon, leaning against the wall by the phone booth where Prof. Oak was watching us from through the phone screen.  
“Trio!” Dugtrio nodded eagerly.  
“Come on back, you guys! I can’t wait until we meet again!”  
Both Pokemon were returned to their Poke Balls.  
I sat at the phone booth and stared at a solemn faced Prof. Oak. “Thanks again, Professor. Sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused you.”  
“Well, it’s all alright, now, I suppose,” Prof. Oak nodded as we both placed a Poke Ball in the machine to prepare for them to be traded. “Barboach. Tiny, at the water’s edge. Remaining moist is a necessity.”  
I’m not calling this guy again, I thought, staring at him weakly.  
June’s shriek caused me to drop my icepack into my lap. “What?!” I screamed in fright, turning to her.  
“A BRAND NEW, AMAZINGLY DEEP, POEEEEEEEEEM FROM PROFESSOR OAK!!!!” June screeched with delight, and she bumped me out of my seat and sat down, grabbing the sides of the screen, her face pressed up against it. “Can I have another? Can I have another? CAN I PLEASE HAVE ANOTHER POEM, SIR?!?!”  
“Um-psshh, hello there, Joan, I-psshh, can’t hear you too well over the-psshh, bad connection,” Prof. Oak said, looking around nervously. “Gary-psshh, you’ll need to use your Pokedex to trade the last three Pokemon, if you’d like-psshh. Can’t hear or see either of you anymore-psshh. Gotta go! PSSSSSHHHHH!!!”  
The screen went black.  
“Oh, no!” June cried out sadly. “Talk about bad timing! The connection died out!”  
“Yeah, bad timing,” I muttered, climbing to my feet, picking my icepack from the floor.  
“I wonder what’s wrong with her,” June said, staring at Drifloon’s Dusk Ball sadly.  
“I’m sure Prof. Oak will fix her right up,” I said confidently. “Thanks for ruining the call, June.”  
“Me? That wasn’t my fault! We have bad service here or something!” June cried.  
“Right… Anyway, I’ll just finish this trade with Prof. Oak using my Pokedex,” I said, lifting my icepack to my sore eye.  
“You alright, Gary?” June asked me. “I had a feeling that might happen. When Kingdra and Primeape were fighting, getting in the middle of it wasn’t the best idea.”  
“Good to know Primeape’s still got such a good right hook,” I sighed wearily.

*

“Spart Town Pokemon Gym. Gym Leader: Row,” I read from a concrete signpost in front of a stone building in front of June and I. “This is it, for sure. Time to get my sixth Badge.”  
“I can’t wait to meet Row again,” June said dreamily.  
“Huh?” I turned to see June looking up at the building with a big smile on her face. “What’s wrong with you?”  
She turned to me and blinked, seeming to snap back to reality. “What? I just want to thank him again for saving us against those Scrafty. You’ll be doing the same thing, right?”  
“Oh, yeah. Of course,” I said quickly, and walked up to the stone door of the Gym. “Hmm. Look at this.”   
A groove was cut in the door in the shape of a sloppy rectangle.   
I grabbed the hole, yanking on the door. “Whoa. It’s pretty sturdy.”  
“Maybe we’re supposed to knock, first,” June said.  
I used both hands as I pulled harder on the door, grunting in frustration. “Yeah. I guess so.”  
Before either of us could move, the door opened a little.  
June and I backed away from it, staring at the face of a man in a blue judogi and a black belt around his waist. He had a stern face, opening the door wider, taking a step out of the Gym to stare down at us. With a grunt, he bowed before us.  
June and I exchanged quick glances before awkwardly bowing in front of him. “Hey!” we both cried out angrily as our heads slammed into each other. We stood up and traded scowls, rubbing our heads.  
The man’s face remained stone cold. “Hello, children. What brings you here to Spart Town Gym?”  
“My name is Gary, and I’ve come to battle Row for a Badge,” I answered.  
“Is that so?” He grunted, and then nodded. “Please, enter.” He easily pushed the door all the way open and held it for us.  
June and I ran inside quickly.  
The inside of the building was gray and concrete, as expected, and it smelled of what was inside; sweaty men.   
There were two groups of people and Pokemon, six of each species in each group, the people all dressed in a blue judogi, a threaded belt wrapped around their waists. A couple of the belts worn were black, while most of them were purple, the remaining man wearing a yellow belt. Most of the men and Pokemon facing each other were practicing judo with each other. A couple of the pairings were just people or Pokemon, while the others were a mix of a person fighting a Pokemon. The human or Pokemon advanced on the opponent and took them down swiftly to the floor.  
There were a total of six other men in blue judogis and black belts, each man standing by a pair of fighters, calling out to the two fighters after they had taken the other down.  
The fighters would then release each other and climb to their feet, take a moment to adjust their outfits, and then advance carefully at each other again.  
A man with a blue Pokemon I recognized immediately as the Pokemon that had helped fight off the Scrafty with Row, the Pokemon which Row had also ended up capturing, both wearing a karate gi, were practicing more fast paced karate with each other, trading sharp kicks and punches.  
The referee by them didn’t order them to stop, watching sternly as they fought each other.  
“Wow!” I held up my Pokedex.  
Emboar. The Mega Fire Pig Pokemon. This is Tepig’s final stage. Constantly burning flames surround their neck and shoulders. It will use these flames to set fire to its hands to use moves such as Fire Punch.

Sawk. The Karate Pokemon. This humanoid Pokemon has rocky skin. They are an all male species of Pokemon and can be found in the mountains, secluding themselves, training without sleep.

Throh. The Judo Pokemon. This all male species is unable to stop itself from trying to throw anything bigger than itself. They strengthen their power by tightening their belts made from vines. They are found traveling in groups of five.

Mienfoo. The Martial Arts Pokemon. This Pokemon is very skilled at combat and overwhelms opponents with its flurry of attack styles.

Pignite. The Fire Pig Pokemon and Tepig’s evolved form. The more intense its internal flame is, the faster this Pokemon can move.

Mienshao. The Martial Arts Pokemon. This is Mienfoo’s evolved form. Their long arm fur can be used as a battle whip. It is noted as a very respectful battler.  
So it was a Sawk that had helped us out alongside Row with the Scrafty, I thought to myself. Row had captured a Sawk. Is this the same one?  
A loud BANG! made June and I gasp and jump as we turned around.  
The man who had opened the door for us had released it and it slammed shut. He walked past us, not looking at us, and walked over to the group of fighters who paid no attention to the loud door. The man let out a sharp cry, and the fighters stopped at once, taking a step back from each other.  
They bowed silently at each other, and then faced the man, bowing again.  
The man bowed back at the fighters.  
At once, the fighters, referees, and the man who had opened the door for us, all turned to face us with serious stares, their glistening, sweaty chests heaving strongly from behind their uniforms.  
“Hiiii,” June said, fanning herself with one hand, a shy smile on her red face. “Nice to meet you all.” He covered her mouth as a giggle came out from her throat.  
Oh, shut up, I thought angrily, glancing at her from the corner of my eye.  
A door in the back of the building opened, and a shirtless, muscular man stepped out. He towered over everyone in the room as he walked past the fighters, stopping in front of Throh.  
Throh looked up at the man silently.  
The man stared back for a short moment before letting out a grunt. He gave the Pokemon a stern nod and then bowed.  
Throh bowed before the imposing figure.  
The man then turned away and continued past the group. He stopped in front of June and I and bowed before us, and June and I returned his greeting. “You look in even worse shape than the last time we met. I hope you didn’t go back to seek revenge on the Scrafty!”  
“No, not at all,” I said, looking away from him, knowing that he was staring at my blackened right eye where I had been punched by my Primeape. “This was due to one of my own Pokemon. A fight broke out with a couple of my Pokemon and I got hit in the process.”  
“I see,” Row nodded. “Perhaps you should bring them to my Gym for disciplinary training and respect for one another and their Trainer. You should never have to place yourself in the midst of such unruly behavior.”  
“No, that won’t be necessary, thank you. I came here to battle you for a Badge.”  
“Ha, ha. Fine. What is your name, eager challenger?” He extended a large, open palm.  
“Gary. I come from Pallet Town,” I said, grasping his hand. “Gaaahh!” My hand was instantly crushed in his grasp.  
“Like a man, Gary. Like a man,” Row laughed, releasing my hand. “Welcome to Unova.”  
Good thing it was my left, I thought, holding up my throbbing hand.  
“And the lady?” Row bent down on one knee and extended a hand to her.  
June shyly took it and looked into Row’s eyes. “I’m also from Unova. I mean, I’m from the Gringey region. I mean, I’m from Pallet City. No, Gringey City! In Kanto! Ha, it sure is hot in here, huh?” She fanned herself rapidly, gazing at Row.  
“I can’t lower the temperature in here,” Row smiled. “But we could battle outside. This building is no place for such a precious young lady as yourself.”   
June laughed nervously as Row stood up. “No, no, I can more than handle this. Hee hee.” June looked ready to collapse to the ground, and I knew it had nothing to do with any heat in here. “I’m eager to see you in battle!”  
“Well, then let’s get this battle started.” Row turned around and walked close to the end of the room.  
A man and a Pignite immediately ran about the room with a piece of white chalk in their hands, drawing something on the ground.   
A couple of minutes later, a fresh battlefield had been completely drawn, and I immediately took my place in my spot, Row staring out at me from his spot.  
The man who had opened the door for June and I stood just outside of the battlefield, the other Pokemon and humans who had been fighting, at his side in a long line the ended with June closest to Row, an excited smile on her face, her eyes stuck on Row. “This shall be a three-on-three Pokemon battle between Row, the Gym Leader of Spart Town, and Gary, the challenger from Pallet Town in the Kanto region. Only the challenger, Gary, may switch Pokemon. There will be no time limit, and the match will end once one side’s Pokemon are defeated. The Brawl Badge will be at stake. Fight!”  
Row bowed before me, and I bowed quickly.  
“Here’s one you are pretty familiar with,” Row smiled, grabbing his first Poke Ball. “I caught it where we first met. Scrafty, I choose you!” Row threw his Poke Ball.  
“Scraftyyy!” Scrafty shouted, staring at me.  
“A Scrafty! Alright, Fighting and Dark,” I acknowledged, grabbing a Poke Ball. “Tranquill, let’s go!” I threw his Poke Ball.  
“Trrranquiiiill!” Tranquill flapped his wings as he hovered in the air.  
“A Flying type. Quite predictable,” Row smiled, nodding. “You may have the first move, Gary.”  
“Excellent! Air Slash!” I ordered.  
“Trrrranquill!” Tranquill’s wings glowed light blue and flapped rapidly, sending light blue, saw disc-like energy at Scrafty.  
Scrafty’s body flashed while as the Critical Hit damage tossed it off of its feet and onto its back.  
“Yes!” I cheered.  
“Not so fast,” Row said calmly, and his arms flexed, his muscles glistening. “It’s our turn, now!”  
“Oh, my!” June said happily, her hands to the sides of her face as she focused entirely on Row.  
“Use your Hi Jump Kick, right now!” Row called out.  
Scrafty lifted its sagging skin that hung around its knees, highly resembling baggy pants, higher on its waist, and hung onto them as it moved at a stunning speed, charging at Tranquill.  
“Tranquill, dodge that!” I told him.  
Scrafty leaped, its knee glowing red-orange, and slammed it into Tranquill’s stomach.  
Tranquill was thrown back by the kick and tumbled over the ground weakly.  
“Tranquill, come on! Don’t give up!” I encouraged him.  
Tranquill was laying still on his back, gasping heavily, the blow having hit extremely hard.  
“Oh, no,” June whispered, staring down sadly at Tranquill.  
“Well, that was about what I expected,” Row chuckled.  
“That was amazing, Row!” June clapped, turning back to him. “Your Scrafty is incredible!”  
“Hey!” I shouted at her.  
“Oops…” June muttered, lowering her eyes.  
“Tranq…” Tranquill groaned, struggling to get back up.  
“Tranquill, don’t push yourself too hard,” I told him. “Take it easy. I know that hit was a lot to take.”  
“Tranquill,” Tranquill gasped, pushing himself up onto his talons. “TRAAAAAAAAANQ!” Tranquill cried loudly up at the ceiling. His wings flapped and he hovered shakily in the air.  
“This ends here, Scrafty! Thunder Punch!”  
“Tranquill, use Roost attack!” I told him.  
Tranquill lowered himself to the ground and his body started to glow white as he lost his Flying type that made him weak to Electricity, and he regained his energy.  
Scrafty’s punch hit Tranquill just as the glow faded from his body, and Tranquill cawed out in pain as he was tossed back, flapping his wings helplessly as he tumbled on the ground.  
“Another Thunder Punch! Really hit it!” Row said strictly.  
“Tranquill, use Detect!”  
Scrafty pulled back its sparking fist and swung at Tranquill.  
Tranquill’s eyes glowed dark blue, and he dodged the attack.  
“Scraft!” Scrafty swung another Thunder Punch at Tranquill, but Tranquill dodged it easily. With an angry shout, Scrafty swung multiple Thunder Punch attacks in Tranquill’s direction, but Tranquill’s Detect enabled him to dodge every single swing thrown at him.  
“Then Hi Jump Kick it since it’s just a Normal type! Quickly!”  
Scrafty lifted up its sagging skin on the ground again, as if it were pulling up oversized pants, and bent down, its knee glowing again.  
“Tranquill!!” Tranquill flapped his wings and soared into the air as Scrafty swung its knee where Tranquill had just been, missing.  
His Flying type has returned, I noted.  
Scrafty was in the air, holding its knee that sparked with yellow electricity as it took a lot of damage, a consequence of Hi Jump Kick missing, and it dropped to the floor.  
That was when I noticed some sort of hood behind Scrafty’s head.  
Scrafty landed on the ground, grabbing its knee, its face scrunched up in pain.  
“Fine, we’ll use Feint Attack! We can’t miss!” Row was starting to sound impatient and angry.  
“Tranquill, quickly, get behind it and yank that hood over its face!” I called up to him.  
Tranquill soared down as Scrafty weakly got to its feet.  
Scrafty turned around and glanced up in shock as Tranquill flew past it, and it was yanked backwards! “Scraft! Scraft! Scraft! Scraft! Scrafty!” Scrafty was being pulled around the battlefield by its hood helplessly, kicking its feet out, grabbing at its hood as it began to choke! “Scraft! Scrafty!”  
“Do it, Tranquill!”  
Tranquill reversed his flight and yanked the hood down over Scrafty’s head.  
“It’s right in front of you! Thunder Punch it!” Row’s voice cracked. He cleared his throat. “Come on, Scrafty!”  
Scrafty’s fists sparked with electricity, but its blows missed Tranquill as it punched blindly.  
“Air Slash, once more!”   
Tranquill released Scrafty and the Pokemon slid on the ground on its stomach, its hood still covering its head. Tranquill then attacked with Air Slash, causing Scrafty to cry out, and it finally stopped moving.  
“Tranquill has defeated Scrafty!” the referee said firmly, raising an open hand in my direction.  
“YEAH! That was great, Tranquill! Way to go! Keep it up!” I said excitedly, trembling with excitement.  
Tranquill yelled out happily as he flew high, nearly touching the ceiling.  
“Awww, man! Don’t worry, Row! You’ve got two more!” June clapped. “You can do it!”  
She’s asking to stay in Spart Town if she keeps this up, I glared at her. “Hey! Who’s side are you on, anyway?” I shouted at her.  
“Gah! Um…” She stared at me with wide eyes, as if she had no idea I had been here all this time. Laughing nervously, she said, “That was a great win, Gary! Yay… Ha… Ugh…” She lowered her head sadly.  
The other men and Pokemon stood at attention, not moving, reacting, or showing any emotion as they focused on the battlefield.  
Scrafty managed to its feet and stood up straight, bowing before my Tranquill, and then it walked out of the battlefield and stood next to the line of other Pokemon and people watching the battle.  
“Tran?” Tranquill spoke, confused, staring after Scrafty.  
“Bow, Tranquill!” I whispered loudly.  
“Tranq?” He managed to lower his head awkwardly while flapping his wings in the air.  
“Well, I guess I’ll be sending out this Pokemon, next,” Row said. “Go, Conkeldurr!”  
“Conkeldurr!” the Pokemon said, and rocked the entire Gym as it slammed two enormous, concrete pillars, one in each hand, on the floor on each side of it. The pillars were almost as tall as the Pokemon itself!  
Conkeldurr. The Muscular Pokemon. The evolved form of Gurdurr. It uses the massive, concrete pillars to help support its enormous upper body. It is believed to have taught humans how to make concrete over two thousand years ago.  
“Crap! That thing looks tough!” I admitted. “Let’s not back down, though! Air Slash, now!”  
Tranquill attacked with Air Slash again, the hits cutting into the Pokemon’s body.   
Conkeldurr’s body flashed white as the damage hit, but the Pokemon didn’t even flinch against the Critical Hit!  
“Well, that looked good, but it doesn’t seem to have done much!” I frowned.  
“Tranquill!” Tranquill said sharply at Conkeldurr.  
“Use Aerial Ace! Hit it with your best shot!”  
“Traaaaaaaaaaan!!” Tranquill flew at Conkeldurr with great speed.  
“Block it!” Row said quickly.  
“Conkeldurr!” Conkeldurr closed its stone pillars in front of it, and Tranquill crashed into them, cawing painfully, and he dropped to the floor.  
“This has lasted long enough! Stone Edge!” Row said fiercely.  
Conkeldurr moved its pillars as its body was surrounded by a white light that removed itself from its body and swirled around it in circles of white orbs. The white faded from them as they turned into gray, pointed stones, and with a loud cry from Conkeldurr, the stones shot forward and slammed into Tranquill, tossing him out of the battlefield.  
“Conkeldurr has defeated Tranquill!” the referee said strongly, waving an open hand towards Conkeldurr.  
“Tranquill!” I ran over to him and knelt down by his side. “Hey! You rest up. You got us pretty far. We’ll take that brute down. Come back!” As I retreated my Tranquill, I wondered what would be best to use against Conkeldurr. Elgyem against a Conkeldurr? Will he be enough? Should I go with something with more power? I thought as I got back to my spot on the battlefield.   
“That was so amazing, Row! Your Pokemon are so inspiring!” June gushed like an embarrassing dork.  
“Thank you very much, June!” Row smiled at her.  
June broke into a fit of giggles as she smiled brightly at him.  
The people and Pokemon who had been training in the Gym together remained silent and solemn, awaiting my next Pokemon.  
Inspiring? Inspiring?? Oh, I’ll show them both “inspiring,” I thought bitterly. Alright! Let’s give this a shot. I grabbed a Poke Ball tightly in my hand. Type isn’t everything, Gary, I reminded myself. “I choose Darmanitan!” I shouted, tossing his Poke Ball.  
“DAAAAARMANITAAAN!” Darmanitan roared.  
“Conkeldurr,” Conkeldurr growled.  
Come on, Gary, choose something good, I said to myself. Be smart. Swagger is too risky. We need to really smack this thing around with real power! “Darmanitan, let’s attack with Superpower, go!”  
Darmanitan’s body was outlined in light blue as he flexed his arms, and his skin stretched out underneath the bulging muscles pressing up against it. Darmanitan roared and charged at Conkeldurr.  
“Ha! Match it with your Superpower!” Row said with a challenging smile.  
Conkeldurr’s body was outlined in light blue as it flexed its already humongous muscles as well. It released its concrete pillars and reached out for Darmanitan.  
Both Pokemon grappled with each other, trying to take the other one down, growling ferociously at each other.  
“Take it down, Darmanitan! Don’t give in!” I shouted.  
“Conkeldurr, finish it, now!” Row demanded.  
Both Pokemon struggled to overpower the other.  
Conkeldurr reached with one large hand and clawed at Darmanitan’s face, Darmanitan roaring loudly.  
“Fire Punch it! In the gut, Darmanitan! Hit it hard! Don’t let up!” I called out with clenched fists.  
“Darrrr…” Darmanitan raised a fist that burst into fire, and he swung at Conkeldurr’s ribs, right underneath the arm that had risen to claw at his face.  
Conkeldurr grunted but didn’t flinch from the hit. Suddenly, his entire body erupted into flames. Conkeldurr roared angrily.  
“Alright! A Burn, and Conkeldurr’s Attack is lowered from that!” I said, grinning at Row. “We’ve got this! Huh?” My smile vanished.  
Row had a big smile on his face. “Ha, ha, ha! Excellent! Much appreciated by both me and my Guts Ability Conkeldurr!”  
“Guts Ability?” I pulled out my Pokedex.  
Guts. If the Pokemon with the Ability, Guts, is afflicted by Burn, Poison, Paralysis, or Sleep Status ailments, the Attack is boosted. The lessened Attack by Burn does not occur.  
“That can’t be!” I shouted in horror, looking up at Conkeldurr and Darmanitan.  
“Hammer Arm!” Row instructed Conkeldurr.  
Conkeldurr released Darmanitan’s face and raised a large fist above his head. Its entire arm glowed white and slammed down on my Pokemon.  
Darmanitan groaned in pain, his eyes shut tight as he struggled to handle the hit.  
“CONKELDUUUUUUURRRRRR!!!!!” Conkeldurr shouted at Darmanitan.  
“Daaaaaarrrr…MANITAAAAN!!!” Darmanitan roared back, glaring angrily at Conkeldurr.  
It’s all or nothing, I realized. We need to land in some serious damage, or this is gonna be a waste of time. We need to hit big, and this is all for Conkeldurr! What else does Row have? “Darmanitan, we need to break free! Get that thing off of you with Swagger!”  
Darmanitan’s body glowed red as he glared at Conkeldurr.   
Conkeldurr’s eyes flashed red as it became Confused and backed away from Darmanitan.  
Alright, now that Conkeldurr is stronger than ever, we are at a huge risk. Here’s another one. “Belly Drum!” I ordered.  
Darmanitan roared and slammed his open palms repeatedly against his stomach as his body became outlined in red and he drastically lowered his own health.  
“Conkeldurr, Stone Edge!” Row roared.  
One more risk. “Darmanitan, Flare Blitz!”  
Conkeldurr roared as it fired its stones at Darmanitan.  
Darmanitan roared as he became a flying fireball, headed for Conkeldurr.  
The stones smashed into Darmanitan, but he kept flying forth, colliding with Conkeldurr.  
Conkeldurr flew through the air as Darmanitan forced it backwards, flying into Conkeldurr’s pillars and knocking them over, and they both dropped to the ground.  
Both Pokemon remained still, Conkeldurr on its back, Darmanitan on top of it.  
“Manitan…” Darmanitan’s body flinched from the recoil damage, and he remained still.  
“COOOONKELDURRR!” Conkeldurr roared as its body erupted into flames from the Burn, and then it remained silent.  
There wasn’t a movement or sound from anyone. It seemed as if no one was even breathing, my own breath held in my lungs.  
The Pokemon and humans who had been training against each other earlier didn’t budge nor show any emotion on their faces, watching the battlefield silently.  
“Conkeldurr!” Conkeldurr grunted, bringing a gasp from me, and a happy laugh from Row. It shoved Darmanitan off of it and got to its feet, breathing heavily. “Conkeldurrrrr!” It flexed its arms and heaved, looking down at Darmanitan with its still red, Confused eyes.  
“Conkeldurr has defeated Darmanitan!” the referee stated, waving towards Row and Conkeldurr.  
“No surprise there! Ha!” Row smiled proudly.  
“Okay, good one, Darmanitan! Thank you.” I returned him to his Poke Ball.  
“You did it, Row! Congratulations! You are so close to a victory, hon!” June clapped and jumped for joy. She stopped and turned to me with wide eyes, her eyes widening even further when she saw the rage on my face. “Darmanitan did so well! I know you’re last Pokemon is gonna do well, too, Gary! Don’t give up!”  
“An interesting strategy, but rather foolish, really,” Row commented, staring at me firmly, grabbing my attention.  
I didn’t reply and lowered my eyes to my belt. Elgyem? Is it worth it? Does Row have anything else like Scrafty that’s Dark type? I wondered. Conkeldurr is pretty weak. I need something to take the rest of its energy out, and still handle one more Pokemon. But, who can pull that off? I chose a Poke Ball and enlarged it in my hand, thinking hard. I guess, this is it, I thought as I looked up. I inhaled deeply, building confidence within myself, and I tossed the Poke Ball. “Palpitoad, go!”  
“Palpitooooad!” Palpitoad gurgled as he appeared.  
“Ha ha, alright, then! A Palpitoad!” Row said with a smirk.  
“Rain Dance, now!” I told Palpitoad.  
“Palpitoooad!” Palpitoad’s body was outlined in blue as he leaped into the air, flailing around and then landing. He repeated this action a couple more times before his final jump, which was when he hovered in the air, and the blue around his body removed itself. With a sharp POP! it began to rain in the Gym, Palpitoad bouncing excitedly, sped up by the rain.  
“Conkeldurr, Superpower should be more than enough! Do it!” Row said sharply.  
Conkeldurr flexed its muscles out of proportion and roared as it charged at Palpitoad.  
“Palpitoad, watch out!” I screamed in a panic.  
Palpitoad was punched and tossed back, sliding along the ground on his back. He slowly managed back to his feet.  
“Hydro Pump attack!” I shouted quickly.  
Palpitoad sent out a large flow of water from his mouth and shoved Conkeldurr back a few feet.  
Conkeldurr bent down on one knee, glaring at Palpitoad. “CONKEEEEELLLL!!!” it roared as the Burn kicked in, and it dropped.  
“Palpitoad has defeated Conkeldurr!” the referee declared, waving his palm at me.  
Conkeldurr got to its feet and bowed before Palpitoad before stumbling out of the battlefield.  
“Toooad?” Palpitoad gurgled in confusion.  
“Bow, Palpitoad,” I whispered to him.  
“Toooooad?” He turned to me, but then faced Conkeldurr and bowed.  
“Well, what do you know,” Row said softly. “I guess I’m actually down to my last Pokemon after all.”  
“Yours is in much better shape than Gary’s Palpitoad! Don’t worry! That Superpower really took Palpitoad’s health down!” June called out to him lovingly.  
“June! One more stinking word and you’re staying in Spart Town! And I’m not playing around anymore!!” I raged at her. “SHUT UP ALREADY!!”  
June covered her mouth and lowered her head, nodding.  
I angrily turned to Row.  
He stared awkwardly from June to me. “Well, let’s proceed, then, shall we? My last Pokemon is going to be Seismitoad! GO!” He threw a Great Ball.  
“Seismitoad?” I gasped.  
“Seismitoad!” Seismitoad cried out at my Palpitoad.  
Palpitoad croaked in surprise at his evolved form.  
“That’s right. Seismitoad,” Row nodded, crossing his arms over his beefy chest. “And thanks for the Rain Dance. We both share the Swift Swim Ability.”  
“Just great,” I muttered. “Palpitoad, we can still do some big damage! Hydro Pump, now!”  
Palpitoad attacked with Hydro Pump, but Seismitoad vanished to the side of the battlefield, dodging the attack swiftly.  
“The damn toad is too fast,” I growled, glaring at it. “Bubblebeam to slow down its Speed!”  
Palpitoad attacked with a stream of bubbles, but Seismitoad dodged them again without any trouble.  
“Keep moving! Mud Shot!” I shouted desperately.  
“You know what’s one thing I like about Seismitoad over Palpitoad?” Row asked calmly, a sinister grin on his face.  
Palpitoad stuck out his long tongue and it glowed yellow.  
“Huh?” I glared at Row suspiciously.  
“Grab it!” Row ordered.  
Seismitoad was blindingly fast, and the next thing I knew, it was holding my Palpitoad’s tongue in its hand, the yellow glow gone!  
Palpitoad choked hard and struggled, crying out as Seismitoad held him up in the air by just his tongue!  
“Hey! Cut that out! Let him go!” I couldn’t believe what I was seeing! It was frustrating and completely embarrassing.  
Even June let out a gasp as she watched this.  
“And that’s not even the best part!” Row laughed. “You can’t do this move as a Palpitoad! Drain Punch!”  
Seismitoad made a fist that became surrounded by a green orb. It swung into Palpitoad’s stomach, making him gurgle painfully as his energy was sapped from him. When the attack ended, Seismitoad dropped Palpitoad onto the floor.  
Palpitoad trembled on his back, turning over to his side, groaning in a lot of pain.  
“The little guy’s got spirit, for sure, but that’s nothing another Drain Punch can’t take care of. Let’s go!” Row watched expectantly as his Pokemon pulled back another fist and swung at Palpitoad.  
“Palpitoad, get up!” I pleaded helplessly. “PALPITOAD!!”  
Palpitoad cried out loudly as Seismitoad’s fist swung at his body to finish him off. Suddenly, his body was covered in a blinding light. A white stream of light reached out from Palpitoad’s body and blocked Seismitoad’s punch, holding its fist still!  
Seismitoad cried out in shock, staring at its fist as the green orb of energy disappeared.  
“What in the world?” Row cried out in disbelief.  
The Pokemon and people who had been training in the Gym, silent all this time, had actually let out a collective gasp of surprise, their faces stunned as my Palpitoad began to evolve!  
“Palpitoad!!!” I shouted, watching in amazement, a smile spreading across my cheeks.  
Palpitoad’s body grew larger, and his form shifted as he appeared to elongate himself. Another white beam reached out from his other side. The light on his body exploded in bright sparkles. “Seiiismitooooad!” my Seismitoad cried out.  
Row’s Seismitoad was shocked as he stared at my Seismitoad.  
“Now, how about we try that Hydro Pump, one more time!” I said with a smile.  
“Seismitoad! Seis?” Row’s Seismitoad tried to move out of the way as my Seismitoad inhaled deeply, but my Pokemon tightened his grip on Row’s Seismitoad’s hand and, with a determined glare, blasted Row’s Seismitoad across the field. It dropped to the ground and shook its head as the rain finally let up and stopped.  
“On your feet! Drain Punch, now!” Row commanded.  
Row’s Seismitoad ran at mine and punched him in the stomach, my Seismitoad croaking loudly in response. Row’s Seismitoad shouted at mine energetically, triumphantly, its health having been restored.  
“Now, let’s end this battle with our own Hydro Pump!” Row said seriously.  
“Hang in there, Seismitoad! Just take this one!” I told him.  
June gasped. “Gary!”  
This might not work, but it’s our best chance to combat this thing’s Drain Punch, I thought.  
My Seismitoad stood still and was blasted by his opponent’s powerful Hydro Pump.  
I can only hope it recovered enough energy by evolving, I thought, gritting my teeth.  
My Seismitoad slid on his back, tumbling over and stopping on his stomach.  
“I can’t even imagine what you were thinking there, Gary,” Row spoke, his stern eyes on mine.  
“A desperate move for a desperate time, Row,” I shot back. “Flail attack!”  
My Seismitoad’s hands clenched tightly at the floor before spreading open, his legs bent underneath him at the knees, and he leaped forward, slamming into Row’s shocked Seismitoad, Row with a matching look on his own face, and his Seismitoad was taken down to the ground.  
My Seismitoad stumbled off of Row’s, breathing weakly.  
“Hydro Pump!” I screamed out.  
“HYDRO PUMP RIGHT BACK!!!!” Row bellowed.  
Row’s Seismitoad struggled to get up and fired a Hydro Pump just as my Seismitoad’s Hydro Pump was ready to land. His Seismitoad managed to hold back my Seismitoad’s Hydro Pump, although my Seismitoad’s attack was mere inches from its face.  
“Not good enough!” Row called out challengingly, smiling.  
My Seismitoad cried out strongly.  
Row’s Seismitoad gurgled back angrily. “Tooooooooooad!!!” It called out as my Pokemon’s stream of water overtook it and smashed into its face, dropping it to the ground.  
“Seismitoad, get back up!!” Row shouted angrily. “Get up, now!!”   
His Seismitoad remained motionless.  
He slammed his foot to the floor and roared at the ceiling. “SEISMITOOOOOOOOAD!!!”  
“Seismitoad has defeated Seismitoad. Gary and Seismitoad are the winners of this match!” the referee said, waving to me.  
“Seismitoad, we won!!!” I ran up to him and wrapped my arms around his body. “Seismitoad, yes! Yes! YES! We won our sixth Badge! WE WOOOOON!!!”  
“Toad! Seismitoad!” Seismitoad hugged me back.  
“Badge number six! We’re almost there, now! Thank you! Thank you!” I released Seismitoad and tossed my five Poke Balls to the floor, sending out my other Pokemon.  
“Cooottonee!” Cottonee sang.  
“Tranquill!” Tranquill said weakly, sitting on the floor.  
“El!” Elgyem said to me.  
“Excadriiiiill!” Excadrill shouted at me.  
“Darmanitan…” Darmanitan gasped tiredly, but he stood on his feet and looked up at me.  
“Hey! We won, guys! We got our sixth badge!!”  
My Pokemon cheered around me, and I knelt down to hug Darmanitan and Tranquill, thanking them for their hard work.  
“Well, if you’re gonna celebrate, celebrate the right way,” a voice said, making us all turn around.  
Row stared down at us solemnly, his fellow group of Pokemon and people standing side by side behind him, Row’s tired looking Seismitoad, Conkeldurr, and Scrafty in line as well. He bowed before me, the others behind him bowing as well. He stood up straight and held out his fist, and it opened before me.  
The Badge in his palm was brown, in the silhouette of a man in a fighting stance with a black belt around his waist.  
I bowed as I took the Badge from his hand. “Bow!” I whispered loudly at my Pokemon.  
They all looked at me as if I were crazy, but followed by orders, bowing, and they slammed their heads into each other. They stumbled back, Cottonee shaking his head while the other five rubbed their heads, all of them glaring at each other.  
I sighed and shook my head at them. “Anyway, we did it! The Brawl Badge is ours!”  
My Pokemon all cheered as I held the Badge in the air.  
“That was pretty good, Gary,” June said as she walked over to us.  
“Well, thanks, I guess,” I said, staring at her seriously. “But, be careful. You’re getting kind of close to Seismitoad and Excadrill. They are Ground types, you know.”  
June sighed and lowered her eyes. “Yeah, I know.” She looked over at Excadrill, and then quickly looked over to Seismitoad, her eyes stuck on him. “Hey, there.” She managed a slow smile.  
Seismitoad gurgled and looked down.  
“Listen, I’m sorry for how I’ve treated you since you first evolved,” June apologized to him. “I mean it. I’d never want to hurt a Pokemon’s feelings. I only want to get closer to them all. Even Gary isn’t a big fan of Bug types, so, when he gets all weird around my Galvantula, I know she’s hurt, and I’m hurt that he doesn’t like her due to something she can’t control, and I’m hurt that she’s hurt, too. But, before we came to Unova, I got to see him get really close to a couple of his own Bug type Pokemon.”  
My mind flashed to Butterfree and stuck with Beedrill for just a moment.  
June stepped closer to Seismitoad and knelt down in front of him, looking back and forth repeatedly from Seismitoad to Excadrill. “I want to get closer to you two, just like Gary did with his Butterfree. And his Beedrill.”  
My heart skipped a beat, and I held back the emotion that immediately started to fill me from my chest upwards, and down my entire body as well.  
“I want to be friends with all Pokemon, regardless of their types,” June smiled. “It’s what I feel my gift to communicate with Pokemon is all about. Reaching out to all the Pokemon in the world! I love all Pokemon. Period. I guess I’m just a little overprotective of my Electric types, and, since you’re both part Ground type, you can resist my most favorite moves. It’s pretty silly, and I’m really sorry for being so stupid. I just want us to all be friends!” Her gaze froze on Seismitoad. “Like we were before you evolved. You remember that, right?”  
Seismitoad gurgled sadly at June, nodding.  
June smiled. “I still consider you a good friend of mine, you know. I don’t want to ruin that.” She looked over at Excadrill. “You, too, Excadrill. Let’s try to take this one day at a time, okay? If you’re willing. Or even if you’re not willing, I seriously am, and always will be. Can you both forgive me and try to work with me? Please? As friends?” She stared at Seismitoad pleadingly and extended one hand out to him, her other hand reaching out towards Excadrill.  
Seismitoad gurgled as he stared at June, but he didn’t move.  
Excadrill stared solemnly at June, not moving an inch or making a sound.  
June sighed and lowered her head. “I understand. I’m truly so sorry,” she said sadly. Her hands dropped.  
“Toad…” Seismitoad moved swiftly and caught her hand, taking June by surprise, causing her to cry out. “Seismitoad.” My Pokemon smiled and nodded.  
“Oh, that’s just wonderful! Thank you, sweetie!” With a happy cry, she wrapped her arms around Seismitoad and hugged him.  
“Toad! Toad!” Seismitoad hugged her back.  
“Cadrill…” Excadrill took a couple of steps towards June and placed a claw on her shoulder.  
June gasped and turned towards Excadrill. “And you, Excadrill?”  
“Excadrill!” Excadrill nodded happily.  
“Oh, goodness me!” June’s eyes glittered with tears as she pulled Excadrill into a hug, Excadrill hugging her in return.  
“Well, this sure is nice, but we have to get back to our training,” Row said with a warm smile.  
“Oh! Sorry to interrupt!” I said. “Come on, everyone, let’s beat it!”  
“Oh, Row, I’m so sorry for your loss! You were so close, too!” June cried sorrowfully.  
I had to blink my eyes repeatedly as I realized that June was no longer hugging Excadrill.  
Excadrill’s arms were in the air, wrapped around a presumably invisible person, where June had been in his arms. My Pokemon cried out in confusion and looked around.  
I spotted June and my shoulders slumped.  
She had one arm around Row’s waist, her other hand smoothly rubbing against his cut abs, her head resting against his well defined chest.  
Row turned to me, an uncomfortable look on his face.  
“Okay, bye, June,” I said moodily, walking towards the front door. “I warned you.”  
“Wait! I was just saying goodbye, Gary!” June whined.  
I stopped at the door and turned around, my Pokemon with me.  
June was looking into Row’s eyes, Row staring back, rubbing the back of his head as he stared at her awkwardly.  
“June!” I barked.  
“Okay, okay!” June grumbled as she walked away from Row and stopped near me, giving me a dirty look.  
Row and the other Pokemon and people stared at us, smiling.  
I smiled and nodded at Row. “That was a great battle.”  
Row nodded. “Thanks.”  
I sighed happily. “See ya around!” I waved, and turned to the door of the Gym, ready to leave.  
“Hey, kid!” Row called out.  
I turned to him in surprise.  
“Catch.” Row tossed a Poke Ball at me with one hand.  
I caught it with both hands and looked down at it in surprise. I looked up at Row, dumbfounded and confused.  
Row’s smile widened and he snickered. He, along with the other Pokemon and people behind him, bowed at us one last time.  
I stared down at the Poke Ball and a smile spread across my face.  
June, me, and my Pokemon bowed back.  
The Poke Ball in my hands glowed in a bright, white flash before disappearing.  
As it was sent to Prof. Oak.


	39. The Neo Era

“How’s everything?” I asked.  
June smiled and nodded, sniffling a little bit as she wiped at her left eye. “Good. They said Lanturn, Blitzle, Pikachu, Ampharos, and Manectric are all out of the hospital, but they’re still exhausted and haven’t done much else but sleep. My mom said she and dad have Pikachu, and the others are with the other people in town.”  
“I’m so happy your Pokemon are doing well,” I smiled back. “When will they be sent to you?”  
“Mom said that they still need to have their visits to the Pokemon Center, but once they pass all their tests and are ready to be transferred, as well as ready for use in battle, she’ll send them all to me immediately.”  
“It’ll be great to have all of your Pokemon back with you again.”  
“I can’t wait. I’m just happy they’re all okay.” June’s smile faded as she looked down to the floor of the Pokemon Center.  
“Well, I can’t seem to reach Prof. Oak over the phone, so we’ll just try again when we get to the next city,” I told her, looking towards the front door. “Where are we headed again?” I pulled out my Town Map from my pocket and opened it in front of my face.  
“Icirrus City,” June said, her voice further away from me than it had just been.   
I lowered my Town Map and turned to see June staring at a Town Map plastered on the wall, her finger on a spot on it.   
“It’s a bit of a distance from here, and we have to go through some mountain; Twist Mountain. This symbol says that the Gym Leader is an Ice type Trainer.”  
“Yes! Movie star Brycen is the Icirrus City Gym Leader!” Nurse Joy called out to us from behind the counter.  
“Brycen?” I gasped, turning to her as June gasped in surprise, also turning to Nurse Joy. “No way! The Brycen?”  
“The star of blockbuster movies such as Breaking Bad Weather, The Wizard of Ice, It’s Always Chilly In Antarctica, Dragon Ball Freeze, Frozen Ground, and the family movie, Cloudy With A Chance Of Snowballs 4?” June exclaimed in shock.  
“And don’t forget the movies Game Of Cones, The Excadrill Files: I Want To Unfreeze, Cold Men, Sons Of Antifreeze, and he even starred in the hit television shows Frost, The Big Cold Theory, and costarred with comedian Steve Chappeell in the hit comedy series, Chappeell’s Cold!” I continued.  
“And he is always using his celebrity status to promote his anti-hunting and anti-poaching regimen,” June nodded eagerly.  
“Not just him, but also his equally famous Pokemon, Beartic, who appears alongside him in every film, TV show, and interview he involves himself in!” I added.  
Nurse Joy’s face was stunned, an awkward smile stuck on her face as she stared at us. “Uh… Yes. That’s Brycen, alright.”  
“Man, I haven’t seen a movie in years! I wonder if he has anything new coming out soon, or even out right now!” I said excitedly.  
“We should totally find out, and if he does, we absolutely have to see it!” June said quickly.  
“Yeah! Brycen’s one of the best actors of all time!”  
“He’s getting older, but not only is he still a total hunk and opposed to plastic surgery, but he still can act his ass off better than any actor or actress in this day and age!”  
“I’ve seen almost all of his movies!” I shouted.  
“Have you seen Enter The Beartic?”  
“How could I not? It practically pioneered the genre of Martial Arts Mania; a real martial arts movie with physical fights, and it was a worldwide success!”  
”It was Brycen’s movie debut, too!”  
“I know!”  
“What are we doing talking about him, here?”  
“We should get to Icirrus City right away and meet him!”  
“Let’s go!”  
“Okay, let’s go!”  
“Okay, let’s go!”  
June and I turned to the front door and bolted towards it.  
“Also in the news today, a large number of Grimer and their evolved form, Muk, were found maneuvering throughout the Hoenn region’s Fortree City,” a lady spoke out seriously from the TV screen against the wall.  
June and I reached the front door at the same time, but instead of opening it, we both stopped and turned back to the television.  
“Instantly, trees and all kinds of plant life were immediately destroyed due to the toxins that comprise this very Pokemon’s existence,” the newswoman spoke as a video appeared in the upper left hand corner of the screen, the camera maneuvering slowly through a town filled with a lot of dead and dying trees, dead, brown grass covering the entirety of the ground.  
Tree houses sat near the top of the weak trees, looking smashed through and beaten.  
People in bulky, white outfits covering their entire bodies, white helmets on their heads with a clear, plastic cover on the front, looking like astronauts, were pushing stretchers with a human or a Pokemon on it. The faces of those on the stretchers were a nearly black shade of purple, and they looked like they were in horrifying pain, some twitching and shaking hard, while others were motionless.   
“The Muk and Grimer began breaking into homes and coming into contact with the residents of Fortree City, poisoning them immediately, leaving virtually every citizen in the city, including the Gym Leader of the city, Flow, deathly ill, as well as an unclear percentage of the Pokemon owned by the people who live there. Many wild Pokemon in nearby areas have also been found in serious, critical condition.”  
“Oh, my goodness,” June whispered with a gasp.  
“It’s unclear how the Grimer and Muk reached the city, since they normally are not found anywhere near the area, nor is it understood why they invaded, but Fortree City is currently on lockdown until the situation is resolved,” the newswoman ended as the video of the city disappeared, her piercing blue eyes staring out from the screen, wearing a matching blue suit.  
I swallowed uncomfortably and looked away from the screen, shaking my head.  
“In other-”  
The TV went silent, cutting off the woman’s words, and I looked up at the now black screen.  
“Sometimes it’s just too much to even turn on the TV these days,” Nurse Joy spoke nervously, the remote in her hand, her eyes to the counter in front of her. “Sorry about that, kids.”  
“No, not at all,” I smiled slightly. “We were just on our way out, anyway. Take care, Nurse Joy.”  
“Bye, Nurse Joy,” June said in a sad, low tone, forcing a weak smile.  
Nurse Joy smiled and nodded at us, but lowered her head again sadly, her smile leaving her young face.  
June and I exited the building in far downer spirits than we had been in just a moment ago.

*

“I’m really curious as to what Pokemon Row gave me,” I said to June, my eyes focused ahead of the grassy path we were traveling on, staring at the opening to a humongous mountain just several feet away from us.  
“Row sure is something, huh?” June said in a dreamy voice. “I haven’t seen such chiseled abs, a firm, warm, sweaty chest, powerful, bulky arms-”  
“June!” I snapped, glaring at her.  
She looked back at me, her eyes wide with surprise. “What’d I say?”  
I shook my head and looked away from her. Working out is so overrated, I thought to myself grudgingly, glaring ahead. Girls are so simple. Why’s it always gotta be about stupid muscles with them? What’s so attractive about muscles, anyway? They’re just gross bulges on the human body. Blech.  
“Twist Mountain sure is huge,” June commented as we came to a stop in front of the towering natural structure, tilting our heads back as we scaled it with our eyes.  
“This place seems pretty big inside, too,” I deduced. “We could get lost. Let’s stick close together for now.”  
“Alright,” June agreed.  
Together, we entered Twist Mountain. The rocky ceiling, walls, and floor looked old yet healthy. Every few feet there was a thick wooden beam that went from the floor on one side of the wall, up to the ceiling, reached across and then down the wall on the other side of us. Our path was dark and just barely visible.  
June got closer to me, our shoulders against each other as we walked. We stopped as the path in front of us continued forward, and also split to our left and right. June and I looked down all three paths before facing each other.  
“Looks like this is the twist of the mountain,” I said. “I’ll bet that Town Map Prof. Juniper gave me would have been really useful right about now.” June didn’t reply, and I began to regret mentioning that Town Map. It was the start of a lot of memories for us. “Well, let’s just keep going straight. I have a feeling it’s going to come to a dead end, but at least we’ll know it is for sure. We should just keep going forward.”  
June didn’t speak as we silently walked.  
“I can’t believe we’re about to meet Brycen, the movie star,” June said in a low voice, a smile creeping across her face. “I want his autograph, and a picture! Oh, no! I need to buy a camera! I hope they have one in Icirrus City.”  
We came to a stop again.  
This time, the path ended in front of us, but split down to our left and right.  
“So, now what?” June asked, looking to her left.  
“Hmm,” I said thoughtfully, looking down my right. “Let’s go right. If it’s a dead end, all we have to do is go in the exact opposite direction. And if that’s a dud, we head back and go down the path behind us right now and just take the right path. It’s all just a memory game, June.”  
“Sure,” June responded uncertainly.  
I cleared my throat and we walked down the path to our right. My eyes squinted as I struggled to see ahead of us, the cave getting even darker.  
“I wonder why this mountain is like this,” June wondered nervously.  
“What do you mean? Like, the wooden arches?” I asked.  
“Well, this mountain could have been explored by archaeologists who dig up rare finds on occasion,” June replied. “That could explain where the arches came from. What I was wondering is why this cave is such a twist and turn, but I guess that can be answered in the exact same way. Archaeological excavations must have made this cave as confusing as it is. It’s weird they didn’t make, like, signs or something pointing the way out for people like us who just wanna get through.”  
“Hm,” I muttered absentmindedly, my interest in her concerns vanishing. My own inquiry took place and revealed itself. “What do you think Row gave me for a Pokemon? I really wish Prof. Oak had been able to answer the phone when I had called.”  
“Why didn’t you just use your Pokedex to send it to you?” June questioned. “It has a function for that, you know.”  
“Oh!” I slapped my forehead. “Duh! I knew that.”  
“Of course,” June said kindly, smiling slyly.  
We stopped again, the path going straight forward, and another path leading us to the left.  
“Either we’re going in the right direction, or we’re seriously getting lost right now,” I said uncomfortably.  
June was silent as she moved closer to me, nearly pushing me over.  
A loud roar from the cave made June and I both gasp.  
I jumped from the noise and looked down the path to my left.  
“What was that?” June cried.  
The roar rang out again, louder, and echoed throughout the cave as if there were hundreds of voices yelling.  
I had to squint, but I could just make out June’s face holding a look of horror.  
The loud shout bounced along the walls again.   
“Something’s wrong!” June ran down the path to our left.  
“June, hold on!” I called as I chased after her. “June!”  
June shot through the cave, the cries ahead of us getting louder, closer.   
I couldn’t tell if it was only one voice yelling or if it was more, and I couldn’t tell what the being was, but something about June’s reaction told me that it was a Pokemon.  
What sounded like an electric spark crackled through the air, and the yells continued again, louder than before.  
“June, what do you hear?” I shouted to her as I ran by her side, staring at her determined face. “Is it a Pokemon? What's happening?”  
June didn't respond, her breathing quick and loud as she ran further ahead, ignoring a turn in the tunnel to the right of her. She reached a split in the path again that broke to our right, left, and ahead of us. She stopped running and inhaled deeply, closing her eyes and holding her breath, and her head turned as she listened for more noises.  
I held my own breath, but my body was tired and my lungs needed air, and I involuntarily choked and coughed as air struggled out of me.  
“Sshh!” she shushed me angrily.  
I went silent as I swallowed and tried to calm down my breathing.  
Another loud roar made me cry out loud, the scary bellow sounding so close to us now, and June ran down the path to our right.  
I followed her as fast as I could.   
June made a right turn, and then a left, as the roars called out to us, sounding nearer every time they started up again. A strange crackling noise preceded the cries as June led us deeper into this maze of a cave. She ran down another path that was ahead of us without glancing at the path leading to our right, and then the path made a left turn, which June took, and she rebounded off of something with a loud scream and fell to the ground.  
The person screamed out and stumbled back several feet, looking down at June, and then up at me. “Who are you?”  
I didn't answer her, my eyes squinting hard through the darkness, trying to clearly see the person June had run right into.   
She kind of looked like somebody I knew…   
As a few more seconds passed, and I started to see her features more clearly, I began wishing that it wasn't who I thought it looked like. I immediately began hoping that the darkness was playing tricks on my eyes. I knew that it couldn't possibly be her.  
June groaned from the ground. “Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't even see you,” June told the girl as she climbed to her feet. “Are-?” June froze on her sentence and stared in shock at the girl in front of us. “You!”  
The girl squinted at us and then rubbed her eyes with her hands as she pushed her glasses up on her face and then blinked several times, adjusting her glasses back on her nose before staring at us with wide eyes. “Who are you two? I can't see clearly. I can't possibly be seeing right!”  
“Courtney!” June screamed out.  
“No!” Courtney shouted back. “No! No! NO! Not again! You two? Are you freaking kidding me right now?”  
The roar in the cave made us all look behind Courtney and we went silent.  
“What the hell is that noise?” Courtney asked, her eyes staring down the dark tunnel.  
Without a word, June ran past Courtney.  
“Whoa!” Courtney moved over after June had already got by her, looking after her in shock.  
I ran past Courtney, too, making her cry out again.  
June turned down a tunnel to our right.  
The roars sounded as if they were mere inches away from us, and my ears began to ring painfully as I struggled to keep up with her.  
A dim light shined from the end of this tunnel from an upcoming opening to the left.  
I could hear footsteps behind me, but I didn't look back. I had a feeling I knew whose footsteps those belonged to, and I didn't want to find out I was correct.  
June's feet carried her to the left, and as I turned the corner after her, I nearly ran into her, reaching out as I stumbled to a stop and grabbed onto her shoulders, closing my eyes against a bright light shining in my face.  
“Hey!” Courtney slammed into me, forcing me into June, who was forced to the ground.  
June grunted as she shoved me and Courtney off of her, and I squinted up at a horrifying sight.  
The sound of electricity sounded from a large, transparent blue box that held a large creature inside of it. The box was outlined in white and dark blue sparks, lighting up this section of the cave as the creature inside of it wailed in pain, its voice echoing, its head facing the ceiling, its eyes closed tight.  
“Oh!” Courtney uttered at the sight before us.  
June got to her feet quickly and her hands tightened and shook at her sides.  
I couldn't believe what I was seeing, trembling too hard to even want to stand up!  
It was then that I saw the three people standing a few feet away from the box.   
Two of the three individuals were young women, the much older male wearing brown sweatpants and black boots, his red coat zipped up, his head holding a black beanie. The women wore white skirts and shoes, both of them wearing a zipped up, thin, white jacket. One of the girls wore a backwards, white baseball cap, her black hair reaching down to her neck underneath it, the other girl’s black hair reaching past her shoulders. The three of them resembled one another in a way, as if they were related. They all were glaring at the creature in the transparent box as the box stopped sparking and literally disappeared right before my eyes.  
I blinked in surprise, squinting into the now slightly darker cave, actually questioning if I had even seen the box in the first place for a second.  
The only light now shone from something behind the living being before us.  
The creature collapsed, grunting painfully as it landed, its eyes closed. The thing was blue, with hard formations around its face and chest in a much darker blue color.  
My eyes moved away from the creature and were stuck on the only source of light now, which was emitting from a bizarre phenomenon occurring from the wall of the cave near this blue, turtle looking thing.  
Against the cave wall was a large hole that led out to a widespread plain with fresh, stunningly beautiful green grass, a dense collection of tall, healthy trees, and a large, clear pond. But the opening... Something was absurdly strange about it. The lining of the opening was glowing white and wavering as if made of jelly, giving off a surreal appearance to the world outside of it. It seemed to contrast with the setting of the cave we were in in a manner that felt unnatural and disturbing. There was more to this outside world than what I could understand.  
“Who are you three?” June yelled angrily. “What are you doing to that poor Pokemon? What's going on here?”  
The three adults turned to us, but then looked away, staring at the opening in the cave revealing what was outside.  
“We have company,” the only male in the group stated.  
A loud screech came from the outside of the cave, through the creepy opening, and in the next instant, something flew by the trees outside, disappearing in an instant.  
My eyes widened in disbelief and then squinted. I was sure I hadn’t just seen what I thought I had. There’s no way, I thought, swallowing fearfully.  
“So we have an audience,” the woman wearing the baseball cap spoke calmly.  
Several more cries were heard from the land outside of the cave, and a distant rumble arrived to my ears.  
“A prescreening,” the final lady added.  
I inhaled my breath in a gasp until I couldn't breathe any further at the sight of a familiar Pokemon that ran across the field and stopped, turning to us.  
“KABUTOPS!” the Pokemon yelled, and it charged towards the cave, slicing its sharp scythes at us as it got closer.  
June, me, and Courtney shrieked.  
I crawled backwards but only got a couple of feet before I had grabbed onto someone behind me and I heard Courtney react at my grasp. I immediately let go of her but remained on the ground, keeping my eyes on the deadly Pokemon.  
Kabutops leaped through the entrance to the cave and raised its scythes, flying past the other three strangers who didn’t seem surprised to be seeing this attacking Pokemon, watching it quietly.  
June leaped out of the way with an even louder shriek.  
Kabutops screamed out furiously as it neared me.   
Courtney shrieked from behind me, even louder than June.  
I screamed as well and rolled to the side, away from Kabutops’ attack.  
Kabutops swiped for my head, its scythe slamming powerfully into the cave wall.  
The wall exploded loudly into dust.   
Once the cloud of dust faded, I spotted Kabutops running down a tunnel rapidly.  
The wall it had slashed into was damaged, but remained intact. Rocks laid in a heap against the wall, a fresh layer of wall behind them, a large gash in the middle of it.  
An ear piercing sound made me turn and the creature I had spotted flying by earlier, reappeared, confirming I had actually seen it the first time, only now, it was flying towards us, entering the cave!  
“An Aerodactyl!!” I gaped in horror at the oncoming Pokemon.  
Aerodactyl let out an angry screech as it flew through the hole, not seeming to see the other three people standing just a foot away from the opening, flying by June as well, its jaws open wide, ready to swallow my head.  
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
An explosion went off that was so loud, it was impossible to trace where it had come from.   
I was nearly deafened and I screamed as I closed my eyes and covered my ears with my hands as they throbbed painfully, my head thumping as well.  
June and Courtney were also screaming from close by me.  
The cry of Aerodactyl was added to my pounding eardrums and I flattened myself to the ground, a sharp white light flashing in front of my closed eyes, my head feeling as if it was splitting apart, and I waited to feel Aerodactyl’s sharp fangs to sink into my body and end my life.  
A loud racket rang out in a rapid, repeated succession, combined with the undeniable sound of a stampede and the loud roars of monsters as the entire ground suddenly began to quake underneath me.  
What's going on here? I panicked.   
I could hear June and Courtney screaming, but their fearful voices were miniscule compared to the sound of the oncoming danger.  
Aerodactyl still hadn't started to chomp down on my body, so I lifted my head quickly, expecting the enormous predator to be right in front of my face. To my surprise, Aerodactyl was nowhere in sight.  
But something even worse was.  
Something in a tremendous number.  
A stampede of Pokemon.  
I didn't recognize all of them, nor was I able to see them all clearly, but I definitely spotted a few Omanyte, a pair of Aerodactyl, a few Omastar, a large group of Kabuto, a handful of Kabutops, a large amount of Shieldon, and several other Pokemon, some very small, others ridiculously larger. One particular group of creatures I didn’t recognize towered over the rest with ease, looking the most vicious of them all. I was petrified as I watch them all run or fly into the cave, splitting up and running down separate paths. My head whipped back and forth rapidly as I tried to keep my eyes on all of the stampeding, threatening, dangerous Pokemon. In less than a minute's time, roaring, charging, and rocking the ground beneath their tremendous power, they had all vanished from sight, their roars fading but echoing strongly all around us.  
I looked down both ends of the tunnel I was sitting in, only June, Courtney, the three adults, and the blue turtle Pokemon remaining amongst me.  
The group of three were looking down the tunnels where the Pokemon had disappeared through, turning their heads down each path repeatedly, solemn glares on their faces.  
I turned to the hole the Pokemon had entered from, and my eyes widened in amazement as the shimmering hole in the cave actually started to slowly shrink in size!  
June was glaring at the three strangers with fury, but she hadn't spoken a word.  
Courtney was looking down the two paths the groups of Pokemon had disappeared from, to the three people before us, to me, to June, continuously.  
“The time gate is closing,” the lady without the baseball cap spoke simply, staring at the shrinking hole.  
“We got what we needed,” the other lady spoke solemnly, staring at the closing opening. “But what about the volunteers who assisted us in flushing out the Pokemon? They're still inside.”  
“We'll be sure to record their names in history for their usefulness,” the woman with the baseball cap responded. “They'll be fine. At least, for a while.”  
The two girls nodded.  
My heart stopped as the trio in front of my trio, turned to us at once.  
Our separate groups stared at each other silently.  
The group before me had empty looks on their faces, showing no emotion as they watched us.  
The hole behind them continued to shrink silently.  
Who are these guys? I wondered, wishing I had the courage to climb to my feet. I breathed in short, quick breaths, staring fearfully at these strangers, confused. What's going on here? What was with those ancient Pokemon? Were they all ancient Pokemon species? No. Impossible. Right?  
The hole behind them continued to shrink, and with a swirl of white light and a gentle flash that sprinkled onto the ground, disappearing, the hole was completely gone. The wall of the cave was completely intact as if there had never been a huge, gaping hole there!  
I squinted hard through the darkness at the cave wall, my eyebrows furrowing in confusion. What just happened? Was that opening not even real? What about all of those Pokemon? What is going on here??  
June's head turned in the dark cavern to the Pokemon on the ground. She glared at it silently for a while.  
We all looked over at it.  
The Pokemon remained silent and didn’t move.  
June's eyes stayed on the Pokemon as she slowly climbed to her feet, nobody so much as twitching or making the slightest sound. June's head finally turned to the group of three and she stepped forward, rage on her face. “You killed her...” June whispered shakily.  
The three people stared back at June, but they didn't move or say anything.  
“What did you do to her?” June's voice was rising with anger, continuing to shake noticeably.  
The three spooky individuals continued to stare at June. There was no anger on their faces. No sadness. No happiness. No feeling whatsoever. Their faces were more expressionless than mannequins, staring at June without the slightest flinch to their bodies, not blinking even once.  
I shivered on the ground as I continued to stare at the three, scared at what was going on, and confused by it just as well.   
“Who are you??” June’s voice now revealed both fear and fury.  
I pushed my hands against the ground and finally managed to get to my feet. I couldn't leave June alone like this. As I cleared my throat, I walked to June's side and glared at the people, my heart beating hard enough to quake my body with each beat. My brain tried to come up with something to say to them, but nothing useful came to mind. Or, I was just too afraid to speak up.  
Loud, threatening cries were heard from further ahead down both paths of the tunnel, making us all look around.  
June, Courtney, and I were the only ones to gasp, the other three silently turning at the noises.  
Loud commotions were taking place from far away where the groups of Pokemon had escaped.  
“Mission complete,” the man spoke.  
His two companions nodded.  
The man turned to the cave wall where the strange opening had been before disappearing, and he dug through his pocket, taking a few steps closer to the wall.  
“There's some kind of trouble!” June pointed down one end of the tunnel.  
A distant explosion of noise made me jump.  
“We have to help them!” June turned to me, tears in her eyes. “The Pokemon are in trouble!”  
Before I could respond, I heard the footsteps running.   
Before I could turn my head, I heard the explosion from right in front of me.  
BOOOOOOMMM!!  
I screamed with June and Courtney as my eyes squeezed shut tightly and I was lifted off of my feet by a powerful force that slammed into me. My back slammed into the wall behind me and I dropped to the ground, groaning weakly.  
Courtney and June both moaned weakly from close by me.  
The sound of footsteps made my eyes shoot open. I had to squint through the dirt and debris clouding my view, but I could just make out the three people running towards a new opening that had been made in the cave wall.   
There was no shimmering light outlining this opening. It looked like the wall had just been blown apart.   
I opened my mouth and choked on the filth in the air. “Wait!” I swallowed dirt that flew into my mouth and I choked again. “Wait!” I got to my feet shakily, stumbling backwards into the wall.  
The three stopped running at the exit they had created and turned back to me with serious faces.  
June got to her feet as she coughed several times.  
Courtney remained on the ground, hacking loudly.  
I opened my mouth to try to shout, but I couldn't get a word out with all the crap in the air and I continued choking.  
“The day of destruction is nigh,” the girl with the baseball cap said calmly, seeming unfazed by the choking air. She turned and ran through the hole in the cave and into grassy plains, the world outside looking nothing like what had been revealed when the rampaging Pokemon had appeared.  
The world beyond the hole now looked normal, for lack of a better word, and was definitely not what had been there before. There was grass and trees everywhere. The grass wasn’t as fresh and green as the grass that had been there when the Pokemon had made their way through, and there weren’t as many trees now, either. The trees also didn’t look as strong and healthy as the ones I had seen before. The setting now was similar, and yet very, very different.  
My mind struggled to even explain what I had seen when the group of ancient Pokemon broke into the cave, but I was too confused. My brain was spinning, and I felt ready to pass out.  
“A new world of peace and resolution for all,” the other woman spoke before leaping after her partner.  
The man stood still, staring directly at me.  
I stared back at him, not moving, hardly even breathing, trying to make sense of the words his two companions had spoken.  
His eyes seemed to grow colder. “You have witnessed a monumental event in this planet's history. This day, an amazing portal to the past opened for us, and by using the life force of this Fossil Pokemon, Carracosta, which we resurrected from the Cover Fossil, we kept open the portal as it entered its Enlargement Phase, and entered a world to creatures that couldn't possibly coexist with the civilization of today, opening the door to a realm of complete madness! These Pokemon contain amazing, destructive powers, using them recklessly and without hesitation, which is quite useful for our needs. With Carracosta now depleted of its life energy, the portal has closed, but we have accomplished precisely what was needed: the release of the vicious ancients into the present! Now, bask in the glory of the day of the official resurgence of the almighty Team Solace!!!” The man turned away and jumped through the hole, disappearing from view within seconds.  
I wasn't entirely sure where the pain that radiated throughout my body came from, nor when it had begun. I only realized an obscure amount of time later that I was on my knees, looking through the hole to the outside where the three people had run through, my body throbbing painfully all over.  
“I don't understand anything of what just happened here,” a voice said from behind me.  
It was almost as if I didn't hear her. I just remained on the ground, not moving a muscle.  
“What were they talking about?” the voice spoke up again after a while. “Did they say something about Team Solace? What's going on here?”  
Silence returned the girl's questions.   
I couldn't quite remember her name, and I didn't care enough to try to remember.  
“Will either of you two answer me?” she yelled frantically.  
I swallowed, but I didn't say a word.  
“Hey! Are you okay? Answer me!”   
Something grabbed my shoulders and turned me around quickly. I found myself looking into the frightened face of Courtney.  
“Gary, what is wrong with you? Can't you speak?” she cried.  
“Bask in the glory of the day of the official resurgence of the almighty Team Solace!!!” the declaration from that man repeated in my mind.  
“Gary!” Courtney shook me hard.  
“Bask in the glory of the day of the official resurgence of the almighty Team Solace!!!” the man's voice shouted again.  
“Gary!” Courtney shook me harder.  
“The official resurgence of the almighty Team Solace!!!” the man's voice yelled threateningly.  
“Please! Gary, talk, damn it!” Courtney kept on shaking me roughly.  
“NO!!” I screamed, shoving her off of me. I crawled backwards in terror away from Courtney as she squinted at me angrily, and I backed into something with a gasp.  
A gasp from behind me made me turn around.  
June was looking back at me, her face pale with fright, her chest heaving.  
I felt so weak, but staring at June, I felt completely defenseless.  
A small squeak escaped from her throat as she tried to speak.  
I was desperate to say something to her, but it was impossible to talk. What could possibly be said? I wasn't even sure what had just happened. My mind was racing with replays of everything that had occurred recently, but nothing added up.  
June and I ran into Courtney.  
The three of us found a Carracosta in a strange box being zapped by electricity.  
An army of extinct Pokemon had run through a large, mysterious hole in the cave before it closed up entirely.  
A group of three mysterious figures had left us alone, making an alarming statement regarding Team Solace returning.  
Was that what I had been through today? Was that what I had heard from those three? None of it made any sense.  
June turned away from me and her eyes fell upon the Carracosta. She slowly crawled on her hands and knees over to the Pokemon and stopped next to her. She reached out a shaky hand towards the Pokemon and rested it on her shell. A low, distant squeak met my ears, followed by another one, June's shoulders jumping with each cry. Her head lowered and her body began to shake as she started to lightly cry.  
Courtney was watching June, but then turned to me with a look of sadness mixed with confusion, so close to pity.  
My eyes reverted back to June, who was still crying next to the deceased Pokemon. What does this mean? I wondered. Deadly Pokemon that are meant to be extinct have been set free into the modern world? What's going to happen now?   
“Bask in the glory of the day of the official resurgence of the almighty Team Solace!!!”  
I shivered uncontrollably, thinking on the last words spoken by that man. Impossible, I thought as my eyes teared up, still staring at June. I swallowed and shook my head. It can't be. Isaac is dead. It's all over.   
“Team Solace has finally come to an end,” Prof. Oak's comforting words had told me years ago.  
They were words that had given me comfort for the past couple of years. Even whilst traveling through Unova, I sometimes found myself thinking on his words, and they brought me peace. There were plenty of times when strange occurrences in the Unova region made me reflect back to the actions of Team Solace, but it was always the Professor's words that had made me breathe easier. Now, I was shaking nonstop, unable to breathe straight, reflecting on my entire adventure so far.  
Meeting Prof. Juniper, Ella, and Trixa.  
Capturing my forgetful Pidove.  
Running into the injured Purrloin and Leipard on my way to Striaton City.  
Earning my first badge in Striaton City.  
Trixa leaving our group in tears after our argument.  
Burgh attacking Castelia City with his swarm of bugs and mutant human-insect hybrid.  
June, her Eevee, and I being chased off a cliff by a Cacturne.  
The Exeggutor left burning on the island close to Nimbasa City.  
The attack on the Nimbasa City subway by an Aggron.  
My date with Ella.  
The Golurk attack on the town outside of Chargestone Cave.  
Finding my sister, Melissa.  
Losing my sister, Melissa.  
Getting beaten up by a gang of Scrafty.  
I had convinced myself that the many attacks that had been occurring throughout my journey were horrific, unfortunate accidents caused by Pokemon that had gotten mixed in with human civilization, and nothing more. But I had always feared, in the back of my mind, that it may have been something more. That fearful thinking returned to me as I continued to tremble in place.   
My eyes closed tightly as the worst thought I had ever imagined forced its way into the front of my mind.  
Breathing was now so hard that I had to open my mouth and breathe through both that and my nose noisily with every inhale and exhale.  
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, I thought repeatedly, forcing the thought in my head away as I closed my eyes tightly, furrowing my eyebrows, pursing my lips together tightly.  
My determined chant was easily swatted away as the thought speaking my worst nightmare came back.  
Team Solace has returned.


	40. Encrypted Bidding

“Gary!”  
My eyes shot open and I sat up in bed, squinting tiredly towards the door to my room. Yawning and stretching, I twisted my back and cracked it a couple of times from side to side.  
The blinds on my window were closed, the sun trying to peek its way into my room.  
Morning already, I thought, groaning. What’s with the wakeup call…? Oh! The sweet aroma of bacon and eggs had reached my nose. Breakfast! Yes! I climbed out of bed and kicked out my feet, getting the blood flowing throughout my body.  
“Gaaaaaaryyyyyy!!”  
I’m coming , I’m coming, I thought happily as I jogged in place with a big smile on my face. Time for some breakfast, and then I’ll head on over to Aly’s house and me, her, Robin, and Kiwi can watch some of our favorite cartoons, like Pokemon, Yo-Gi-Ah!, Billie Fong Adventures, The Loud Family, and Ronny Macho. “Yes! Yes! Yes!” I cheered excitedly as I burst from my room and took off down the stairs and into the kitchen.  
“Well, there you are,” Melissa greeted me after swallowing a mouthful of food from the plate of bacon, eggs, and toast in front of her, remnants of ketchup smeared around it, a short glass of orange juice sitting by her plate. She was wearing blue pajama pants and a light blue, buttoned up pajama shirt, her feet in white socks. “Your food is probably cold, but if you don’t wanna eat it, I’ll gladly clean your plate for you.” She snickered as she struggled not to burst out laughing, a huge smile on her face.  
“Pfft,” I responded. I took a seat next to her and inhaled the scent of my own plate of bacon and scrambled eggs topped with ketchup next to a pair of slices of buttered toast, happily. “Oh, man! This is gonna be awesome!” I grabbed my fork and scooped up the eggs into my mouth. I smiled as I chewed on the delicious food. “Dad, this is the best!” I cried out after swallowing.  
“Thanks, boy,” my dad responded from the stove, his arms crossed over his chest as he smiled at me.  
Behind him was a large plate on the counter next to the stove. The plate contained a tall stack of pancakes topped with a large chunk of melting butter, syrup running down the sides, two slices of toast and several strips of bacon next to them, while sunny side up eggs were frying on a large pan. Sitting next to the plate was a tall glass of orange juice.  
I stabbed a piece of bacon with my fork and bit into the mostly crispy slice, and then I scooped more eggs into my open mouth.  
“You little piggy. You’ll choke,” Melissa snickered. “Take your time, will you? Then again, I guess you’d die happy. Please, continue.”  
I reached across to her and snatched her fork from her hand.  
“Hey!” she exclaimed.  
I flung it behind me and heard it clatter to the floor.  
“You little…” she grumbled angrily, glaring at me.  
I smiled as I kept my eyes on my plate of food, chewing quickly.  
“Gary, you go and pick that up right away,” my dad instructed me sternly. His back was facing me and my sister as he cooked, holding the pan above the stovetop, but his head was turned around, his eyes narrowed at me.  
I furrowed my eyebrows and continued eating.  
“Do you understand me?” dad asked even more seriously.  
I don’t understand nothing, I thought grumpily, but I swallowed the food in my mouth and sighed, getting out of my seat and walking over to pick up Melissa’s fork from the floor. I walked back to my chair and started to toss the dirty fork into her food.  
“Gary, if you don’t bring that fork up to the sink right this second, I’ll embarrass you right in front of your sister!” dad told me angrily, setting the pan down on the stovetop and crossing his arms over his broad chest.  
I sighed, my heart beating quickly. The last thing I wanted was to get a belt whipping from my dad, especially not first thing in the morning, but I especially didn’t want the embarrassment of getting my pants pulled down in front of my own sister! I got out of my chair and walked over to the sink, dropping the fork into it, and I grasped a clean fork from the dish rack.  
“Excuse me?”  
My dad’s strong voice stopped me. With an angry sigh, I placed the fork back and opened the drawer beneath it.  
A set of utensils sat inside of the drawer, including a set of thick, black scissors me and my sister weren’t allowed to touch, and a large, metal screw.  
I grabbed a fork and grumbled as I made my way back to my chair near Melissa and dropped the fork onto her plate with a sigh.  
My sister picked up her fork and help it up in the air, staring at it in disgust. “Ew. Little brother germs,” she sneered.  
Oh, go shove it, I thought to myself as I grabbed my small glass of orange juice and sipped from it quickly. Man, older sisters suck so bad.  
Melissa scooped up a piece of bacon with her fork, but it fell right off as she raised the food to her mouth, so Melissa picked the bacon up with her hand and put it into her mouth. “So yummy!” Melissa beamed. “Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day!”  
Crazy, I thought, shaking my head. Breakfast is cool, but dinner tops it by far!  
“What?” Melissa demanded, turning to me.  
I had a forkful of eggs ready to be eaten, but I turned to my sister. “What? I didn’t say anything!”  
“I saw you shaking your head, Gary,” Melissa told me. “What do you have to say this time? You always have something to say, Gary.”  
“Shoo, will you? If I had something to say, I’d have said it.” I shoved the fork in my mouth and began to chew on its contents.  
“You always have an opinion on something. Spit it out, will ya?” she insisted.  
“I don’t have anything to say! Just shut up!” I told her angrily.  
“Hey, now, none of that,” dad said, scooping up eggs from the pan with a spatula and dropping them into his plate. “You speak politely to your older sister, you understand?”  
“But-!” I tried.  
“You heard dad,” Melissa smiled. “Be polite to me. Respect your elders.”  
”Some elders don’t deserve respect,” I muttered as I drank from my glass of juice.  
“What was that?” Melissa asked, smiling even wider. “I didn’t quite catch that.”  
I said to take that fork and jam it through your eye, I answered silently. Then I’ll respect you. It’s too early to be dealing with your stupidity.  
“Hmmmm?” Melissa inquired.  
I shot her an angry look as I chewed.  
My dad walked over to the table and set his plate of food and glass of juice down on the table. He took a seat and used his fork to scoop up a couple of eggs onto his toast, and he placed four slices of bacon on top of it. The bottle of ketchup on the kitchen table was snatched up quickly by my dad and he squeezed a light amount over the bacon and eggs on his toast, and then some more on the remaining slices of bacon and eggs on his plate before setting the bottle down. Another slice of toast was placed on top of the eggs, bacon, and the first slice of toast, and he grabbed it in his hands, swished it around in the syrup coating the bottom of the plate, and took an enormous bite into the sandwich. A huge smile crossed his face, displaying his enjoyment in his cooking. “Nothing quite like a good breakfast, huh?”  
Melissa and I both nodded as we both took another bite from our food.  
Dad let out a cheerful moan and stabbed at several pieces of cut up pancakes on his plate and forced them into his mouth with the still visible mixture of eggs, bacon, and toast on his tongue. He moaned with pleasure again as his teeth ripped apart his food. “Yeah! Breakfast time!” Grunting with delight for a moment, my dad finally swallowed his food and turned to my sister. “So, Melissa, how do you feel this morning?”  
Melissa chewed her food a little faster and raised her glass of orange juice to her lips, downing it quickly. Taking in a gasp of air as she put her glass to the table, she said, “Not bad! Been thinking about where I should head off to, next.”  
“Take your time with eating, okay?” dad instructed firmly. “There’s no rush to answer me. Eat carefully and slowly. Chew and swallow before speaking.”  
Melissa smiled and nodded. “Sorry, dad. I’m really excited, though! After how well I did in the Johto League, and how far I’ve come on my journey, I just want to keep on improving!”  
“Yeah, placing amongst the top ten was amazing, sweetheart,” dad beamed proudly. “You really did the family proud out there. You and Venusaur have truly become one in battle. The bond you two share is undeniable.”  
“Thank you, daddy!” Melissa cried with delight, and she finished the last scoop of eggs on her plate.  
“Yeah, finishing top ten is better than the top twenty position you did in Kanto,” I said, a smile creeping across my face.  
Melissa had stood up, holding her dishes to bring them to the sink. She turned to me and glared. “Just remember that the only reason you beat me was because you had a Charizard that you only chose because I started my journey off with a Bulbasaur. You wanted a Squirtle originally. And right after you beat me, you ended up losing.” She walked over to the sink and rinsed off her plate and fork.  
“Yeah, but who did I end up losing to? Huh?” I asked her. “Aly! Aly and her Venusaur. You have no excuse. And I beat Robin and his Blastoise before facing you.”  
“Now, now, you two,” dad said, his mouth full of food. “Behave.”  
“Gary started it,” Melissa said as she scrubbed her plate with a soapy sponge.  
“I was congratulating you on doing better in Johto,” I shrugged. “Don’t get mad because I mentioned some other facts.”  
“Nobody asked for them,” Melissa snapped.  
“Nobody asked for you!” I shot back.  
“What does that mean?” Melissa demanded, turning to me as she set her plate down in the sink.  
“Take it how you want!”  
“Tell me how to take it!”  
“HEY!” dad shouted. “That is enough out of the two of you! This is meant to be a happy occasion! My two kids are back from their Pokemon journeys for a little while, and I have a little bit of time off from my job, as well. Why must you two always try to ruin these moments?”  
I lowered my head, staring sadly at my eggs, remaining slices of bacon, and two slices of cooling toast. My dad’s words made me feel really bad.  
“I’m sorry, daddy,” Melissa said softly.  
“Yeah,” I agreed. “I feel bad.”  
Dad sighed. “It’s alright, but, please. I have enough to deal with at my job. Seeing you two is pretty much one of my only pleasures. Let’s enjoy this time we have together before you two head off on your next region trips.”  
“Are you having trouble at work lately, daddy?” Melissa asked as she continued scrubbing her plate.  
“It gets hectic sometimes,” my dad sighed.  
I chewed eagerly on a sandwich I made out of the bacon, eggs, and toast on my plate, staring at my dad as he spoke.  
“Sometimes, there are great battles, and the Trainers are the kindest people in the world. Humble, appreciative, and respectful. But then there are the Trainers who want to accuse you of cheating, want rematch after rematch, and are just plain annoying.”  
“Aww, I’m sorry, daddy,” Melissa said as she placed her fork in the dish rack and turned off the faucet.  
“Just another day,” dad smiled at her, shrugging.  
“Are you still pursing becoming the Pokemon Champion of Kanto?” I asked him, finishing my sandwich.  
“I’m still working with my Pokemon before I try to advance my reputation any further,” Dad said, and he shoveled the last of the food on his plate into his mouth. He took a few seconds to chew before speaking again, his voice muffled by his food. “Once I defeat the other three members of the Elite Four, I may consider challenging the Champion, but right now, there’s much more work to do.”  
“Dad, I can hardly hear you,” Melissa laughed, walking back to her seat. “Swallow before talking. Isn’t that what you just told me?”  
Dad chewed quickly and swallowed his food, bursting out laughing. “Alright, alright. Point taken.” He waved his hand at her nonchalantly.  
Melissa rolled her eyes as she sat down at the table.  
“Anyway, I’m thinking me and Hitmonlee will spend the day doing some intense training,” he continued. “His Special Defense is looking in poor shape.”  
“Don’t take too long training, dad,” I said with a smile as I finished my juice and jumped up eagerly to bring my dishes to the sink to wash them, full of excitement. “Melissa and I are coming for that Pokemon Champion title, too, you know. I got top four at the last competition I was in at the Sinnoh League. I might compete in the Kanto League again instead of traveling through a different region. If I win this time, I’m saving you for last, dad. I’ll beat the other three members of the Elite Four, and then you, and then I’ll be able to defeat the Champion.”  
“You mean challenge the Champion,” Melissa told me.  
“No, I mean defeat him, Melissa,” I scowled as I set my cleaned plate down in the dish rack and picked up my dirty fork. “I’m not competing to battle, I’m competing to win!”  
“Daddy will be the Champion long before you defeat a League,” Melissa said, staring at me with a bored look.  
“I’ll be retired before you defeat a League,” I replied.  
“Retired or retarded,” Melissa responded.  
“Probably both!”  
“You’re already retarded!”  
“And still competing better than you at the Pokemon League!”  
“I’ll battle you right now!”  
“Then, let’s go!”  
“Fine!”  
“Oh, yeah?”  
“Yeah!”  
I released the sponge and cup in my hand into the sink as Melissa leaped up from the kitchen table and we both ran for the living room.  
SMASH!! the cup broke in the sink.  
“STOP!!”  
Dad’s bellow made us both freeze at the stairs leading to our rooms. We both turned around and lowered our heads.  
Melissa reached her hand up and brushed her shiny black hair from her face as it fell into her eyes.  
Dad stood up and walked to the sink, the water still running in it, and he turned off the faucet. He then approached us.  
Our heads down, me and my sister backed up a few feet as our intimidating father towered over us.  
“A Pokemon battle sounds quite nice,” he said in gentle voice. “But for right now, how about we-?”  
The phone rang, interrupting my dad.  
We all turned to the living room and left the kitchen together, our eyes stopping on the large screen against the wall, next to the couch.  
“I wonder who this is,” dad said.  
“Probably Gary’s girlfriend,” Melissa muttered.  
“I do not have a girlfriend!” I glared at her.  
“She’s a nice girl,” my dad replied.  
“She isn’t my girlfriend!” I cried, staring at him in shock.  
“I’ll bet your allowance it’s her,” Melissa smiled mischievously.  
My face heated up immediately as I stared at Melissa with wide eyes.  
“You game?” she asked.  
“Even if it is her, she isn’t my girlfriend!” I shouted.  
“Gary! There you are! Where are you, you butt?”  
I gasped and turned to the phone’s screen. “Aly!”  
Aly glared out at me, her hair looking a mess, sitting in pink pajamas with a mix of different kinds of cats’ faces all over it. “Are you coming over or what? Pokemon is about to start!”  
“Really? What?! I’m on my way!”  
“Hurry up!” she cried frantically.  
“Are Kiwi and Robin there, too?” I asked.  
“Robin’s in Viridian with his parents, and Kiwi’s gotta visit her grandmother, so they can’t come over today,” Aly told me.  
My face got even redder at the sound of Melissa’s snickering, but I didn’t look over at her.  
“You’re still in your pajamas! You’re not even dressed!” Aly yelled. “Oh, just get over here, will you? It’ll have to be a pajama party, then. Gosh!”  
“I’m gonna be, known as the best,” the theme song of Pokemon began.  
“Oh my gosh it’s on Gary get over here now ‘kay bye!”  
The screen went blank.  
Silence filled the room.  
I stared at Melissa from the corner of my eye.  
Her face held a huge smile.  
I turned to her, a nervous look on my face. “Okay, wait a minute.”  
“You and Aly in your pajamas watching Saturday morning cartoons together, huh?” Melissa taunted me. “Daddy, is that not the cutest thing you’ve ever heard in your life?”  
Dad chuckled. “Well, boy, you should never keep a lady waiting.”  
“But… But… But…” I stammered.  
“Daddy’s right,” Melissa nodded. “We really don’t like waiting around like that. I think you two are moving too fast, though. I mean, a pajama party already? Alone? Go get dressed, little guy.”  
My dad laughed as I grumbled angrily, blushing hard, and stomped upstairs to my room.

*

“It wasn’t a date! I already told you this, you idiot,” I grumbled as I slouched at one end of the couch and crossed my arms.  
“Hey, we don’t use that kind of language, here,” dad said firmly from his large, black chair.  
It wasn’t even that bad of a word, I thought grumpily. “Sorry,” I mumbled.  
“So what you’re saying is that you two haven’t kissed, yet?” Melissa continued from the other end of the couch.  
“Melissa!” I shouted at her.  
“Okay, Melissa. I think that’s about enough,” dad told her. “You haven’t let up on Gary since he got back home.”  
“Alright,” Melissa smiled. “I mean, he’s only been home for an hour, so I don’t think I’ve been going in that hard on him, but I’ll stop if I must. Though, I must say, coming home at nine and breaking your curfew? I mean, something must have been going on.” She smiled at me, winking.  
“Yes, Gary, that’s unacceptable,” dad said in a more serious tone. “You’re meant to be home by eight. I think your curfew is rather fair for your age, personally, and I expected that you’d be much more responsible in respecting it. I could cut it short a few hours if I need to, boy.”  
“I told you, dad, Aly pulled a prank!” I cried. “She pushed the clock time back an hour on purpose. When I realized what she had done, I ran home as fast as possible!”  
“Well, if that girl doesn’t like you, then just imagine how she treats the boys she actually has a crush on,” Melissa laughed.  
“Melissa, dad said to leave me alone!” I yelled at her, and I turned to see my dad stifling laughter. “Dad!” I cried out, hurt.  
He cleared his throat, his smile fading immediately, and he glared at my sister. “Melissa!”  
“Okay, okay,” Melissa continued to laugh.  
“How did training go?” I asked dad, lowering my eyes sadly to the floor, trying to change the subject.  
“Not bad,” dad answered, though his voice didn’t sound too pleased. “There’s a lot of work to do, but we didn’t do too badly, I guess.”  
“Any improvements?” I questioned.  
“Not one, but his kicks are looking in prime shape,” my dad answered. “There might not be much more I can do for him. During our short break, I gave him his lunch, and then I stepped off towards the trees to take care of nature’s call, if you know what I mean.”  
“TMI, dad,” Melissa groaned, covering her face with her palm, shaking her head.  
I snickered.  
“When I had returned, he was in my bag, digging up my snacks to eat,” my dad continued. “The Naughty thing.”  
“Well, nothing wrong with a good offense, right?” I told my dad. “I mean, a better hit than what the opponent can deliver can be the deciding factor of a match, right?”  
“How well each side can take a hit factors in just as much, right, daddy?” Melissa jumped in.  
“Precisely,” dad nodded at her, smiling.  
Melissa smiled at me smugly.  
I stuck my tongue out at her.  
“Fighting types don’t have too many weaknesses, but I’m really concerned about him, regardless,” my dad told us.  
“Don’t Hitmonlee typically carry a lower Defense than a Special Defense, daddy?” Melissa inquired.  
“Yes, and that’s the other problem,” dad replied. “I mean, there’s only but so much one can do to improve their Pokemon’s natural Stats, and I’ve tried a couple of them, but I’m just not seeing any results.”  
“Why are you so worried about Hitmonlee?” I asked him. “I mean, why not use a different Pokemon?”  
“Ha, well, Hitmonlee is my favorite Pokemon,” my dad smiled, looking up at the ceiling. “I’ve tried hard to obtain the very best Pokemon in the world and raise them to their strongest points. Since first becoming a Pokemon Trainer, I wanted the most powerful Pokemon out there. The most troublesome types to defeat and counter. The hardest hitters. But I also knew I would always have a Hitmonlee with me, no matter what. He isn’t the strongest Pokemon on my team, but he sure does come through. What’s more, he’s a good friend. I love my Hitmonlee and I want him to be a staple on my team, no matter what.”  
“That’s really sweet, daddy,” Melissa smiled at him. “It’s even quite a bit inspiring.”  
“Yeah,” I agreed, nodding.  
“Well, tomorrow’s another day. Not to mention, in only five more days, I’ll be headed off again. What do you two plan on doing in that amount of time? Have you thought about it?”  
“Yeah. Actually, I’m thinking of taking some time off from Pokemon training and taking a little vacation,” Melissa told dad. “I was thinking of spending some time in the Oblivia region.”  
“Oblivia? Interesting choice. Just be careful. They don’t care for Pokemon being contained out there. Poke Balls are frowned upon over there, honey.”  
“Really?” I was surprised to hear this.  
“Yeah, I know.” Melissa turned to me. “I think that’s why it’s the place I’ll go to. I’ll just bring my Venusaur with me and leave the others with Prof. Oak.”  
“Sounds like a plan.” Dad nodded his approval and then turned to me. “And what about you?”  
“Well, I haven’t really fully decided, yet,” I told him slowly, lowering my eyes. “I didn’t really get the chance to think about it much today.”  
“Well, you have a few days to think it over,” dad said.  
“He was too busy thinking about Aly,” Melissa giggled.  
“HA!” My dad cleared his throat and cut his laughter short as I looked up at him and squinted angrily. “Melissa! What did I say?” He turned to her sharply.  
“Sorry.” She lowered her head, visibly smiling.  
“As I said before, though, I’m probably thinking I’ll try and compete in Kanto again, maybe,” I said thoughtfully.  
“Do Aly or your other friends know what they want to do next?” dad asked me.  
“Aly’s definitely going to try and challenge the Elite Four once autumn arrives,” I informed him. “The last time I spoke to Kiwi, she was considering going to the Orange Archipelago. She said there’s some sort of Pokemon League out there, too.”  
“Yes, the Orange League,” dad acknowledged. “Their League requires only four Badges in order to compete, but each of the four Gym Leaders put you through a different kind of test involving the relationship between the Trainer and their Pokemon, as opposed to just battling.”  
“I don’t get it,” I said, squinting at my dad in confusion.  
“Pokemon battling requires a bond between Pokemon and Trainer, but what they emphasize is how else that bond can be displayed,” my dad explained. “Oh! Before I forget, kids, I’m still trying to obtain that Growlithe for you two.”  
“You’ve been after that thing for years, dad!” I laughed.  
“Well, that Roar attack is no joke,” Dad chuckled. “Sends your Pokemon back to its Poke Ball, and then Growlithe just runs off!”  
“You’ll catch it next time, daddy,” Melissa said encouragingly. “Don’t give up. I believe in you.”  
“Yeah, dad! Next time we all come home, I bet you’ll have a Growlithe with you,” I chimed in.  
“It’s funny how a member of the Elite Four is having trouble capturing his kids a Growlithe,” Dad sighed, smiling.  
“It must be really high leveled!” I noted. “That just means when you finally do get it, it’ll be that much more special. And it must be special if its the same one that keeps coming back!”  
“Don’t worry about it. Just do your best,” Melissa said to our father. “That’s all I can ask for.”  
“As long as you two promise to take care of it, share it, and not fight over it,” my dad said sternly. “If you two can promise to do that and show a little responsibility and maturity for a change, I’ll even make sure I find a second one so you both can have one for yourselves.”  
Melissa squealed with delight.  
“Yes!” I cheered.  
We faced each other and nodded before turning back to our dad.  
“We’ll take care of it for sure, dad!” I assured him.  
“Yeah!” Melissa nodded quickly.  
“And no fighting over who gets to keep the first one if I catch a second one,” dad warned.  
“Sure thing,” I told him.  
Melissa nodded again.  
Dad sighed and slouched in his chair, lowering his head. “This makes me think of your mother…”  
Melissa and I turned to each other and looked down sadly.  
“Poor woman hated dogs, and a lot of animals, really.” Dad shook his head sadly. “Wasn’t much more that she hated more than Pokemon, though. She’d have never let us have a Pokemon running around the house.”  
I hated when dad talked about mom. I knew it brought him so much pain, and Melissa and I always ended up in our own silent tears as he reflected on her.  
Dad sighed. “The Pokemon were never allowed in the house. She never really paid any attention to them and rarely acknowledged their presence, but she cared, somewhere deep down inside. You two remember when my Rapidash was sick a few years back and Mom came out and gave her a bowl of water after she had thrown up in the front yard?” Dad laughed lightly.  
I nodded silently, remembering that summer.  
Melissa sniffled and wiped at her nose as she nodded.  
“Boy, she sure was mad about that, but she cared enough to try and help her out a little bit.” Dad wiped at his eyes and took a deep breath. “I miss that woman. May she rest in peace. She was a good soul.”  
My eyes closed as I thought of my mother. She had passed away exactly two years before Melissa had left on her very first Pokemon journey; three years before I had departed on mine.  
A loud BANG made me jump and turn to the front door.  
Melissa cried out, staring at the open door.  
“Whoa!” my dad shouted in shock, straightening up in his chair.  
A girl stared in at us from the open door, her eyes frantic, flying around the room. They stopped on me and widened, a smile crossing her face, and then they turned to Melissa, and she gasped as her eyes widened even further, her smile fading, replaced with an open mouth of shock. The girl then turned to my dad and squinted at him for a moment before looking back to me. “Gary!”  
I stared back at her in surprise, stunned that she knew my name.  
This strange girl that had just broken into my house was wearing red jeans, matching red sneakers, and a yellow T-shirt. A large, black bag hung from her right shoulder. Her startlingly red hair matched the rest of the red she was wearing.  
Who is she? I wondered. She's pretty, but what's going on here?  
“Gary, listen to me! Please! It's me, June!”  
Who? I questioned, squinting at her. June? I racked my brain, trying to remember anyone I'd ever known named June. “Who are you?” I asked her slowly.  
“Gary!” the girl gasped in shock. “You have to come with me! Please!”  
Melissa let out a screech and leaped from the couch. She charged at the girl and tackled her to the ground.  
The girl who said her name was June, screamed in fear as she struggled to get from underneath my sister.  
Melissa wrapped her hands around June’s throat and squeezed.  
June immediately started choking, gasping for air.  
“GO AWAY!!” Melissa shrieked as she shook June by her neck, slamming her head into the floor. “You're not needed here! You're ruining everything! You're obsolete! DIIIIIIIEEE!!!”  
June grabbed Melissa's wrists and struggled to inhale air into her lungs. Her eyes were bulging grotesquely, looking as if they might actually pop at any given moment.  
I wanted to close my eyes, afraid of seeing something so disgusting, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the fight.  
June's eyes turned to me, tears rolling down them nonstop. “Gary...” she croaked.  
Melissa let out a furious shout and tightened her grip on the girl's throat. She slammed June's head into the floor even harder, repeatedly, crying out angrily with each slam. “You're... Not... Needed!!” Melissa growled.  
June's fingers dug into Melissa's, struggling to create some space between them and her throat as her face flushed purple.  
“Every... Thing's... Perfect!!”  
June's eyes rolled up into the back of her head and her fingers slowly loosened from Melissa's hands. Blood was staining the area of the floor where June's head was repeatedly being beaten into.  
Tears streamed down Melissa's cheeks as she continued slamming the girl's head. “One... last... day,” Melissa gasped, releasing June's throat. The only thing that could be heard now was Melissa's heavy breathing as she glared down at June's motionless body. Melissa swallowed hard and let out her breath noisily as she continued to keep her eyes on the stranger, her chest heaving.  
“Well done, Melissa,” my dad finally spoke up. “How about you take this girl into the kitchen and leave her there? We can bag her up later and throw her out with the rest of the trash heap tomorrow.”  
“Okay, daddy,” Melissa turned to our father, nodding. She stared back down at June with disgust before strongly slapping her across the face several times.  
June's head turned to the side as she was hit, but other than that, she didn't move.  
When Melissa was done smacking her around, and June didn’t budge, my sister slowly climbed to her feet. She turned to me with a solemn glare. Her head then turned to my dad, and she began to smile a little bit as she nodded.  
My dad nodded back firmly.  
Melissa then grabbed June by her wrists and grunted and groaned as she pulled on June, dragging her into the kitchen.  
I stood up quickly, staring down at the floor as a trail of blood smeared on it from the back of June’s leaking head. “Wait!”  
Melissa stopped tugging on June, looking up at me.  
“Let me help you,” I offered. “We can lift her together.”  
Melissa smiled and nodded quickly. “Thanks, little guy.”  
I smiled back. “Anything for my big sister.” I walked over to her and stared into her light blue eyes, her thin lips returning my loving smile with one of her own. I bent over and reached down to grab June's ankles.  
“You wanna mess with me? Okay,” a low voice said angrily, making Melissa and I gasp as she released June’s wrists, our dad gasping along with us, and we all turned to the sound of the voice.  
“Whoa!” I yelled, not believing my eyes.  
Melissa growled at the girl standing by the entry to the kitchen.  
My dad shook his head, glaring at an unbelievable sight.  
“You wanna play games? Okay.” June stood in the entry to the kitchen, glaring at us with a Poke Ball in her hand. “I'll play with you. Come on!”  
I looked down and saw the dead, bleeding body of June, and I turned to Melissa, who was glaring at June's body between us before she looked up at me, and then she turned to the living June.  
“Okay. You wanna play rough?” the new June snarled, and she pressed the button in the middle of her Poke Ball and enlarged it. “Okay! Say hello to my little friend!” The new June tossed her Poke Ball towards us and it popped open, sending out a roaring Pokemon.  
“ELECTIVIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRRRRRRRE!!” the furious Pokemon screamed, flexing its muscles.  
“Electivire, use your Psychic attack, now!” The new June pointed her finger at me and Melissa.  
“Who is this girl?” I screamed angrily. “What's going on here?”  
“Go away!!” Melissa screamed at her.  
Electivire didn’t move, looking around at me, my sister, and my dad.  
My dad got to his feet. “I think I've had just about enough of this.” My dad pulled out his shiny, silver revolver from his pocket and pointed it at June.  
“Electivire!” the living June gasped, staring at the barrel pointed at her. “You have to use Psychic! Beeheyem is your opponent! Its hiding! The only way to flush it out is with your Psychic attack!!” She turned to me with a determined face. “Gary, this isn't real! It's time to wake up!”  
“Huh?” My eyes bulged in shock as a memory hit me.  
“I'm out of here.” Robin mumbled things and angrily stormed away, shaking his head, staring at his Squirtle's Poke Ball.  
“My name is June. I’m the Gym Leader of Gringey City,” June introduced herself. “It's a pleasure to meet you.” She smiled brightly and brushed her red hair out of her face and extended her hand to me.  
I shook her hand a little too long, deep down not wanting to let go, and when I noticed this, I pulled my hand back a little too sharply.  
She noticed this and laughed. “I'll escort you to the Pokemon Center and we can talk more as they heal your Pokemon.”  
“Okay...”  
“June?” I cried, my heart beating painfully.  
“Vire?” Electivire turned his head to his Trainer as she ducked down.  
My dad lowered his gun, aiming at June.  
The living June screamed.  
“TIVIIIIIIRE!!!” Electivire shouted as his eyes flashed blue, sending a beam of energy at Melissa and I.  
“HEY!” my dad raged as he turned to us.  
Melissa and I screamed as we dropped, dodging the attack.  
My sister had fallen flat to the ground.  
I crashed to my knees and turned to watch as the Psychic move soared over our heads and towards the open front door. A dream? I thought in fear.  
The attack hit a design on the door that resembled a poorly drawn open window.  
A bright light flashed from the door and blinded me.  
Melissa screamed. “GARYYYYYY!!!”  
My dad screamed in fury.   
The June who had sent out Electivire cried out shrilly.  
Electivire roared.  
I covered my eyes and screamed.  
BANG! The sound of my dad’s gun went off.  
The light was so bright, I was blinded by it with my eyes closed. A few moments later, the light faded away, and I lowered my hands.  
I was now in the middle of the woods. It was dark out, crickets chirping around me, no other sound to be heard. A full moon sat brightly in the sky, lighting up the area beautifully, stars twinkling around it, adding to the glory of it.  
Courtney stood staring at me with wide eyes, her mouth hanging open, not moving a muscle.  
June was on her knees next to her, hugging herself, shivering hard, watching me.  
Electivire was looking around eagerly, growling.  
“June!” I managed to call out to her.  
“Gary?” she replied fearfully, still shaking.  
“June!” I scrambled on my hands and knees to her without thinking and wrapped my arms around her, hugging her tightly. I wasn't sure why, but tears trailed from my eyes, down my cheeks. Despite how confused I felt by the tears, I didn't let go of June, and I didn't stop crying, feeling for some reason that this reaction was the right reaction to something that had just occurred, but I didn't know exactly what. All I knew was that June was here and I couldn't have been happier.  
“Gary!” June pulled me into a hug. “Gary, you're back!”  
“Back?” I asked her, not letting go of her. “June, I'm so glad you're here right now. I don't know why, but I really, really need you right now.” It was strange for me to say a thing like that to June, but the level of honesty behind it made me not feel the slightest regret for my choice of words.  
“Oh, Gary!” June sobbed. “You're really back with me?”  
A loud voice startled June, me, Courtney, and Electivire and we all turned.  
Floating above us in the air was a weird creature that kind of resembled an alien. It reminded me of my Elgyem in a way.  
“Vire...” Electivire growled, and his body sparked dangerously.  
“There he is,” June muttered. “Beheeyem.”  
“Beheeyem?” I repeated.  
“That's the Pokemon that's been screwing around with your reality, Gary,” June told me strongly.  
“My reality?” I turned to her swiftly. “What do you mean?”  
June didn't take her eyes off of the Pokemon, glaring at him. “Gary, what do you remember?”  
“I-” My mouth hung open as a flood of thoughts suddenly flushed into my head.  
Melissa, my dad, and I, eating breakfast.  
Melissa, my dad, and I, in the living room, reflecting on my late mother.  
Melissa strangling June to death.  
Obtaining my Starter Pokemon, Charmander, from Prof. Oak.  
Trading my Beedrill with Drock for her Seadra that was holding a Dragon Scale.  
Reaching my hand out to touch my Butterfree's face when she was sad because my phobia of Bugs preventing me from touching her easily.  
Kadabra slugging a defeated Haunter repeatedly with Psycho Cut.  
Isaac falling into Snorlax's open mouth, screaming on his way down.  
Obtaining my eighth Badge from Tera in Viridian City about two years ago.  
Charizard furiously flying through the stadium in the Pokemon League after his loss to Robin’s Blastoise named Catherine, shooting flames into the crowd as they ran away in a panic.  
My mom yelling at me on the phone about losing Melissa after I had found her in Unova after three years of her being gone.  
Prof. Oak informing me that Kiwi had been kidnapped.  
Charizard having gone missing.  
Team Solace's return.  
My eyes were flowing water like facets as I gazed in horror at Beheeyem.  
The Pokemon didn't say a word.  
“I remember,” I whispered as I stared at Beheeyem's blurry form through my teary eyes. “I remember everything. I remember… No… No! It doesn't make sense! I don't understand!! What's going on??!!” I grabbed my head and closed my eyes as my memories swirled in my head.  
I had been defeated by Manuel at the Sinnoh League, coming in fourth place.  
Arnold’s Metagross used Hammer Arm on Robin's Blastoise, Catherine, to smash her through the ground and defeat Robin at the Kanto League.  
I'd met a real Mewtwo and battled it, and it had defeated all of my Pokemon swiftly before flying away, but I wasn't mad, only honored to have had the chance to meet the Pokemon of my dreams, and inspired to face it again someday.  
Aly's Venusaur used Solar Beam on my Charizard as he flew through the air, low on health, and made him spiral rapidly to the ground, costing me my match at the Kanto League.  
BOOM!  
Aly gasped loudly and then collapsed to the ground on her side from the gunshot to her back.  
I dropped to my knees and cried. “I don't understand what's going on!! Help me!! I can't breathe!! I can't… H-h-h-help meeeeeeeeeee!!!” My fingers dug into my face as I cried and screamed, my head feeling as if it were cracking open. Something wrapped around me and held me tight. I leaned against who I knew had to be June and wept.  
“Gary, this is going to take some time,” June told me. “This is all going to take a little bit of time, but everything is going to be okay. I promise.” She rocked me gently in her arms as I cried loudly. “It's alright.”  
“What's going on, June? Tell me!” I begged loudly. “Please! Mom's dead!! Dad's dead!! Melissa's dead!! Aly's dead!! YOU’RE DEAD!! June, help me, please!!!” I wrapped my arms around her and sobbed heavily on her shoulder. “Everybody's dead!”  
“Sshh,” June whispered, rubbing my back. “I'm right here. I'm alive. Let it all out, Gary. We'll get through this.”  
“I need help,” I gasped weakly. “I can't breathe! I can't think. I'm losing it!”  
“You'll differentiate between the illusions, soon,” June said soothingly. “It was all just a filthy trick by this Beheeyem. Your mom is still alive.”  
I looked up slowly, blinking my vision clear from the tears in them. “Illusion…?”  
June stared back at me sadly, and she nodded her head.  
I turned away from her and stared up weakly at the floating creature. “By… That thing?” I croaked weakly.  
“He created an illusory world around us while putting us to sleep,” June explained. “He wiped your memory clear and input new memories. Courtney and I were stuck in a bizarre forest in that dream world, but I found the way out by listening to the voice of that Beheeyem. I could hear his voice through the wind, all around me. I came to the realization that we were in a dream world of some kind, and by using a strong, Psychic attack at a certain target, as long as we all were aware it was a dream, we could break out of there!”  
Beheeyem silently floated above us, watching creepily.  
“It seems that he gave you back your proper memory, but you still have retained the memories of what happened in the dream,” June added.  
“But, why?” I shouted angrily, pushing away from June as I got to my feet and faced Beheeyem. “Why would you do that in the first place? Why would you put me in a dream world like that?! Why would you erase my memory like that and make me believe everything was okay?! Why would you take away my mom?” My body trembled as my voice lowered weakly. “Why would you make me think I had my sister…? And my dad…?” My eyes began to overflow almost immediately as I began to cry again. “Why would dare do that to me...?” I whimpered.  
Beheeyem stared at me quietly.  
“Answer me!!!” I screamed at him shrilly, closing my hands into angry, shaking fists. “I want an answer, Beheeyem!! Tell me!! You don't just do things like that to people!! It isn't right! What is wrong with you?! Why…?” My words in my throat wouldn't continue to come out, and I fell weakly to my knees, my quivering legs no longer able to hold me up.  
Beheeyem kept his eyes on me, but he didn't speak.  
I covered my face with my hands and cried painfully, my heart abusing my chest as it pounded against it hard. Why…? I thought painfully to myself.  
“Beheeyem,” the Psychic Pokemon finally spoke.  
I gasped and looked up at him. “Huh?”  
Beheeyem’s hands were in the air, three dots on each one, one green, another yellow, and the last one red, like my Elgyem. The dots were blinking rapidly in no visible order or pattern. “Beheeyem,” he said, his eyes on me. “Yem. Beheeyem, Behee, Beheeyem. Heeyem Beheeeeeeeeeeyem!” Beheeyem continued to speak to me as I kept my eyes on him, wishing I could understand what he was saying. “Beheeyem Yem Yem Beheeyem!” He stared at me as he finished speaking. He kept his hands up though the lights on them had stopped blinking.  
The only sound to be heard now was a sudden wind that blew against us before it faded away, returning us to silence.  
I turned to June, and my heart beat even faster and harder at the look on her face.  
She was staring up at Beheeyem in shock, her eyes squinted slightly in what was either disbelief or confusion.  
“June! Tell me!” I begged. “Please! What is it? I need to know!”  
June slowly looked down to me, but she didn't speak. She swallowed and her bottom lip began to quiver.  
“Tell me, June!” I shouted at her. “I need an answer!”  
June slowly nodded. “Beheeyem said that you deserved to see them.”  
I didn't know how to react to her words, so I shook my head slowly at her. “What?” I breathed heavily. “What??”  
June swallowed again before speaking. “He said you deserved to see them both. Your father, and your sister. He said, you needed to have this. To see her as she truly is, and was, again.”  
I shook my head again and turned to Beheeyem. “What are you talking about? What does that mean? What do you know about my sister?” I got to my feet again as a sudden flare of fury filled my body, making my fists tighten at my sides and my eyebrows furrow furiously. “What do you know about her? Answer me, you damn thing! What do you know?!!”  
Beheeyem didn't reply, but simply hovered above me, watching calmly.  
“Have you seen her?” I whispered, and I cleared my throat. “Have you seen my sister?!” I shouted at him, my body trembling in shock. “HAVE YOU SEEN MY SISTER?!” My fists began to shake and tighten at my sides as I took a step towards Beheeyem.  
“Beheeyem, Yem,” the alien creature spoke, and his hands lowered at his sides as his body started to glow in multiple colors. Light blue, vertical lines surrounded his body, and he disappeared.  
“Wait!” My eyes widened, my mouth dropping. “Wait!” I ran to where Beheeyem had just been and spun around in a circle. “Beeheyem! Beheeyeeeeemm!” I spun around again. “NNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! BEHEEYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEM!!!!!!!!”  
June was looking through the air, trying to spot the Pokemon.  
Courtney wore a look of confusion and fear on her face as she glanced around for Beheeyem with us.  
My shoulders slumped in defeat as I trembled on the spot. I wrapped my arms around my shoulders and looked at the dirt ground in exhaustion.  
“Unwary smile…” June whispered, her voice quivering.  
I slowly turned to face her. “What did you just say...?” I whispered to her weakly.  
June's emotional, watering eyes were on me. “Beheeyem... He said... ‘Sh-she’s received... her unwary smile...’”  
“Her… unwary smile?” I repeated slowly in a low voice. “She... received her unwary smile? What... What is that? What does that even mean??”  
June didn't answer me for a while.  
I waited for her to talk.  
It was a couple of long minutes before, in a low voice, June finally, shakily, answered me: “I don’t know…” June slowly shrugged her shoulders. “Sometimes, it can be hard for me to interpret exactly what a Pokemon is trying to say. There can be different dialects from Pokemon to Pokemon, or even from place to place. But, that’s what I’m sure I understood out of him before he used Teleport… ‘She’s received her unwary smile.’” She shook her head at me sadly. “I'm so sorry, Gary. That’s all I got.”  
“But…” My eyes began to water up desperately, uncontrollably. “I don't understand what that means...” I whimpered, and I fell helplessly to my knees. My eyelids closed tightly as hot tears easily burned their way through them.


	41. A Flock OF Flames

Her unwary smile… I reflected. She’s received her unwary smile… She’s received her unwary smile...  
June and Courtney were both out of sight, walking behind me, their feet crunching on the grass underneath them as we all walked through the thick forest, our path lined on both sides by a never ending row of dark green shrubs that nearly reached up to my knees.  
She’s received her unwary smile, I told myself.  
Melissa’s smile had been plastered in my mind ever since June had told me Beheeyem’s bizarre sentence some time ago. Melissa’s thin lips spreading across her face in a soft smile. Her lips opening apart to reveal her teeth, sharing the same small gap in between her two front teeth that everyone on my mother’s side of the family had.  
My sister’s received her unwary smile… I repeated in my head. My sister received her unwary smile? What is an unwary smile? An unaware smile... What does that mean? How do you receive an unwary smile? From who? Or… what? Why? What does it mean? It doesn’t make any sense! What was that Pokemon talking about?  
June, Courtney, and I had been traveling through a strange setting of constant trees, shrubs, bushes, flowers, and grass for a while, the exact amount of time unknown. Since our encounter with Beheeyem, the atmosphere between the three of us had been pretty heavy and thick.  
After Beheeyem had uttered his final sentence to us and teleported away, the only sound that remained was that of the crickets in the surrounding darkness of the night and the wind whistling through the grass.  
Courtney insisted on understanding what had just happened. She said that she and June had been in a forest in the dream that Beheeyem had put us in, and that June had claimed to sense a voice in the air. A voice that Courtney could not hear. She followed June through the trees, June saying that the voice was in the direction she was leading Courtney in, and they found themselves in Pallet Town, where my house was. They had peeked in through the window and saw me with my dad and sister, and then June had instructed Courtney to stay outside. June then kicked open the door and caused a commotion. A little while after that, a bright light had blinded Courtney, and she awoke with us in the woods.  
June and I didn’t answer Courtney’s demands for an explanation of what had occurred.  
I certainly didn’t have one, and at the time, I didn’t feel much like talking.  
None of us had any idea where we were. Neither Courtney, nor June, nor I, could find the location on the map since we didn’t know what to look for. We weren’t anywhere near the last place we remembered being; Twist Mountain. We were simply in the middle of the woods for no given reason.  
I hadn’t been paying attention to how many days had passed, and I hadn’t been getting too much sleep, either, but it felt like it had been at least a couple of days since we had decided to try and make our way out of the woods and into the closest town as quickly as possible.  
June looked over to me every time Courtney demanded an explanation about what had happened in the dream.  
I thought I was made of tougher stuff and I ignored Courtney, sure that I would outlast her persistence. After a few hours, Courtney was still bugging us, and I could tell that she was on to me and was testing how long I could endure. Another hour of her questions swirling in my mind, ruining the quiet I was in need of to think about what had occurred, and I had finally lost it on her. I stormed over to her and screamed in her face. I told her everything. I told her I had lost my dad, and my sister had been missing for years, only to have been found in Unova by me and June only a couple of weeks or so ago, and then she ran off and I had lost her once again. I told her what had occurred in the dream for me. How I had seen my dad and sister and didn’t think twice about it. I shouted at her that I had believed that it was normal for them to be alive, and that my mother being dead was what I had believed to be true. I yelled that I had no recollection of June, even when I had seen her, up until the last moment before Electivire had freed us with his Psychic attack, and once awake, the mix of memories from both the dream and reality had left me confused and was still driving me crazy, and right now, I needed her to shut up so I could think and straighten out everything in my head!  
Courtney’s face had gone rather pale as she stared at me in shock, and she hadn’t spoken a single word since.  
I now found myself questioning reality itself. Was I awake right now? Was I dreaming? Was I really a thirteen year old kid who had escaped his house with the help of a Rotom who had taken over the fridge, a loony Porygon-Z, and on the back of a Charizard? Had I really survived an explosion over two years ago at close range from a bomb thanks to it being inside of a Snorlax? Was my dad really dead? Did I really find my lost sister after over three years? The more questions I thought up, the more absurd all of this seemed. Maybe my entire life wasn’t what I had thought it was. Did I even truly exist? Would I know if I didn’t?  
“Gary?” a voice spoke so low that I couldn’t even tell who it belonged to.  
I didn’t respond and continued walking, my eyes trained to the ground, glaring. I had been silently crying for a long time since we had begun trying to find our way out of the woods, and by now, I was sure I was out of tears.  
A hand gently grabbed my shoulder.  
My glare went away as I looked up at Courtney.  
“Hey,” she smiled at me. Admittedly, despite all that was on my mind right now, I found Courtney beautiful with her blonde hair messy around her face. She reached up and brushed it out of the way of her glasses that added another layer of cuteness to her face. “I’m really sorry that I pried into your personal business like that. I had no idea.”  
“Don’t worry about it,” I mumbled, looking away.  
“Hold on,” Courtney said, grabbing my other shoulder, stopping me from walking any further. “I owe you, too.”  
“Owe me?” I squinted at her in confusion.  
“Yeah,” she nodded seriously. “Gary, you’re not alone. I know how it feels to lose family. I lost my mom about a month ago.”  
I stared into Courtney’s eyes. “I’m so sorry, Courtney.”  
She swallowed and nodded as she began to sniffle and lowered her head. “My mom was like, my very best friend. We were so close. She was my role model. My hero.” She looked up at me, tears falling from her glimmering eyes sitting behind her glasses. “And my brother died only a few weeks ago, about a week after our mom. It was so much to bear.” She let out a cry and wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug.  
I hugged her back tightly, tears filling up my own eyes as they widened in shock at her sudden hug. I now felt even more depressed than ever before, but at the same time, in a weird way, knowing this about her actually made me feel a little bit better about what had occurred with Beheeyem. I felt a little less alone.  
Courtney’s head rubbed against my chest as I pulled her in even closer to me, not wanting to let go of her.  
I rubbed the back of her backpack. “I’m so sorry, Courtney,” I whispered to her.  
Courtney looked up at me, still crying, and she shook her head. “My dad also passed away, Gary. Only a week ago.”  
I stared at her in shock. “What? No… Courtney…”  
“No, don’t,” Courtney said quickly, shaking her head hard. “I don’t care about that. He’s a terrible person and I’m glad he’s dead.”  
“Huh? What do you mean?” I squinted at her now.  
Courtney sniffled and released me from her hold, backing away, causing me to drop my arms. She wiped at her runny nose. “I found out a bit about him before he died. He confessed to me that he had cheated on my mom and got another woman pregnant. I have a stepsister who I’ve never met. She’s about my age, too.”  
“Oh,” I whispered sadly. “That’s sad, Courtney. I’m sorry to hear that, but don’t hate him for it. I know it’s hard, but-”  
“He wasn’t even sorry about it, Gary!” Courtney cried angrily. “He didn’t care! I can’t forgive that. You can’t ask me to!”  
I stayed silent. This wasn’t the type of thing for me to argue over. I didn’t even feel comfortable hearing about it.  
Courtney had made up her mind about something very personal, and that was for her to live with. I was stepping out of bounds by trying to change her mind. “I’m glad he’s dead,” Courtney said bitterly, glaring at the ground. “Screw him! I don’t want to own any of his inheritance, either. I decided that my stepsister should get everything. The cars, the money, and the house. I want no part in it. The five hundred thousand dollars, his three fancy BMWs, the house I grew up in with him, my mom, and my brother… I want no ownership in any of it. I just don’t care!”  
My eyes widened. Damn, that’s a lot of stuff, I thought, shocked at Courtney’s attitude towards the inheritance. She’s so hurt right now. Once she relaxes a bit, she might regret giving that all to her stepsister.  
“And, once my journey in Unova is over, I’ve planned on meeting my stepsister,” Courtney told me. “I feel like we have quite a lot to talk about together. A lot of wounds to heal.” She smiled as she lifted her glasses to wipe at her eyes. “She lives in Hoenn, too. We’ll meet for the first time, and I’ll bet it will be a truly memorable time in our lives. Afterwards, I intend to visit the Sinnoh region and maybe compete out there.”  
I smiled back. “Courtney, you’re so strong. I think it’s really noble of you to give all of that to your stepsister like that. That’s really sweet. And brave.”  
“Thanks, Gary.” Courtney looked at me with a tender smile as she adjusted her glasses.  
“I… like your glasses,” I said shyly, looking solemnly towards the ground.  
“You do?” she gasped, raising a hand to each side of her glasses. “Really?”  
“They’re cute,” I nodded, feeling my face growing hot.  
“Awww!” She closed her eyes and looked down, her face flushing red.  
“Ahem!”  
Courtney and I turned to see June glaring at us both, her face red.  
“Excuse me, but are we going to try and find our way out of here, or what?” she snapped, and she angrily stomped past us.  
“Oh, please, June,” Courtney called after her. “I’m not here to take your boyfriend! I already have my boyfriend, Andrew, waiting in the Hoenn region in Petalburg City for me!” She sighed happily and her eyes lowered. “I can’t wait to see him again. He’s the sweetest person on the planet!”  
My heart’s beat picked up its pace at the mention of her boyfriend. “Um, she isn’t my girlfriend,” I told Courtney, and I turned and watched June disappear down a turn in the path. I started to follow her.  
Courtney reached out a hand and placed it against my chest, stopping me. “You’re still not with June? Are you kidding me?”  
“No…” I answered slowly, my heart beating faster.  
“What about that cute little Asian girl with the bow? I know you didn’t pass up on her, right?” She cocked her head at me.  
“Umm…” I muttered, lowering my head.  
“Gary!” She shoved me back lightly with a smile.  
“She has a boyfriend!” I told her.  
“Before or after she was with you and June?” she asked.  
“Um, well...” I started, desperately wanting to get off of this topic. My eyes shot through the forest nervously, desperately trying to think up a different subject. “Where is June going?”  
June was nowhere in sight, and I could no longer hear her footsteps ahead of us.  
“Who cares...?” Courtney muttered under her breath, looking off to the side.  
“June! Wait up!” I ran away from Courtney and made the turn June had made. “June!”  
She was completely gone.  
The woods were empty and silent except for the sound of Courtney's footsteps as she walked quickly after me. She stopped next to me and looked around. “Well, I guess she ditched us,” Courtney said calmly.  
“What? No way!” I turned to her swiftly.  
“Well, do you see her?” Courtney asked with a teasing smile.  
I slowly turned in a complete circle, trying to spot any movement or hear any sounds from June. “JUUUUUUUNE!!” My voice echoed in the woods, fading away within seconds, but no reply was returned. “Where did she go? Why would she just leave like that?”  
“Because she's jealous,” Courtney answered simply.  
“Jealous of what?” I turned to her.  
Courtney crossed her arms as she squinted impatiently at me. “Me, obviously. Come on, we both know me and her don't get along very well. She hates me. She sees you and I talking and getting friendly with each other after all we've been through, feuding and stuff, and she wants nothing to do with it.”  
“You think she's still holding a grudge against you for what occurred back in Kanto?”  
“Maybe, but it's more than that, Gary,” Courtney sighed with exasperation. “Geez, I haven't seen you in years, but if anything has remained the same with you after all this time, it's the fact that you've still got the redhead accompanying you, ever loyal, ever faithful. Doesn't that mean anything to you, Gary?”  
I looked away from her and walked deeper into the woods. “Not really,” I muttered, frowning.  
“Gary, will you stop being so damn naive?” she demanded, following me. “How was June acting when you were with that little Asian cutie? Or that other long haired brunette I saw you with when we were in... um... Vaneteck City? Was she all temperamental around them, too?”  
“No, she wasn't at all,” I said angrily, refusing to look at Courtney. “She enjoyed their company just fine.”  
“Oh,” Courtney said, a hint of surprise in her voice. “Well, that goes to show that it really is just me. I think she either didn't find them a threat, or she was satisfied with the idea of you being with them. I think anyone would've found the Asian girl a threat, although the brunette was a doll, too.” She grabbed my shoulder to stop me from walking. “Don't you see, Gary? She was okay with those two girls, but she doesn't approve of you and I being in-”  
I pulled my shoulder away from her and glared at her. “Okay, look. I don't know where you're trying to go with this, but after all we've been through with that damn Beheeyem, I am really not in the mood for this kind of topic right now. And I really want to find June, okay?” I angrily walked away from her, my heart beating rapidly in a mix of emotions.  
Courtney's footsteps followed after me shortly after I had moved away from her. “Gary, I actually think that now is the best time to discuss this!” she called out. “We really don't even need to find June! She made up her mind! She's gone!”  
I didn't want to lose my cool with Courtney. I didn’t have the energy to, but the desire was definitely there. I just wasn't in the mood for all of this crap right now. Inhaling quickly, I ran through the woods, making the grass, the shrubs, and the trees, all blend around me in a blur of different shades of green with brown. The sound of Courtney's pace picking up and nearing me inspired me to run even faster. I turned a curve in the path and ran down the grassy walkway. Why would June just leave me with Courtney like this? I wondered with a mix of anger and worry. Where could she have possibly gone? The last thing I need right now is to be filled with so many upsetting thoughts and emotions, and be without one of my closest friends in the world right now. That last thought took even me by surprise as I continued to run, but I knew it was true. I turned another corner and ran down a grassy path without shrubs on each side of me, but the trees seemed even denser here, and I had to squeeze through some of the trunks and jump over roots sticking up from the ground. The path was a bit trickier to get around, but my skinny frame and youthful energy made it easy to maneuver.  
Courtney was crying out from behind me as she tried to keep up with me, tripping over branches on the ground and trying to squeeze through the trees as well as I was, but she wasn’t as athletic and daring as I was, and she was unable to keep up and was getting slowed down.  
I kept on running, leaving Courtney behind me, the only concern on my mind being that I had to find June. I stopped suddenly as I stood facing a long wall of trees. “Whoa,” I murmured.  
There was no path behind these trees at all. It was just an endless, tight thicket of trees beyond, far too dangerous to cross through. To my right stood a grassy path leading deeper into the forest. To my left...  
My eyes widened as I took in a deep breath. “June? June!”  
June turned to me and her eyes widened, a smile that was already on her face, broadening at the sight of me. “Gary!” She wiped at her eyes with her arm.  
I wanted to run over to her, sitting on the ground so calmly in a huge, circular clearing, the sun shining down, making the environment look angelic as it sparkled underneath the giant star, but I didn't. Instead, I looked around in awe.  
June sat next to a Pokemon, petting its head.  
A Tranquill!  
And they weren't alone. As my gaze scanned the area, I could see that there were countless Tranquill everywhere! They sat high in the trees in the clearing that contained strange fruit I didn't recognize, and other Tranquill sat in the grass that was a startlingly beautiful green mixed in with flowers that looked like nothing I had ever seen before, in various colors both familiar and unfamiliar to me and in astounding, seemingly impossible shapes and designs that I didn't even have a word for, a strange set of sparkles seeming to be hovering above them, twinkling magnificently underneath the sun. Several other Tranquill were in the air, flying in circles around each other.  
“Gary, isn't this beautiful?” June cried happily, looking up into the sky as she continued to pet the Tranquill next to her. “Can you believe we found this place? This is mythological!”  
“Why do you say that?” I asked as I took a few cautious steps into the area.  
“In Unova, they say that there's a place where Tranquill live that's full of peace and there's no conflict,” June said dreamily. “I think, this might just be that place! Just look at them all. They're all so calm and friendly. They mean no harm and...” June inhaled easily. “Don't you just feel happy being here?”  
I sighed as a smile came over my face as I got closer to June. “Wow…” I whispered as a warm calm filled my body and wrapped around me. All of my worries. All of my fears. All of my stress. It was as if it was all so insignificant all of a sudden. Seeing all of these Tranquill around me, watching me, flying above me, crying out gently to me, made me appreciate all that I had in my life.  
A mother who loves me, despite how unpleasantly she may show it sometimes. June, one of my best friends, who I was so grateful to have met around three years ago.  
“Tranquiiiillll!” A Tranquill cawed out to me and landed in front of me.  
“Hmm,” I smiled, and knelt down to the Pokemon. “Hey, it's nice to meet you!” I rubbed its head.  
“Tranq...” Tranquill closed its eyes and nuzzled its head against my touch.  
“They're so beautiful, huh?” June spoke softly, standing up and reaching up to the sky as a Tranquill soared just a few inches above her hands.  
“Wait, my Tranquill shouldn't miss out on this, either!” I stopped petting the Tranquill near me and its eyes opened. “You want to meet my Tranquill, too?” I asked it.  
“Tranq?” It cocked its head at me.  
I stood up and grabbed Tranquill's Poke Ball. “Come on out!” I called as I threw it into the sky.  
“Trrrraaaanquuuiiiillll!” my Tranquill called out happily as he flew into the air.  
“Tran? Quiiiill!” The Tranquill on the ground near me flew up after my Tranquill, and they both met in the sky, circling around each other.  
I smiled as I watched even more Tranquill that were sitting in the trees and on the ground, fly up to meet the new Tranquill.  
They all flew in circles around each other, calling out happily to a new friend, flying in beautiful patterns together.  
It was a sight I'd never seen before, and I knew I'd take this vision with me for the rest of my life. It was indescribably beautiful. I could feel the peace, pleasure, and love inside of me as I watched these gentle creatures commune with one another. “I can't believe this might really be that place, though,” I said to June, not taking my eyes off of the Tranquill.  
“Even if it isn't, this place is like paradise for them. I'm so glad we ended up here, however we ended up here.”  
“Hey.” I turned to June. “You don't think Beheeyem...?”  
“Whoa! What is this?”  
June and I turned around to see Courtney staring at us all with a shocked look.  
“There's so many Tranquill here!” She stepped into the clearing to join us all. “And...” A smile crossed her face and a Tranquill that was circling the skies above flew down and landed gently in front of her. Courtney’s breath escaped her throat as she looked down lovingly at the Tranquill. “It feels so… Peaceful here…” She knelt down and rubbed the bird's back. Her arms suddenly reached out and wrapped around the Pokemon, pulling it into a hug.  
The bird cawed out in shock at this.  
Courtney laughed. “Aww! They're so friendly! I really think I want this Pokemon!”  
“Don't even think about it.”  
June's stern tone of voice broke my peaceful trance and I turned to her, my heart beating quickly. Something about how she spoke filled me with fear for some reason.  
“Huh? Why not?” Courtney asked, turning to June, her smile fading.  
“Leave these Tranquill alone,” June insisted, now glaring at Courtney.  
Uh, oh, I thought as I watched June start to ruin the peaceful feel of the area.  
Some of the Tranquill that were still sitting on the ground staring to coo and flutter their wings nervously, a couple of them taking for the skies immediately.  
“Hey, come on, I don't own a Tranquill! What's wrong with you?” Courtney glared back.  
“Find another one, please!” June pleaded. “Leave these guys alone. They don't want to fight or anything. They just want to live in peace!”  
“Who do you think you are, anyway?” Courtney shouted at June, standing up as the Tranquill near her backed up several feet. She reached into her pocket and grabbed a Poke Ball. “If they're not gonna fight against me, then they must be willing to come along with me!” She enlarged the Poke Ball.  
“Courtney, if you make one damn move to try and capture one of the Tranquill, first I'll break that Poke Ball and set free Tranquill, and then I'm breaking your ugly little face,” June threatened, taking a step towards her.  
“If you lay one hand on me, June...” Courtney warned. “You think you hate me now? Just wait until you get beat up by me. Then you're really gonna love me.”  
“One move, Courtney!” June yelled angrily. “You wanna try me? Go ahead and throw that Poke Ball and watch what happens to you!”  
Courtney hesitated, her eyes on June. Both of her arms were now starting to shake. “I-I-I don't understand why you're-”  
“Excuse me, please!” a stern voice spoke loudly, startling us all.  
The remaining Tranquill on the ground let out surprised sounds and flew into the sky or the trees.  
“Whoa! Who are you guys?” I asked with surprise.  
A group of about eight or so people appeared from out of nowhere and walked through the clearing. Three of them were wearing all red attire, from their shoes to their beanie hats. Three more people wore black pants and button up shirts. One guy stepped in with white sneakers, red swimming trunks and a white wifebeater while the remaining few people were wearing tight blue jeans, each one wearing a different colored sweater. They all wore some kind of tank strapped to their backs and were holding a long black hose that was attached to the tank. The group all stepped into the clearing and split up in different directions. Once they were all far apart from each other, they raised their hoses into the air.  
“FIRE!” one of the men in the red beanies shouted.  
With a unanimous roar, fire blasted from the hoses!  
June, Courtney, and I gasped in horror at the sight of flames that reached into the trees.  
The Tranquill in the trees reacted in fear and soared into the air.  
“HEY!!” I shouted in terror, watching as the people raised their hoses to burn down the trees, some of them even turning their hoses on the Tranquill as they tried to get away!  
“What is going on here?!” June shrieked, her hands over her heart as her eyes began to immediately fill with tears.  
Courtney was speechless, and her hand was now empty, her Poke Ball on the ground at her feet as her head turned around, watching the people burning down the forest and attacking the Tranquill.  
They can't do this! Who the hell are these guys? I shouted angrily in my head, and I immediately charged at the closest one to me. “CUT IT OOOOOOOOOOUUUUT!!!” I roared and reached out for the person's head.  
The person’s flamethrower stopped as he turned from burning a group of trees and raised it towards my face!  
“Tranquiiiill!!” A Tranquill from above cried out and flapped its glowing wings, sending out white saw blade energy.  
The man screamed as the blades hit him and tossed him back through the air several feet. He groaned as he slammed on his back, his flamethrower shooting a blast of fire into the air.  
“Tranquill, no!!” I screamed as the stream of fire hit the Pokemon that had saved me, in the chest. “Tranquill!! Tranquiiill!!!” What Tranquill is this one?? I panicked. My Tranquill?? No!! Tranquill!! “Tranquill!!”  
“TRAAAAAAAAAAANNQ!!!!” Tranquill shrieked as it dropped to the ground in a ball of flames.  
A loud shriek made me turn around and see June, her mouth open in a desperate wail, her hands to her cheeks as she stared in horror at the burning Tranquill. June shook her head hard and dropped her bag to the ground, her hands shaking visibly as she tried desperately to unzip her bag.  
“Tranquill!!” I screamed tearfully at the fallen Pokemon as I dropped to my knees beside it, my heart only a couple of beats away from bursting through my chest. Tears were burning my eyes. I didn't like that any Tranquill was burning right in front of me, but if it was mine… NO!!  
“VAPOREON, WATER GUN, NOW!!” June threw her Poke Ball. “Get rid of the fire on that Tranquill!!”  
“Vaporeon!! Pooooooooooor!” Vaporeon sprayed down the Tranquill with a stream of water.  
The fire on the poor bird's body was gone, its body marked with several black burns.  
“Tranquiilll!!” a voice from above called, and I looked up to see a Tranquill land next to me on the ground. “Tranq!”  
“That one is yours, Gary,” June told me, her voice shaking hard, tears rolling down her cheeks. “He's okay.”  
“Tranquill!!” I cried joyously, but before I could appreciatively hug my Pokemon, the man that had been taken down by the other Tranquill's Air Slash got to his feet quickly, his pink T-shirt now displaying slashes through it, what looked like streaks of blood now smeared on it.  
“We have to fight them!” I called to June and Courtney. “Let's use our best Pokemon, now!” I grabbed Seismitoad's Poke Ball.  
“We have to put out the fire! We can't worry about fighting!” June insisted.  
“Then me and Courtney will battle these guys!” I told her. “You put out the fire until we can assist you!”  
“Tranq!!” My Tranquill flew into the air, flapping his wings angrily. “Tranquill!!” He turned to me and nodded with determination.  
“You? Alright, then it's you and me, Tranquill! We'll save all your friends!” I agreed, nodding. “These guys won't get away with this! You ready, Courtney?”  
Courtney smiled and nodded, grabbing a Poke Ball from her waist.  
June shot Courtney a dirty look and quickly dug into her bag again, grumbling angrily. She came back up. “Fine, then I'll have to put out the fire and battle, too!” Her words were angry, hurt, and spoken with a bitter taste in her mouth, all the while glaring at Courtney.  
Courtney turned to her and stared at the new Poke Ball in her hand.  
This Poke Ball had a sticker with the letter 'E' on it.  
Vaporeon, Galvantula, Rotom, Magnezone, and... I thought. “June, wait a second!” I shouted.  
“GO!” June shouted, tossing the Poke Ball to the ground.  
“Electiviiiiire!” the Electric threat growled as he looked around.  
“Electivire, we need you to help us battle these creeps! Attack with Psychic attack, now!” June ordered sternly.  
“Virrrrre…” Electivire crossed his arms and turned to the blazing flames around him. “Vire.”  
“Electivire, please, this isn't the time! Attack those guys!” June insisted, her voice cracking.  
The group of criminals in the area had turned to watch June's Electivire, their flamethrowers still pointed at the trees, moving them from side to side, up and down, burning down everything in the way, smoke rising into the sky.  
Electivire's body suddenly started to spark.  
“Electivire, I said Psychic! Please!! Or use Quick Attack! Just don't use an Electric attack!!” June pleaded. “You might spark an explosion!”  
“TIVIIIIRRRE!!” Electivire shouted, and shocked June with a bright blast of electricity. “TIVIRE!! VIRE! VIRE! VIIIIIIRRRE!!”  
June screamed as she was hit with constant shocks from her own Pokemon. She had collapsed to the ground after the first hit, her hair instantly standing up on end, but her Pokemon continued to zap her a few more times.  
I backed away from the furious Pokemon, Courtney backing up along with me, getting so close to me that our shoulders were pressed tightly together.  
June's Vaporeon was staring up at Electivire with fear.  
The Tranquill in the area were either flying away into the skies or were flying around in the area in a panic, terrified.  
“TRANQUIIIILL!!” My Tranquill flew into the air and around the group with the flamethrowers, using Quick Attack and knocking a couple of them over.  
“Yes! Tranquill, keep it up!” I encouraged my Pokemon. “Take 'em all down! Quick Attack!”  
One of the group members turned around as a few more people in his team were taken out, and as Tranquill flew for him next, he smiled devilishly and pointed the flamethrower at my Pokemon.  
“Tranquill, get back!!” I called out to him.  
A large stream of fire flew out for Tranquill.  
Tranquill cawed sharply as he dove down and spiraled as he swirled around the flames continuously in circles! Flying around the line of fire with stunning flying talent, all the while keep dangerously close to the heat, he flew into the man's face and took him down.  
“Gary, watch out!” Courtney suddenly screamed at me, and before I could move, my eyes still glued to my Tranquill, I was grabbed by my shoulders and forced to the ground. Courtney was next to me, holding me down by my back.  
“What happened?” I turned around and looked up behind me. “Yyaaaaahhhh!!” I flattened my body on the ground as a woman's flamethrower sent out searing flames right where Courtney and I had been standing!  
Her flames went out and she lowered her head to me with a sneer.  
With a last second decision, I leaped at the woman's middle and tackled her to the ground. She uttered out in fright at my attack, but my heart that was beating so painfully, it felt as if each beat was a repeated explosion, told me that I was probably more surprised by my own action than she was. I dropped the woman to the ground easily.  
“This mission is over!!” someone yelled with a deep voice. “Solace, retreat!!”  
Before I could react to the man's words, the woman underneath me pulled back her arm and socked me in the cheek, forcing me off of her.  
With a painful grunt, I collapsed to the ground, the side of my face burning and throbbing, my entire head ringing sharply. I heard the sound of footsteps around me, but I couldn't move. It felt like my face was paralyzed with pain. It hurt both to move, and not to move. I moaned in agony, my face feeling as if it were swelling up.  
“Electivire!!!” I heard Electivire yell.  
Although it hurt, my eyes tearing up from the pain, I managed to push myself up to my knees and I turned my sore head to Electivire.  
Electivire was standing in front of the group of people with the flamethrowers! He growled viciously at them, his arms extended wide, blocking their path.  
“Electivire...” June spoke from behind me. “Vaporeon, work on clearing out the fire, please! Use Hydro Pump!!”  
I could hear Vaporeon listening to her Trainer's orders as she attacked the flames.  
“Okay, Alomomola, help out that Vaporeon!! Clear the fire!!” Courtney shouted as she tossed a Poke Ball.  
A little pink Pokemon appeared, crying out in a low voice, and it attacked the fire with a blast of water.  
Courtney turned back to the group of bad guys and grabbed another Poke Ball.  
The Tranquill who were still in the area were flapping their wings desperately, trying to assist Alomomola and Vaporeon in getting rid of the fire by blowing it out.  
I couldn't spot my Tranquill anywhere.  
Electivire's body sparked dangerously.  
“Electivire, wait! Please, be careful!!” June called out to her Pokemon.  
The group raised their flamethrowers and pointed them at Electivire.  
“Virrrrrrre...” Electivire sparked even more threateningly, a sneaky smile on his face.  
“Tranq!” A Tranquill flapped its wings at the fire nearby us.  
“VIRE!!!!” Electivire raged.  
WHOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSHHHH!!!!!!!  
An enormous wave of fire that was burning the trees close by, reached out and hit Electivire.  
He screamed and stumbled away from the large flame searing him.  
The Tranquill that had been trying to blow away that very flame, squawked out and flapped its wings, backing away from what it just accidentally caused.  
The group of flamethrower wielders backed up. One of the members pointed behind him, and he and the group ran towards an area of the woods that was no longer burning, thanks to Vaporeon and Alomomola.  
“Quill!” A Tranquill suddenly appeared in a flash in front of the group, flapping its wings angrily at them.  
“My Electivire!” June was holding her hair down as best as she could, though a good portion of it was still sticking up, as she ran towards her Electivire.  
Electivire was on his right side on the ground, holding his left shoulder, his face grimacing in pain, growling.  
June knelt down beside him. “Electivire! Are you okay?”  
“Tivire...” Electivire groaned, wincing.  
“Baby, it's okay,” June said to her Pokemon. “It's gonna be alright. I'm he-YAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!” She dropped to the ground as Electivire shocked her. Shivering from the pain, her body sparking, she raised a Poke Ball. “R-r-r-r-r-ret-t-turn…”  
Electivire was returned to his Poke Ball.  
June then shakily turned to me, her body shooting off weak sparks. “G-G-G-Gary, that's your Tr-Tranquill! J-j-just l-let those g-g-guys ge-get away! It's not w-w-w-worth it! We can at least put out the fi-fire!”  
“No way! Tranquill, don't let them escape!” I instructed my Pokemon. I could smell the thickening smoke in the area, but I could breathe alright for the moment. I still couldn’t manage to my feet, my face still burning from the punch I took, my brain unable to focus to get the muscles in my legs to start working properly. Stop being such a punk, I told myself strictly. Get to your feet you chump. It was just a punch from some chick. I told myself that, but as I struggled to my feet, the throbbing pain in my face was telling me that this wasn't going to be so easily gotten over. “These guys can't just be let go like this! They're members of Team Solace!”  
“Gary, maybe you should listen to June! It’s not worth losing our Pokemon!” Courtney tried to reason with me.  
The group raised their flamethrowers at my Tranquill.  
With a gasp, I reached for his Poke Ball to retreat him.  
The entire group fired at my Pokemon at once.  
“Tranq! Quiiiiill! Tranq! Tranq!” Tranquill soared around the flames as the group kept aiming at him, trying to burn him.  
I grit my teeth angrily and grabbed Seismitoad's Poke Ball.  
“TRRRAAAAAANQ!!!!!” Tranquill's caw was ear piercing and caused me to drop my Poke Ball as I covered my ears.  
Tranquill's tail had been burned by one of the flamethrowers, and he crashed to the ground behind the group. The flame on his tail went out in smoke.  
The group members all turned to face the bird. One of the men in the red beanie said something in a low voice, and the rest of the members nodded. All of them ran into the woods, leaving behind only one member.  
“Hey! Where do you think you're going?” I raged at them. I picked up Seismitoad's Poke Ball and pulled my arm back. “Tranquill, hang on! I've got you!” Fully prepared to fling the Poke Ball as hard as I could, I suddenly froze.  
Tranquill's collapsed body twitched once before becoming ignited in a bright flash of light. His body elongated, stretched, and his wings opened wide, his form morphing and expanding. With a loud shout, the flash disappeared in sprinkles of light and a new Pokemon stood in his place.  
“It's Unfezant!!” I exclaimed with excitement. “Tranquill evolved!!”  
“Unfeeeeezant!” my new Pokemon shouted as he spread his wings wide, looking up to the sky. He lowered his head and shook it sharply.  
The lone member, a surprisingly young looking girl in tight blue jeans and a white sweater, took a step back. An angry leer appeared in her eyes and she screamed out as she fired at my Unfezant.  
“Feeeeeeeeez!!” Unfezant soared into the air at a startling speed.  
The young girl raised her flamethrower and blew out a long flame at my Pokemon's back.  
Unfezant screamed out, the flame dangerously close to him as he dodged to the side and continued to fly higher into the air.  
“Unfezant, that's enough! Please, return!” I held out his Poke Ball to return him, the red beam extending from the center of the Poke Ball to get him back inside of it.  
“Uuuuuuunnn!!” Unfezant dodged the red beam. “Unfeeeez!” Unfezant dodged another red beam and spiraled back down.  
The girl smiled and held the flamethrower up to Unfezant, aiming.  
“Unfezaaaaaaaaaaaant!!” Unfezant cawed.  
With a loud, furious shriek, she fired the flamethrower.  
Unfezant's eyes glowed light blue, and it swooped directly under the line of fire and into the girl’s stomach.  
She screamed as she was forced back and slammed hard into a burning tree. She groaned and collapsed weakly, the fire from the tree blazing powerfully behind her.  
“CALL BACK THE POKEMON!!!!!” June screamed at the top of her lungs.  
“Huh?” I turned to her.  
“RUUUN!!! RUUUUNNN!!! ALL OF YOU, FLY AWAY!!!! GET OUT OF HERE!!!!” June screamed frantically, swatting at the birds still trying to blow away the fire and scaring them away. She returned her Vaporeon as she ran around in a panic.  
Courtney quickly returned her Alomomola, fright on her face as she watched June.  
I recalled Unfezant quickly.  
June tore past me and Courtney, out of the woods. “IT'S GONNA EXPLOOOOOOOODE!!!!!”  
Courtney and I faced each other with matching looks of horror. We were running after June by the very next second.  
The last thing I saw before running away from the once beautiful, peaceful clearing, was the motionless body of the Tranquill that had been burned saving my life.  
The three of us had been running for a very long time, our hands covering our ears in preparation for the explosion that was sure to come. We ran beyond exhaustion. We ran even when our legs had gotten shaky, trying to drop us to our knees, our breaths hoarse and pained.  
Tears were even flowing from my eyes because I was so worn out from running.  
It must have been an hour of running, if not two. It was hard to tell time when you were running for your life.  
Against our will, we all dropped to the ground, starting with Courtney, and then me, June collapsing several feet away from us. Neither of us spoke a word. We were all too tired. Speaking was now impossible.  
I collapsed onto my back and closed my eyes. Though my body was screaming for water, I was just too beat to move. I inhaled hard, repeatedly, desperate to slow down my heart's pace. My entire body was in nothing but pain, inside and out, top to bottom. The only thing I could think of was the amazing paradise for the Tranquill that was now destroyed. We need to contact the police, I realized suddenly, my eyes shooting open. It's still burning down. This whole forest is in danger. An explosion just occurred… No. Wait. I sat up and looked over at June and Courtney, who were both sitting up already, heads down, still gasping for air.  
Courtney swallowed, resulting in her coughing.  
June’s eyes were closed tightly as she gripped her bag.  
The very thought of trying to talk made my throat hurt, so I removed my backpack and pulled out a bottle of water. I slowly drank from it, and the refreshing water both soothed my throat and made it sting even worse. I continued sipping from it until it was halfway empty, and then I set it down and continued heaving, though at a slower pace.  
June stared at me drinking from my bottle of water, and when I had set it down, she looked away and opened her bag, reaching inside and pulling out her own bottle of water.  
Courtney continued breathing hard as she kept her eyes down.  
I raised my bottle to my lips and drank thirstily from it, emptying the rest of its contents, and I sighed with satisfaction as I put the bottle back in my bag, and I turned my gaze to June.  
June removed her bottle from her lips and stared back at me.  
Neither of us said anything. We both were obviously still trying to recover enough energy to even speak.  
Courtney removed her pink backpack from her shoulders and slowly unzipped it. She dug through it for a moment and came out with a pink canteen, which she drank from quickly. She began choking hard within the first couple of seconds, spitting out her water.  
I swallowed as I waited for my head to stop spinning and my body to get a little bit stronger.  
Courtney tried to drink again while she was still coughing and spit up water on her face and shirt. She slapped her chest repeatedly as she coughed even harder and tried to catch her breath, lowering her canteen.  
I swallowed once more and opened my mouth. “June, what happened?” I managed to ask weakly.  
June didn't answer me, but she stared back.  
“June,” I said again.  
She shook her head, breathing hard. Her lips parted, and then closed as she gave them a lick. They opened again. “I don't know. I thought…”  
We both stared at each other in silence.  
Courtney took another drink from her canteen.  
“There was no explosion,” I told June. “Nothing happened.”  
She nodded. “I really thought… I thought that tank… Thought it'd blow up.”  
I lowered my head as my breathing started to ease up.  
“That girl's tank… Should have blown up from the heat… From the fire…” June continued, trying to breathe easier.  
“But it didn't,” I said, my eyes on the grass beneath me. I looked up at June. “They got away, didn't they?”  
June shook her head. “No.”  
“They got away,” I repeated. “All of them. That one girl is gone, too. They destroyed that place. They destroyed the home of all of those Tranquill. Team Solace got away.”  
“How are they back? They were supposed to be finished!” June whined. “Their leader is dead!”  
Courtney lowered her canteen as she listened to us talk.  
“Team Solace has finally come to an end.”  
Prof. Oak’s words that had given me courage and strength throughout my recovery in the hospital over two years ago.  
Prof. Oak's words that had helped carry me through life, making so many painful memories from my past just a little bit easier for me to handle.  
Prof. Oak’s words that had made it easier to sleep through so many nights and accept countless, fresh mornings.  
Prof. Oak’s words.  
Had lost their meaning for me entirely.  
They were as good as lies.  
Team Solace was indeed back.


	42. Do You Know Where Your Children Are?

“I am so, freaking, tired!” Courtney complained. “I can't believe we haven't found the next town yet!”  
“We could split up and try to find our own way,” June muttered.  
Courtney turned to June with a smirk. “I like that idea. Gary and I could go here, and you could go over there.” Courtney grabbed my arm and pulled me away from June.  
“Or, Gary and I could go this way, and you can go to Hell!” June snapped, grabbing my other arm and pulling me.  
“Sounds better than being around you!” Courtney shouted, pulling me back.  
“Then beat it! I sure didn't ask you to be here!” June retorted, pulling me again.  
“Will you two grow up?” I shouted angrily, tugging my arms away from them. “This isn't the time to be discussing this crap right now! We need to find the next town and see if there's anything we can do about that forest fire that might still be going on!”  
“But, Gary,” June said gently. “It's been a couple of days since then. If there was really a fire out here, we'd have known. We got rid of some of the flames with our Pokemon, so I'm thinking that everything died out.”  
“You really think Team Solace just let it all die out?” I questioned her.  
“Please, don't say that name,” June whispered, shivering as she lowered her head.  
“There's no point in hiding from it, June,” I said, staring at her. “Team Solace is back. Period. This is really bad. One of the old members must be in charge now.”  
“I know, I know, I just really hate the thought of them being back.”  
“It's more than a thought. It's real,” I said firmly.  
Silence nestled in on us.  
“Could we change the subject? Just for a moment? Please, Gary?” June begged.  
“I don't want to,” I told her. “I'd prefer for us all to acknowledge and accept it. It's better that way.”  
“I acknowledge they're back, and I've accepted it,” June said quickly. “I believe it! Honest! But right now, I’m just not thrilled about it and I don't see any good in talking about it. Please! Gary, please!”  
“Then what are we gonna talk about?” I asked angrily. “Because I'm not exactly in the mood to discuss stupidity right now, to be honest with you.”  
Neither of us said a word after that, and we continued to trudge through the woods together.  
The only thing on my mind at the moment was Team Solace. Even finding and losing my sister had been pushed to the side temporarily, though it remained in the back of my mind constantly as I found myself having difficulty accepting that Team Solace had returned.   
“Team Solace has finally come to an end.” Prof. Oak's words were nothing more than pain to my heart now.   
Team Solace was back, and they were still out to prove that Pokemon were the evil ones.  
How long have they been active? I wondered. What other horrors have they caused? I remembered the attack in Nimbasa Subway with Aggron, and the Exeggutor that were left burning on the island near Nimbasa City, weighed down by the carcasses of Wailord. I recalled the Golurk that had attacked the town near Chargestone Cave. But, wait, I told myself as my eyes widened. If Team Solace was behind the attack where those Exeggutor were burned alive, weighed down by a group of dead Wailord, that doesn't prove anything about Pokemon being evil at all! And the Tranquill! The Tranquill were living in paradise, peacefully! That's not a demonstration of the issues of Pokemon in any way! Team Solace destroyed their home, unprovoked! Is there some kind of demonstration on the problems of Pokemon there that I don’t see?   
Team Solace never had a good reason for the destruction and death they caused, but even for them, I found myself surprisingly confused by what they did to the Tranquill. I remembered the remaining Tranquill that had been burned while protecting me, left on the ground, motionless, as June, Courtney, and I ran away, and my eyes started to fill with tears as I glared down, anger starting to fill up my body.  
“We could talk about that Electivire of yours,” Courtney brought up, snickering lightly.  
I was now taken away from my thoughts at Courtney’s words and I listened to the girls, keeping my eyes on the ground.  
“Excuse me?” June growled, turning to Courtney.  
“What's with that thing? It attacked like you were an old rival or something,” Courtney smiled sinisterly at June. “You've got a disobedient Pokemon. How cute.”  
“Butt out!” June shouted.  
I sighed. “Please, you two...”  
“Spill the beans, June. What's with your Electivire?” Courtney insisted. “You not a good enough Trainer for it? Does it recognize how much you suck and desire more for itself? Did you evolve it before it was ready? Did you-?”  
“You know, I'm about two seconds from making you eat this!” June raised a fist and waved it threateningly in Courtney's face. “Say another damn word about any of my Pokemon and you won't be eating through your mouth for a few months.”  
“You keep threatening me but I don't ever see you pulling through on any of that tough talk from your big mouth.” Courtney stopped walking and placed her hands on her hips.  
“You really think you want some?” June stepped towards Courtney.  
“Your fat butt is more of a threat than your flimsy arms!” Courtney stepped towards June.  
“My what?!” June screamed in fury as she reached for Courtney's neck.  
Courtney screamed and grabbed my shoulders, hiding behind me.  
“HEY!” I reached my arms out and gripped June's shoulders. “Are you serious right now? I mean, really! Are you two serious right now?! With all the things going on, you two are seriously fighting over some stupidity like this? I’m not in the mood for this, damn it!! I've lost my sister, a terrorist group has returned and is bringing the closest thing to Hell on Earth that any of us have ever seen, and you two are fighting about nonsense! If you two can't get along together, then maybe we should just split up and travel alone because I'm gonna tell you both right now, I am not dealing with this any further!! Every damn day it's this crap with you two! Cut it out right now, or for all I care, you two can just kill each other!!”  
“But, Gary-!” June cried.  
“Shut it, June! I've had it! No more of this! We're gonna reach the next town and figure out where we are, and that's it!” I interrupted her.  
June crossed her arms and huffed angrily, glaring at me.  
“Hmph,” Courtney said with a happy tone.  
June growled and opened her mouth to say something nasty to Courtney.  
I gave June the angriest look I could pull out of me.  
She stared at me and shut her mouth instantly. “Oh, whatever!” June stomped away from me and Courtney, down the path we were all traveling on.  
I turned to Courtney.  
She smiled at me. “Thanks, Gary.”   
“Sure,” I muttered, looking her over once. I turned away and walked after June.  
June was walking quickly ahead, leaving us behind.  
“June, don't leave me behind again!” I called out to her.  
“Oh, just let her go,” Courtney said loudly. “She needs some time to cool off, which will only give us some time to put all the bad blood behind us that we had in Kanto and work on a better future for us all.” She wrapped her arms around my arm and smiled up at me.  
“A future?” I stopped and turned to her.  
“Well, yeah!” Courtney nodded eagerly. “I want us to put the past behind us and… become a lot… Closer…” Courtney blinked at me slowly.  
I looked around nervously. “What are you talking about?” I asked hesitantly, my eyes returning to her gaze every few seconds.  
“Well, I kind of think of you as, like, a friend,” Courtney explained. “And I want us to be... More...”  
“What do you mean… 'More'?” I asked slowly, my heart beating harder.  
“You know…” Courtney winked. “Best friends. Maybe. I just feel like we're too distant, but, since we've been traveling together in Unova, I've gotten to see a side of you I've never gotten to see before. You're brave, strong, and I remember a little moment in Kanto that we had together that showed that you're a rough guy, which I like…” She licked her lips with a smile.  
I squinted at her nervously. She has a boyfriend, right? I asked myself. “Courtney, I have no idea what's going on right now…”  
She laughed, releasing my arm, and she gave me a gentle shove. “Silly Gary. Don't you wanna be my friend?”  
“I… guess...”  
Courtney cocked her head in disappointment.  
“I mean, I do, I'm just not understanding what you're getting at,” I said quickly.  
“I'm getting at us taking advantage of this chance we have to get to know each other a little better,” Courtney said brightly. “You and-”  
“I found a town up ahead and I’m going to it to see where I am!” June shouted furiously from even further ahead of us than I remembered her being. She was no longer in sight. “You two can just go get lost for all I care!”  
“June!” I called, and I ran away from Courtney.  
Courtney let out a little giggle as she ran after me. “She sure is a nag. Must be her time.”  
I had no idea what Courtney meant, but I ignored it and turned a corner to see June walking quickly towards a large town that stood in the distance. “Excellent! All we have to do now is find out where we are from someone here! Courtney, come on!” I ran, Courtney right behind me, towards June.  
June’s hands were balled at her sides and she started growling as Courtney and I walked quickly alongside her to keep up with her pace.  
“June, is something wrong?” Courtney asked innocently.  
“No,” June said shortly.  
“Ah, the bared teeth and rough tone of voice are more of a sign of affection?” Courtney joked.   
June pursed her lips tightly together, her eyes squinting with rage.  
“Look, we’re about to find out where we are, you guys,” I told them. “Let’s just try and hold out until we have an understanding of what town this is, and we can then go our own separate ways.”  
“Well, you and June will go off together, leaving me alone,” Courtney stated. “I’m still not convinced there isn’t a little heat between you two.” She stared at me with a sly smile.  
I stared at her from the corner of my eye, unsure of how to respond to that as my face started to grow hot.  
June grumbled.  
The three of us walked past houses that were built low, all of them only maybe a foot or so taller than us, and all of them only a story high. We reached a split in the dry ground path we were on and looked down each road.  
Only a few of the buildings down the paths to our left, right, and ahead of us, were two stories high, the mass majority being only one story.  
“I don’t think it matters where we go. Let’s just knock on any house and ask for some directions,” I suggested. “No biggie.”  
A sudden scream made the three of us gasp. The scream was joined by several more screams, and then even more screams.  
“Hey, wait a minute…” June turned to the path to our right.   
“Who’s screaming like that?” I looked towards the buildings in the direction June was looking in.  
“There’s something wrong!” Courtney cried. “We need to get help!”  
“No, wait!” June took off.  
Without a word, I ran after her.  
“Gary, where are you going? Wait!” Courtney shouted after me.  
June stopped in front of a two story building and yanked open the door. She cried out in surprise as a small, dark figure flew past her from the door she opened before the thing vanished.  
It all happened so quickly, I wasn’t sure I had really seen it.  
June looked after where the thing had disappeared for a moment before she turned her head to look into the building.  
I came to stop next to her and stared in surprise at a classroom!  
Courtney panted next to me as she reached me and stared into the room. “Kids!”   
The room had four huge, circular tables. A few chairs surrounded each table. A few sheets of white paper were on one table, along with crayons and colored pencils. Another table held molds of clay. The third table held open books, while the fourth table had open snacks and drinks on it. All of the tables, including a large, wooden desk in the corner of the room near us where a teacher would normally be, were abandoned.  
In a far corner, a fat woman was kneeling on the ground in a purple dress with large, orange dots, looking fearfully at us from behind her glasses. She was surrounded by children who were maybe about five years old, the kids cowering, whimpering, and crying.  
“What happened here?” Courtney gasped.  
“Ma’am, is everything okay, here?” I asked, stepping into the room.  
“It took little Theodore,” the woman cried, and she pulled as many of the kids as she could into her arms and cried amongst them.  
The children all huddled up to the woman and cried even louder, their voices screeching.  
The sound was loud and, honestly, annoying, but I didn’t say anything, confused about what she had just told me.  
June stepped into the classroom and stared cautiously around as she slowly approached the group, a stern look on her face.  
“What’s she doing?” Courtney whispered to me, confusion on her face.  
“I don’t know, but I’m pretty sure she’s on to something. Come on. We should follow her.” I led Courtney inside and we both mimicked June, looking around cautiously, trying to spot anything suspicious.  
June stopped in front of the woman and kids, staring down at them seriously.  
They all looked up at her fearfully and cowered back as best as they could.  
June’s face softened and broke into a smile. She knelt down and brushed aside her hair. “You’re the teacher for this class, right?” she gently asked the woman.  
The woman nodded and wiped at her eyes behind her black glasses. “Mrs. Démarche.”  
“Mrs. Démarche, did a Duskull just come through here?” June asked her, a serious glare taking over her face.  
“Nobody move!” a fierce, feminine voice yelled.  
Mrs. Démarche and the kids screamed, causing me to scream louder than I would have had they not startled me, June and Courtney screaming with me as we all turned to the door.  
“Are we too late?” an Officer Jenny shouted, two other Officer Jennys behind her, all looking around the classroom with matching, stern looks.  
One of the Officer Jennys in the back looked noticeably more chunky that the typical Officer Jenny. Her all around shape was thicker and wider.  
“It took Theodore this time!” Mrs. Démarche moaned sadly. She removed her glasses and tossed them to the floor. Her hands covered her face as she began to cry.  
The kids around her hugged her while the kids who couldn’t reach the teacher hugged the kids who could, and they all cried even louder.  
One of the kids, a little girl, ran away from the group of crying kids around the teacher, crying with her arms wide open as she ran past June, me, and Courtney.  
“Theodore…” one of the Officer Jennys said softly, shaking her head.   
“Polly!” the pudgy Officer Jenny cried, and she ran towards the child. “My baby! You’re okay!” She got to her knees and covered the child’s face in kisses.  
I watched her skirt rise further up her thick, smooth, practically glistening legs.  
“Mommy! I’m scared!” the little girl whined, crying.  
“That’s it! I am not leaving my child at this school anymore with that… that… demon running around this town!” the mother of Polly said firmly. “I refuse! I’ve had enough! This is the fourth kid this week, and the seventh overall! We put those stupid sticky papers on the walls that were supposed to have incantations written on them to keep it away, we set guards at the front door, and the thing gets around everything! I’m not losing my daughter!” Her hands ran through Polly’s turquoise hair that matched her own, though Polly’s was longer and reached down past her neck.  
“Wait, what’s going on?” Courtney asked.  
Everyone went silent and turned to her. No one answered her inquiry.  
“Never mind…?” Courtney responded, lowering her head.  
“He’s a Duskull,” June spoke up.  
Everyone turned to her.  
“What did you just say?” one of the standing Officer Jennys asked.  
“That Pokemon was a Duskull,” June told her. “I could tell the moment I heard him scream. It’s a Duskull that’s taking these kids, isn’t it?”  
“Excuse me, but who are you?” the Officer Jenny holding her daughter demanded.  
“My name is June,” June told her. “I’m from Gringey City, in the Kanto region. I’m here with my friend, Gary.” She pointed at me.   
“And her?” the same Officer Jenny pointed at Courtney.  
June sneered at Courtney and turned her head away, shrugging her shoulders.  
“That’s Courtney,” I spoke up with a sigh. “She’s… Here too…” Good answer, I thought glumly, lowering my head.  
“Well, I feel special,” Courtney muttered sarcastically, crossing her arms in front of her chest.  
“What do you know about this Duskull?” an Officer Jenny asked gruffly, stepping up to June.  
“Nothing,” June told her. “I just heard his voice. I don’t know anything about him, though.”  
“You heard its voice?” The officer crossed her arms, sighing impatiently. “And why do you keep calling it a ‘him’? Are you familiar with this Pokemon?”  
“No,” June shook her head. “I can communicate with Pokemon. They can hear me when I speak to them, and I can hear them, as well. It’s a bit of a gift I have. And I can also tell their genders when I get a good enough look at them. I spotted Duskull only briefly when me and Gary ran towards the screams when we were walking through this town, but that Duskull is definitely a male.”  
Courtney burst out laughing. “What? Wait, wait, wait! Did you just say you can communicate with Pokemon? You’re actually serious right now with this?”  
June turned to Courtney sharply.  
Courtney laughed once again, her legs quivering, and she nearly dropped to her knees. “Wow! I knew you were a nut, but now I’ve truly heard it all!” She continued to laugh at June.  
“That is quite the story, young lady,” Officer Jenny told June suspiciously.  
“Well, I can vouch for her!” I said loudly, making Courtney shut up.  
She looked at me in surprise. “What?”  
June smiled smugly at Courtney.  
“It isn’t always perfect, and yeah, it needs some work,” I added, turning to June quickly.  
June’s smile faded as she turned to me.  
I looked back at Officer Jenny. “But I have seen her do some true miracles and I can say that I trust her ability as legit.”  
“Well, legit or not, we’re closing down this school until further notice while we try to figure out a solution to this problem,” the officer told me sharply. “You three kids are just in the way. Beat it before we take you in for questioning.”  
“But, wait! Maybe I can help you!” June said quickly. “Gary and I might be able to offer a little assistance in finding out what this Duskull is doing!”  
“Oh, really?” Officer Jenny gave June a look full of attitude. “And exactly how do you plan on helping.”  
“Well, if you could just give me a bit of time, I’m sure Gary and I could put our heads together and come up with something,” June said nervously.  
“We don’t have time for this! Young lady, if you don’t get out of here right this instant, I’m arresting you and all of your friends!” she shouted. “You’re all holding up an investigation!!”  
“Yes, ma’am,” Courtney said, pulling my arm. “Gary and I will be out of your hair right away.”  
I tugged my arm back and glared at Officer Jenny. I wasn’t ready to leave just yet, and I didn’t like how mean she was being to June.  
“Gary, come on!” Courtney pleaded in a whisper.  
“Come on. You three don’t want to be taken down to Central Booking, do you?” the last Officer Jenny spoke kindly to us. She yawned, her mouth wide open as she ushered June, me, and Courtney towards the door. “Please, things are really stressful these days. Try to understand that we don’t need a bunch of kids interfering here.” She slowly started to close the door.  
Just as the door nearly shut completely, it suddenly stopped.  
Officer Jenny opened the door slightly and looked down. Her gaze lifted to June with an impatient, tired sigh.  
I looked down to see June’s foot was in the door, her sneaker holding it open.  
“Are those kids still here?” the angry Officer Jenny shouted from inside of the classroom, and I heard shoes tap against the floor, nearing the door. The Officer Jenny looking at June shook her head before moving away from the door, and the other fuming Officer Jenny pulled the door wide open. “That tears it! You’re all hereby under arrest!”  
Courtney gasped. “June!”  
“Wait!” June pleaded.  
“No! On your knees, the three of you!” she demanded. She reached out and grabbed June roughly by the arm.  
Is she serious? I wondered, my heart beating in fear as I watched June struggle in the officer’s grip.  
“I have a plan to stop that Duskull if you’ll hear me out!” June begged.  
Officer Jenny turned her around harshly and swiftly slapped a pair of handcuffs onto her wrists. “Tell it at the precinct! You two, on your knees! Officers, arrest these two!”  
“I own a Ghost type Pokemon!” June insisted. “I have a Rotom! Please, if we can wait until night and put all of the kids in one spot, then we can lure the Duskull back! We can do it right here, in this classroom! Maybe my Rotom can stop Duskull and convince him to behave or something! Maybe we can even find out where the missing kids are!”  
All three officers looked at June as she groaned and struggled in her handcuffs.  
“You’re suggesting we keep all of the town’s kids in this classroom at night to try and talk Ghost to Ghost with that monster and just make it stop?” Officer Jenny asked through gritted teeth.  
“Yes! I think that with my Rotom, and myself, as well, we can get through to Duskull! Ow… My wrists.”  
“My Polly will not be a part of this!” the Officer Jenny with her daughter said firmly. “I refuse! I will not lose my Polly under any circumstances! We might even end up losing more than one child next time! It’s safer to keep them in separate houses. They all should stay home!”  
“That won’t stop Duskull,” June insisted. “Ghosts can go into any home they want, anytime they want! It’s better to keep the kids here in the classroom, together! If Duskull sneaks into the homes, he can just grab up whoever he wants and the police won’t find out until it’s too late and we won’t know where he will strike next. It could be anyone’s home! Keeping all the kids in one spot and facing this Pokemon head on is the best decision!”  
The Officer Jennys all faced each other, the larger Jenny holding an uncertain look before she looked back at June. The mean Jenny glared down at June, while the remaining Jenny look down at June tiredly.  
“Neither of us will be working past eleven tonight, so you have until then to get this Pokemon,” the mean Jenny snapped at June. “If you don’t get it by eleven, or if you do find it but fail to stop it, you and your friends will be forcibly removed from this town and banned from ever returning! Is that clear?” She released June from her handcuffs.  
June breathed a sigh of relief as she turned around and faced Officer Jenny, staring down at her sore wrists as she rubbed them. She looked up at Officer Jenny firmly and nodded. “Deal.”

*

“June, are you sure this was such a good idea?” I asked in a low voice as I stood next to her against the wall.  
“This plan will totally work,” June nodded, looking around the classroom.  
“I hope it does, but that’s not what I meant. I mean, these parents want you burned at the stake!”  
June swallowed nervously as she continued scanning the room.  
It was now ten o’clock at night. The classroom was filled with kids and adults.   
The kids were in their small chairs at the circular tables, chatting excitedly, thrilled at being up at this late hour with each other as they made a lot of loud noise, banging on the tables and drawing or playing with toys and handheld videogames.   
The adults, including Mrs. Démarche, were grumbling and glaring at June, or yelling at their kids to behave and be quiet. Some sat, visibly uncomfortable, in large, steel chairs with hard, plastic seats, against the walls. The remaining grownups stood up, leaning against the walls. The adult section included teachers from the other few classes as well.  
The school was pretty small, but so was the town.  
The plump Officer Jenny from earlier sat in a chair with her child in her lap, looking around with worry.  
Polly had her head against her mother’s large chest, her eyes closed peacefully.  
The other two Officer Jennys that had accompanied Polly’s mom earlier were standing near the front door, the mean Jenny with her arms crossed over her chest, shaking her angry head at June, while the other Jenny slouched against the wall, yawning and rubbing her eyes with her hands.  
“Excuse me, are you June?” A lady walked up to June with a warm smile, holding a little boy by his hand.  
The child had a napkin to his nose, wiping at it, a weary look on his face, his eyes red with dark circles underneath them, looking exhausted.  
“Yes, I am,” June nodded, her eyes innocently wide.  
“My name is Peru, but you can just call me Ms. Molly,” the woman laughed lightly, extending a hand.  
June shook her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Molly,” June smiled. “Who is this little man, here?” She knelt down to the clearly sick child.  
“Oh, this is my little Milton,” the woman said lovingly, beaming proudly.  
“Hi, Milton! How are you fee-?” June started.  
“AACHOO!” The child sneezed directly into June’s face, snot flying from his mouth and nose.  
June cried out in disgust and fell onto the ground.  
“That’s the least that should be done to you for making me take my sick child out of the house to come to this foolishness!” Ms. Molly screamed furiously at June.  
June looked up at Ms. Molly, wiping at her face that had splashes of yellow gunk on it and held a sickened look.  
As Ms. Molly took Milton away, someone clapped, and this was joined by another person’s applause. In seconds, the entire room was filled with clapping, cheering adults, and soon, the kids were clapping as well, shrugging at each other, unaware as to what they were clapping for, but enjoying themselves all the same.  
June let out a hurt cry and dug through her large bag, grabbing a towel and wiping at her face.  
“June, I really think we should get out of here,” I whispered, kneeling down to her. “This is starting to get a bit out of hand.”  
“Well, I think that if June wants to stay, she should,” Courtney stated, joining us on the ground. “Come on, Gary. Please?”  
“Hey, you don’t even-!” June’s voice began to rise angrily at Courtney.  
A ghastly cry suddenly filled the room, silencing everyone almost immediately.   
Everyone’s attention was now grabbed as all eyes bounced around the room.  
“Duskull…” I heard the low, haunting voice, and I gasped along with several other people.  
“He’s here!” June reacted.  
The parents all ran to the children and grabbed their child in their arms, screaming in fear.  
The children all started to scream and cry.  
An apparition blinked into existence repeatedly a few times before remaining visible in the middle of the tables. “Duskull…!” the thing spoke.  
“There he is!” June gripped a Poke Ball in her hand as I raised my Pokedex.  
Duskull. The Requiem Pokemon. This Ghost type Pokemon can go through walls while hunting for prey. It is more often found at night and is said to take away poorly behaved children.  
“Rotom, I choose you! Stop that Duskull!” June threw her Poke Ball.  
Rotom let out a cry as it appeared from its Poke Ball.  
“Duskull…?” The Duskull turned to face Rotom.  
The room was silent, fearful glances on every parent and childs’ face.  
The Officer Jenny with her child pulled her wide awake child even closer to her while Polly stared at Duskull in fright.  
The mean Jenny held a stunned look on her face while the last Jenny stood alert, gaping at the two Pokemon.  
Rotom made an energetic noise, a big smile on its face.  
“Duskull Duskull…” Duskull responded.  
June had her fists balled in front of her, shaking hard, staring with determination at the two Pokemon.  
Rotom said something to Duskull again.  
Duskull slowly turned around to stare at the room full of kids and adults, coming to a stop at Rotom.  
Rotom spoke again, flying around a little bit in the air.  
Duskull lowered his head to the floor, looking down.  
June smiled and nodded eagerly, her eyes lighting up.  
Rotom continued speaking to the fellow Ghost type.  
Duskull looked up at Rotom. “Duskull… Dusk Dusk…”  
Rotom nodded at him.  
Silence filled the room, no person, and no Pokemon, moving an inch.  
Did it work? I wondered. Is it all over? I noticed June’s eager, satisfied smile, and I felt my body tremble with excitement at what would happen next. June seems pleased by this. Maybe Rotom really did get through to Duskull!  
“Duskull…” Duskull told Rotom.  
Rotom spoke back.  
“Dusk…”  
Rotom responded.  
Silence once again.  
Duskull suddenly turned around swiftly and faced Polly and her policewoman mom.  
Both females gasped.  
Rotom let out a cry, its smile turning into a sad look.  
In the next instant, Duskull was gone.   
The moment right after Duskull had vanished, Polly was gone from her mother’s lap.  
Everyone in the room gasped long and hard.  
The mother Jenny looked down at her lap in horror. “P-P-P-Polly…?”  
Everyone was staring at the mother Jenny.  
“Pollyyyyy!!! NO! NO! POLLYYYYYYY!!!” the mother Jenny shrieked at the top of her lungs, standing up and looking around the room frantically.  
“WHAT HAPPENED??!!” the mean Jenny roared, storming towards the mother.  
The final Jenny had her hands to her cheeks, staring at her partner as she freaked out over her now missing daughter.  
The mean Jenny stopped near the mother Jenny and turned to June. “What happened here?” she questioned through fangs.  
“What did you do with my daughter?” the mom Jenny wailed to June. “Why? Why??”  
“Wait, Rotom was telling him to stop stealing the kids!” June explained to the now grumbling room of adults. “It was trying to reason with Duskull to bring the children back! It asked Duskull where the kids were!”  
At once, several kids started to scream loudly, bawling uncontrollably. It was only a couple of seconds later before every kid was screaming as loud as they could, crying to their parents.  
“June, we need to run, now!!” I shouted to her over the screaming kids.  
The mean Jenny and the mother Jenny were both now advancing upon us, their arms outstretched, a deadly look on their faces.  
“Damn it, June!” Courtney cried out fearfully. “I can’t go to jail! I’ll be eaten alive! It was all her fault! Just take June! I tried to leave!” Courtney pointed at June frantically with both hands.  
June shot Courtney a frightened look before turning back to the advancing cops, the third Jenny in the back now moving quickly to join the other two, wearing a matching look of fury on her face.  
Can’t we fight them or something? I thought fearfully, considering grabbing my Poke Ball. No way! You’ll be going to prison for years if you do that, Gary! But, this isn’t right! This isn’t our fault! I trust June and her Rotom. I know they didn’t mean to get anymore kids stolen tonight, but we can’t convince these officers of that right now. We’re done for!  
Mere feet away, the officers reached for our throats.  
A loud cry was heard, and just before the mean Jenny grabbed my neck, a long, red-hot flame fired out above the officers’ heads!  
“Whoa!” I exclaimed, and I ducked down.   
A loud CRASH! made the entire population in the room turn around with terrified screams.  
My heart was in my throat as I watched something bounce noisily across the floor towards me, June, Courtney, and the three officers. My eyes widened in shock. “Oh, no…”  
It was a microwave! A red microwave with a red spike on top of it, a red, jagged line reaching out on each side of it, two ovals near the top of it resembling eyes, and what appeared to be a smile with white teeth showing underneath the ovals.  
“Rotom!” June recognized.  
The microwave let out a cry and the door opened wide, sending out a stream of fire at the officers.  
The police all screamed and ran away from it.  
“Rotom, don’t!” June pleaded. “Get out of there!”  
“Rotom, just follow June!” I called out to it, and I grabbed June and Courtney’s hand and pulled them with me.   
In seconds, the three of us were out of the school. I could hear an angry commotion from inside of the classroom as we all ran as fast as we possibly could.  
The familiar cry of Rotom sounded right before it flew above our heads, no longer inside of the microwave, now in its normal form.  
“Rotom! Why did you attack them like that?” June shouted at her Pokemon. “That was very bad! You can’t go around attacking the law like that! Come back for now!” She returned Rotom to its Poke Ball, Rotom looking down sadly at June.  
“Now what do we do?” Courtney complained.  
A loud roar from behind us made us all look back.  
“RUUUUUUUUUN!!!” I bellowed at the sight of a large mob of adults from the classroom, the three Officer Jennys leading them, chasing after us while shouting various things I couldn’t understand.  
The three of us ran as quickly as possible, a stampede of angry parents and law enforcers wanting our heads.  
“June, just go back there! They want you!” Courtney whined. “We can’t outrun all of these adults!”  
“The day you need saving, you better not ever look in my direction!” June warned her.  
“I don’t go around getting little kids kidnapped by Ghost Pokemon, thank you!”  
“Will you two shut it and look? There’s the exit out of here!” I pointed, feeling exhausted already.   
The forest ahead of us was like a life preserver when drowning in the ocean.   
I couldn’t believe our luck.  
We exited the town and entered the wooded area, flying through the jumble of trees, getting away from the crowd. We didn’t stop running, leaping over low bushes, tripping over things unknown, and running into low hanging tree branches that snapped once they were collided into. Even when the angry roar from the crowd had faded away, we didn’t stop running.  
My throat was desperate for water, but I just couldn’t stop now, and so I pushed on, ignoring my stinging throat as I painfully swallowed my quickly dwindling saliva, the action only burning my throat further.  
Courtney and June were both within view beside me as we all run, desperate to escape a crowd we had lost at least five minutes ago.  
Courtney suddenly vanished from my view, but I didn’t stop running with June.  
“Wait! I can’t!” Courtney called out behind us.  
As I ran past a tree, I reached back and grabbed it with my hand, pulling myself back hard, and I wrapped my arms around it, gasping heavily.  
June stopped once I stopped running and she leaned against a tree trunk, sliding to the ground, heaving hard.  
Courtney was on her knees, several feet behind me, her hands resting on them as she drooped her head and swallowed and breathed repeatedly.  
We didn’t speak as we struggled to regain our energy back. I pulled out a bottle of water from my bag, and as I started to drink from it, June and Courtney followed suit and dug through their bags, pulling out their water, and they eagerly drank.  
“Aahhh!” I gasped happily as I removed the bottle from my lips, smiling at Courtney. “Well, that was necessary.”  
She lowered her pink canteen and nodded. “Yes, but that exercise certainly wasn’t.” She turned to June.  
June lowered her plastic bottle of water. “Listen, you little rat, I-”  
“I am not a rat!” Courtney responded.  
“You wanted me locked up!”  
“So did the police!” Courtney argued. “It’s not like you were in hiding and I pointed you out. You were right there!”  
“You’re a backstabber and a traitor!”  
“Excuse me, but I wasn’t aware we were friends to begin with! I can’t be a traitor to someone I can’t stand in the first place!”  
June jumped to her feet.  
Courtney got up as well.  
I climbed to my own feet and stood in between them as they approached each other. “Ladies, please! I’m not in the mood to play referee! We just barely avoided some serious trouble from that town we were in, I’m really tired, and for all we know, they still might be looking for us, so I really think we should keep on moving until we reach another town or something.”  
“Sounds like a fine idea as long as we don’t tell our Pokemon to go in cahoots with crazy Ghost type Pokemon who want to steal little children,” Courtney said snottily, her eyes stuck on June.  
June gasped furiously. “Are you accusing me and my Rotom of purposely getting that child kidnapped by Duskull?”  
“I call it like I see it.” Courtney crossed her arms. “Maybe if you hadn’t been so convinced you were some kind of Poke Whisperer, a police officer wouldn’t be missing her daughter right now.”  
June tried to step around me.  
“Both of you, enough! If you two start fighting, I am not breaking it up, and I am not sticking around to watch, either! Can we please just focus on getting out of here and into another town? Please?!”  
June turned her back on Courtney, crossing her arms.  
“Hmph, well, she started it,” Courtney mumbled.  
“I-!” June turned around to face Courtney.  
“Courtney!” I barked.  
“Fine. Anyway,” Courtney grumbled quickly. “Did you get the name of that town? I don’t know if anyone said the name of it, and I didn’t see any signs, but if you know it, I can locate it on my Town Map and we can go on from there.”  
I thought about it for a moment. “I don’t have a clue,” I told her. “June?”  
“Nope,” she shook her head, her back still facing us, her arms still crossed, glaring at the ground.  
“Well, we entered from one place and exited from an entirely different spot, so, we have to be headed somewhere, right?” I reasoned.  
Both girls nodded.  
I nodded back and zipped my backpack closed. Taking another swig from my bottle of water, I slung my bag over my shoulder and walked past the two feuding girls.  
“Where are you going?” Courtney called after me.  
“Like I said, I’m really not interested in waiting around here,” I called back to her. “Let’s keep going a bit further before we stop for dinner, okay? We can feed our Pokemon and eat in a bit. I just want to move a bit deeper into the woods. Maybe we’ll even locate another town before long or something.”  
“I don’t think I want to locate another town for a little while,” Courtney admitted.  
I stopped walking and turned back to her. “Why’s that?”  
She slung her bag over her shoulder as she walked up to me. “Well, I don’t think I want to find a town that’s that close to the one we just got out of. I’d like a bit more space. I feel like, if we go into a town that’s that close, I dunno, we might get arrested on sight or something. They might have radioed the next town over to look out for us.”  
“They might have done that regardless of how close the next town over is,” June muttered, walking over to us.  
“Yeah, no thanks to-” Courtney looked over at my scowling face. “Never mind.” She looked down.  
“Officer Jenny said that if June’s plan failed, we were to never return to that place, so, I think we’ll be fine as long as we don’t go back there,” I said.  
“That was before Rotom attacked the police,” Courtney reminded me.  
June sighed and lowered her head.  
“Well, we’re either wanted fugitives now, or not,” I replied. “Either way, let’s please just keep moving. We can’t just stay here forever.”  
Courtney mumbled something as I walked away from the girls. I could hear her say a couple of curse words. I looked behind me and saw June stare at Courtney from the corner of her eye.  
“Hey, we’ll be okay,” I told Courtney.  
She looked up at me with worry in her eyes. Quickly, she approached me, bumping into June’s bag on her way.  
June cried out in surprise as her large bag was hit by Courtney and she stumbled. “Hey!”  
“It was an accident!” Courtney snapped at her. She quickly turned back to me, looking up at me pleadingly. “Do you mean it, Gary? Will everything really be okay? I’m really scared right now.”  
I stopped walking and turned to June, who had her arms crossed and was leering at us, and I looked back down to Courtney. “We’ll be okay, Courtney. I believe that we will be. Let’s just move on a little further and then we can all eat.”  
Courtney looked down sadly. “Okay. Can I ask you one question, though?”  
“Go ahead.”  
“You think it’d be too much to ask if I could have a hug?” she asked me adorably, looking up at me desperately.  
My eyes widened in surprise and I glanced up at June for the quickest second.  
In that second, I could see the stunned rage on June’s face.   
“Sure, Courtney,” I hesitantly agreed.  
She quickly pulled me into a hug and rested her head against me.  
My arms closed around her, my nose detecting a truly feminine, beautiful scent from her hair. My eyes warily returned back to June, who now looked like she was ready to slug a lion in his face without hesitation and stand her ground in a fight against him, coming out the winner, and my heart began to beat quickly, fearfully. I tried to release Courtney after a few seconds, but she held me even tighter.  
“Not yet, please,” she whispered. “If that’s okay with you.”  
I held back the smile that was struggling to come out as my heart beat even harder and more rapidly. “Sure, Courtney.”  
My heart’s beat picked up a lot faster as I caught the flash of red in June’s eyes directed at me and Courtney.  
I tried to calm down the fear in my body as I closed my eyes.  
I tried to relax as I inhaled and exhaled repeatedly.  
I tried to stop my body from trembling by pulling Courtney into a tighter hug.  
I heard Courtney’s moan of satisfaction.


	43. Innocense Lost

The enormous, black canvas hung high in the air, littered with glitter, sparkling above the three of us beautifully. The constant chirping of crickets surrounded us.  
“Sure is romantic, don't you think?” Courtney asked, walking close to me.  
I looked away from the sky and turned to see Courtney smiling at me. “Yeah,” I muttered quickly, looking back up. Sighing, I moved over to the side, a little bit further from Courtney.  
June turned her head back and stared at us coldly as she led the way through the woods.  
We'd been traveling for what felt two hours, the tight gathering of trees around us giving us more space the further we walked.  
My jacket was unzipped on this surprisingly warm night.  
“Need help with something?” Courtney asked June with disdain.  
“As a matter of fact, yes,” June answered, scowling at her. “Is there a reason you're here?”  
“Huh?” Courtney responded, shock on her face.  
“Why are you following Gary and me?” June asked Courtney. “I'm rather curious.”  
“Oh, am I intruding on something, here?”  
“Don't try and change the subject,” June snapped. “I don't remember inviting you to this group, and I don't recall hearing Gary invite you in, either. Now, what exactly do you want from us?”  
Courtney snickered, a smirk on her face. “I certainly want nothing from you.”  
“Why don't you go beat it?” June growled.  
“Because I don't know where I am,” Courtney told her. “I was pulled into this craziness. A bunch of ancient Pokemon were set loose somehow due to some mumbo jumbo those crazy guys were talking about in Twist Mountain, talking something about that group, Team Solace, I find myself in some strange dream world thing thanks to a Beheeyem, and then we all stumble upon an amazing little piece of paradise inhabited by Tranquill that is burned to the ground by some more wackos claiming to be from Team Solace. Then, when we finally reach a town to find out where we are, your Rotom ruins everything by getting some poor child snatched up by a damn-”  
A shrill scream escaped June's throat as she leaped at Courtney.  
Courtney cried out and dropped to her knees, covering her face with her arms as June slapped at them repeatedly.  
“June, cut it out!” I yelled, and I grabbed her shoulders and pulled her back.  
“Stop saying that about my Rotom!!” June screeched, trying furiously to break away from my grip. “Say it again!! I dare you!! One more word!! Get off of me, Gary! I'll kill her! I'll kill her!!”  
My grip was slipping as I dug my fingers into her shoulders, desperately trying to hold her back. “June, what is wrong with you? Stop it! Cut it out! Enough, already!”  
Courtney got to her feet and dusted off her clothes, swallowing nervously as she stared at June and adjusted her glasses. She then brushed aside her blonde hair with both hands. “Well, it's no wonder Gary isn't your boyfriend with that kind of attitude.”  
June burst out angrily and broke free from me, but I was ready for her and I tackled her around her waist to the ground, holding her down. She kicked and screamed from underneath me, clawing at the dirt as she growled like a pitbull, trying to reach Courtney.  
“I don't know how you put up with her, or why,” Courtney shrugged, keeping her eyes on June as she walked around us and deeper into the woods.  
“You know, sometimes, I don't know, either,” I said angrily, glaring at June.  
My words seemed to cause an instant reaction in June. She immediately stopped growling and her body eased up underneath me.  
Courtney stopped walking, keeping her eyes on June.  
“Are you quite done?” I demanded.  
June’s head nodded, dirt smeared on it, and she let out a breath through her nostrils.  
I removed myself from her and got to my feet, adjusting my clothes.  
June slowly climbed to her feet and brushed the dirt from her clothes, keeping her head down. She walked forward, her head still down, approaching Courtney.  
Courtney moved to the side and June walked right by her, paying her no mind, and she continued to walk deeper into the woods.  
“Thank you so much, Gary,” Courtney said happily, stepping up to me. “You saved me from her!” Her arms opened and she wrapped me in a hug, her breath coming out in a sigh of relief against me. “Thank you so much.” She nuzzled her head against my shoulder.  
I stared down at her in shock, my nose catching the incredible, alluring scent of her hair, and then I looked up to see June's pace pick up speed as she got further away from us. “June, wait a sec!” I called out to her, struggling in Courtney's tight hold.  
“Gary, let her go,” Courtney said gently, hugging me even tighter. “We don't need her.”  
“Courtney, what are you talking about? Let go of me!” I broke free from Courtney's hug as she looked up at me in surprise, a slight gasp escaping her mouth. “June!” I ran away from Courtney and chased after June, the delightful smell from Courtney’s hair still with me.  
June started to run away.  
My heart picked up the pace of its beat at the sight of her running from me. Stop being stupid, June! I thought angrily, and my feet pounded into the grass as I chased after her.  
She was making space between us quickly, surprisingly.  
I could feel anger building inside of me and my face curled up as I moved even faster, forcing myself to catch up with her. Within a matter of seconds, I held June's shoulders in my hands and turned her around.  
She pulled her shoulders free from me with an angry grunt and wiped at her face with her hands. It was evident that she was crying, her eyes still glossy as she glared at me.  
The sound of Courtney running through the woods after us got closer, but neither of us turned towards the noise.  
“What is your problem, June? Why did you just run?” I shouted at her.  
June looked away from me. “It was nothing.”  
I gripped her shoulders tightly and gave her one strong shake, demanding she look at me. “Don't give me that crap! Talk to me, June! Come on! It's me, Gary. You can talk to me about anything. Do you not know that by now?”  
June stared into my eyes mournfully as they started to water up again. She nodded slowly. “Yes,” she whispered.  
“Then, why don't you?”  
June's mouth opened to speak, but she looked behind me and it closed.  
Courtney had finally reached us, letting out a gasp from behind me. “What are you two doing?”  
I removed my hands from June's shoulders and turned to Courtney.   
None of us spoke as we all stared at each other.  
Courtney was breathing hard as she stared from me to June. “I think we need to have a little talk or something. I'm tired of all of this fighting and stuff.”  
June and I turned to each other before looking back at Courtney.  
June inhaled and then exhaled. “Courtney, I-”  
“Wait, do you hear that?” Courtney shushed June as she looked around her.  
We were all silent as we looked around, and the sound of rustling grass made us all gasp. We turned around in slow circles, trying to identify which direction the noise was coming from. As the noise got closer, we turned to look behind where Courtney was standing as the sound got nearer to us.  
Is that a person? I wondered, squinting into the darkness. My eyes widened in horror. The people from that town? Have we been captured?  
Before I could move, two small creatures stepped out from the trees.  
“Whoa! Look!” I exclaimed.  
“It's that girl!” Courtney pointed as the child walked towards us with a bland look on her face.  
Something was walking next to her, its eyes glowing white and twinkling like a star.  
“Polly!” June cried.  
“But, what's that with her?” I pulled out my Pokedex. “Is it a Pokemon?”  
Gothorita. The Manipulate Pokemon. This is Gothita's evolved form. This Pokemon's source of power is starlight, and it can use this power to control people and Pokemon for company.  
Polly and Gothorita walked past us, their eyes focused straight ahead, and they made a sudden turn and disappeared from view in the trees.  
“Hey! Hold on a second!” I called out. “Polly, where are you going?”  
“Something's wrong with Polly,” June said firmly. “We have to stop that Gothorita. I think she's got Polly under hypnosis!”  
“What? Why? We have to save her!” I ran forward and turned the same corner Polly and Gothorita took and made my way past the two, stopping in front of them and extending my arms.  
June and Courtney ran after me, stopping on either side of me, crossing their arms.  
“Hold it!” Courtney ordered. “What do you think you're doing with Polly?”  
“Courtney, just wait a minute,” June said in a strict, low voice. She knelt down on one knee and stared into Gothorita's face.  
Gothorita stared at June silently, her eyes dazzling and dancing.  
Polly's blank stare was looking past June as she stood completely still next to Gothorita.  
“Gothorita, please, what's going on?” June asked the Psychic Pokemon. “We need to take Polly back home. Why do-?”  
“Gothorita? Goth!” Gothorita's eyes narrowed angrily and she cupped her hands, charging a Shadow Ball attack.  
“Gothorita? Wait a second!” June stood up, taking a step back.  
“June, move!” I shouted, and I pulled her down by her shoulders with me to the ground.  
A brief, low explosion was heard as the Shadow Ball slammed into the surrounding trees.  
“Gothorita!” Gothorita shouted.  
June and I looked up to see Gothorita and Polly running away.  
“Gary!” Courtney reached over to me and extended her hand, helping me to my feet.  
I nodded appreciatively and turned to where Gothorita and Polly had disappeared. “We have to find them! June, did you get any kind of reading off of her?” I reached down to help her up.  
June shook her head solemnly as she took my hand and got up. “She didn't tell me anything.”  
“Oh, not this stupid mind reading claim, again,” Courtney rolled her eyes. “Gary, don't tell me this girl has you believing she-”  
“Courtney, if you don't believe in June, you're only in our way,” I interrupted her. “We don't have time for this.”   
I caught June smirk with satisfaction at Courtney, Courtney staring back at me in confusion.  
I turned away from the both of them, growing impatient with their childish behavior, and I ran after where Polly and Gothorita had last been spotted.  
Gothorita's breathing was loud and hurried, Polly's footsteps keeping up with the Pokemon.  
“Polly!! Pooollyyyyy!!” I shouted after her. “Gothorita, get back here, right this second!!” What is that Gothorita doing with Polly? I wondered angrily. I could see them up ahead, and I pushed myself to move faster. They won't get past me! It wasn’t much longer before I ran past them.  
Polly and Gothorita stopped at the same time as I blocked their path, looking up at me.  
Polly's eyes were empty, tired, and her face was expressionless.  
Gothorita glared at me with her sparkling eyes. “Gothorita! Gothorita!” she shouted at me.  
“Just tell us what's wrong! You can't run off with that girl, Gothorita!” I said to her as I heard Courtney and June get closer to us as they ran through the woods.  
Gothorita looked behind her to where the footsteps were getting closer. She turned back to me and nodded. “Gothorita…” she said in a more gentle voice.  
My eyes widened in surprise. Is she going to work with me? Is she going to try and tell me what's going on?  
Gothorita and Polly stepped up to me.  
I stared back expectantly as my heart beat harder than ever.  
Gothorita slowly raised a hand and pointed behind me. “Gothorita.”  
I turned my head around and looked into the darkness, trees, grass, and rocks. “Ooof!” I exclaimed painfully as something hit me across my cheek and I was dropped to the ground like a dead weight. My eyes closed, I grunted as I felt two things jump on top of me and then run off.  
June and Courtney finally reached me and stopped by me, both girls crying out.   
“Gary!” Courtney gasped. “What happened?” My eyes opened to see her kneel down next to me and place one hand on my shoulder, staring sadly into my eyes.  
“Gary, are you alright?” June knelt down next to Courtney.  
My cheek throbbing in pain, I shook my head and climbed to my knees. “Feint Attack. I fell for the damn Feint Attack! They're getting away! Come on!” I got up to my feet and my legs quivered as I ran.  
“Elgyem, use your Psychic attack to grab that girl!” I yelled as I threw his Poke Ball.  
“Elgyem!” Elgyem cried once freed from his Poke Ball, and he floated by my right side as I ran.  
I scanned the area desperately, trying to spot Polly and Gothorita.  
“She isn't listening to us!” June shouted from behind me. “We have to get through to her somehow!”  
“This doesn't make any sense! What is she doing with Officer Jenny's daughter? I thought Duskull stole her!” Courtney questioned.  
“They may be working together or something,” I realized. “This may be a part of something even bigger. Wait, there they are! Elgyem, Psychic! Go!”  
Elgyem's eyes glowed blue as he prepared to use his Psychic to grab the little girl.  
Polly and Gothorita both stopped and turned to Elgyem. Gothorita leaped in front of Polly and her hands reached out in front of her. A turquoise energy shield appeared in front of her and the blue energy from Elgyem's Psychic bounced off of it.  
“El!” my Elgyem uttered.  
“She knows Protect!” June noted.  
Gothorita's Protect faded and she cupped her hands again, forming and then throwing Shadow Ball at Elgyem.  
“Elgyem!” He was forced back through the air.  
I caught him in my arms with a determined grunt and stumbled back a couple of feet. “You alright?” I asked him.  
Elgyem shook his head quickly and looked up at me, nodding. “Elgyem! El!”  
“They're getting away! Galvantula, help us out with Spider Web, now!” June threw her Poke Ball.  
“Galvantulaaaa!” Galvantula hissed as she was sent out, and a white thread was spat from her mouth, opening and forming a web in front of Gothorita.  
Gothorita and Polly both stopped in front of the web and turned, Gothorita's face holding rage.  
June smiled and nodded with satisfaction.   
“Gothorita! Goth! Goth! Gothorita!” Gothorita shouted at June.  
“I don't want to fight, Gothorita! I only want Polly back, and to know why you won't give her back! We don't have to fight! Please, talk to us!”  
“Gothoriiiiiita!” Gothorita’s eyes started to glow dark blue.  
“Sucker Punch!” June told Galvantula.  
Galvantula vanished and reappeared in front of Gothorita to deliver a swift blow from one of her legs, throwing Gothorita back hard.  
Gothorita slid on the ground, groaning painfully, stopping just short of the giant web.  
“Polly!” June called out, stepping towards the young girl who was staring in our direction blankly.  
Polly didn't move a muscle.  
“Goth!” Gothorita got to her feet quickly, her eyes no longer glowing dark blue, having returned to their normal blue color. In the next instant, they flashed in the dark blue color again.  
Galvantula's body was outlined in dark blue and she was lifted into the air, squirming around painfully. She called out as her body was controlled by Gothorita's Psychic power, slamming her into trees and the ground repeatedly. She was finally released after a short while.  
“Galvantula, hang in there!” June encouraged her Pokemon. “We can win this fight! We have to save Polly! Use Bug Buzz!”  
“Galvaaaaaaaan!!” Galvantula screamed as red waves spread out from her body.  
Gothorita's hands reached to the sides of her head as she closed her eyes and screamed.  
I also joined Gothorita in covering my ears and groaned in pain from the shrill noise emitting from the spider Pokemon.  
Courtney was screaming next to me.  
When the attack ended, Gothorita was on her knees, her hands still at the sides of her head, glaring at Galvantula.  
“Now, let's end this with Bug Bite! Go get her!” June ordered.  
Galvantula's mouth opened wide as she ran towards Gothorita.  
“Huh?” Polly blinked her eyes repeatedly and looked around her in shock.  
June gasped.  
“Whoa! Polly!” I pointed at her.  
Galvantula leaped at Gothorita to attack.  
Gothorita closed her eyes and cowered.  
“Nooooooooooooo!!!” several screams came from out of nowhere.  
I looked around in surprise and gasped with June and Courtney as a group of small children burst through the shadows of the woods!   
They all formed a line in front of Gothorita and extended their arms, glaring at Galvantula.  
“Galvantula, wait! Return!” June quickly recalled her Pokemon as the spider cried out at the appearance of these kids, her legs flailing in the air as she tried not to land on the youngsters.  
“You won't hurt our friend!” a little boy yelled at us angrily.  
“Stay away from our friend!” another boy ordered.  
“Why are you attacking our friend?” a girl cried sadly at us.  
There were six new children, all chattering at us, upset at us.  
Gothorita opened her eyes and stared at the children in amazement as a smile came over her face.  
Courtney, June, and I turned to each other before facing the kids again.  
“Just leave!” the first boy demanded. “Leave us alone! We're all friends here. We can't and won't go back home. Ever!”  
“But, why?” June took a step towards the children. “I don't understand what's going on!”  
“These might be the kids from that classroom,” I murmured in realization. “These might very well be all of them. All of the kids that the Duskull took.”  
June turned to me, disbelief on her face. She turned back to the kids. “You're all from the town nearby? You're all the missing kids?”  
The first boy stepped forward in his stained, black slacks and white button up shirt tucked into them, a dirty, gray, open blazer over his shirt, and smudged black shoes on his feet. “We're from Prime Town. We don't know where that is anymore, but we also don't care. A mean Ghost Pokemon took us away and had been scaring us really bad, and then this new friend of ours saved us from it. So, we can't go home. That Ghost Pokemon is waiting there for us. We're only safe with Gothorita.”  
The other kids agreed, nodding quickly.  
Gothorita closed her eyes and nodded, still smiling.  
Suddenly, a loud scream and a desperate cry made us all turn around.  
Polly was on her knees behind the other kids and Gothorita, screaming and crying, her hands covering her face.  
“Polly!” Courtney walked over to the little girl and sat on the ground next to her, pulling her into a hug.  
Polly cried against Courtney. “I want my mommy!” She screamed even louder.  
Courtney rubbed her back. “It's okay, honey. Everything's gonna be okay. We're going to find your mommy for you, okay?”  
“Polly, you don't need your mommy,” the boy in his gray blazer said, stepping up to his friend. “You've got us, and Gothorita. We're better than stinky parents.”  
Polly continued to cry, her voice rising drastically.  
The boy's face fell at Polly's reaction to him.  
“I… Want… My… Mommyyyyyyyyyyy!!” Polly screeched, crying hysterically.  
Courtney smiled at me wearily as she rubbed Polly's back. “Sshhh,” Courtney said as she turned back to the crying child. “We're going to take you to your mommy, okay? We're going to get you all back home.”  
“None of us are going back home!” the boy insisted. “We're all staying right here! Now beat it you stupid faces!”  
“What is your name, little boy?” June stomped over to the child and crossed her arms, glaring down at him.  
The boy looked down, suddenly seeming intimidated. “Theodore…” he muttered.  
“Theodore…” June repeated thoughtfully. “Hmmm. So, are you saying you don't miss being home at all?” she asked in a gentler tone, smiling.  
Theodore sniffled. “Y-y-y-yes… But… I can't! We can't go back home! But…” He sniffled harder and began wiping at his eyes. “I miss my mommy and daddy!” His little hands covered his eyes as he began to cry.  
“Awww. You poor little thing, come here, sweetheart,” June said as she knelt down in front of the child and pulled him into a hug.  
Theodore hugged June back tightly, crying and sniffling repeatedly.  
The Duskull… I thought to myself. “What are we gonna do?” I asked out loud to no one in particular.  
“Gothorita…” Gothorita had her head down as she took very slow steps towards June. “Gothorita… Gothorita Gothorita Gothorita. Gothorita. Gothorita, Gothorita, Gothorita, Gothorita.”  
June held Theodore closely as Gothorita spoke to her.   
Theodore had stopped crying and turned around to look at Gothorita.  
June's eyes widened and she inhaled sharply in a low gasp.  
“Gothorita. Gothorita, Gothorita.” Gothorita never lifted her head back up as she finished saying what she had to say.  
June stared back sadly at Gothorita.  
“June?” I asked her.  
June didn't respond, her eyes trained on Gothorita.  
Theodore sniffled and wiped at his nose.  
“June, is everything okay?” I asked louder. “What did she say? What's going on, exactly?”  
“Oh, don't tell me this is another one of June's claims to be understanding Pokemon, again,” Courtney said loudly, impatiently. “Gary, we saw what happened the last time-”  
“Just shut up!” I barked. “What did I already tell you? If you don't believe her, you're only in the way!”  
Courtney lowered her head and stayed silent, looking ready to cry at my words.  
June smiled at me, but it quickly faded away to seriousness. “This is not what we thought it was at all, Gary. This is really bad. At the rate things are going, that town is gonna be entirely empty of children, and none of them are gonna want to go back home!”  
“June, please, tell me! What's going on back there? What is this all about?” I pleaded.  
Courtney sighed loudly and shook her head, looking up into the sky.  
June and I ignored her, keeping our eyes on each other.  
“Of course, I'll tell you what's up,” June said seriously. “But after that, we have to get back to that town and end this madness, once and for all.”


	44. The End Of Trends

“If June thinks she knows what the problem is, why doesn't she just go back there by herself and help all of these kids?” Courtney complained wearily. “I don't want to get arrested!”  
“Then why don't you just get out of here already?” June screamed.  
“June, take it easy,” I muttered. “Not in front of the kids.”  
June gasped and looked around her.  
The group of children were on either side of the three of us, three on our left, and the other four on our right.  
Gothorita was walking in front of us.  
We were all heading back towards the town we had escaped from after Duskull had snatched away Officer Jenny's daughter, Polly, leading to us being chased out by a small mob of angry adults made up of parents, three cops, and teachers.  
June had read Gothorita's words that were spoken to her a couple of hours ago and told me what she had heard from the Psychic Pokemon. She was determined to return the children to the town and resolve this horrifying situation.  
All of the kids around us held a piece of fruit they were eating that Gothorita had given them. But now, the young ones had stopped chewing as they watched June and Courtney argue, frightened looks on their little faces.  
Gothorita continued walking but turned her head around to stare at the two girls who were fighting.  
“Yeah, June,” Courtney smirked. “We have company. Try and hold in your irrational behavior until we get them back home, will ya?”  
June turned to Courtney sharply but didn't make a sound, a deep loathing in her eyes. She looked ahead and continued to walk through the woods with us, glaring furiously.  
“Miss June?” a little boy asked in a low voice, looking up at June nervously.  
“Huh?” June turned to the boy with surprise and a smile spread over her face. “You can just call me June, honey. What's the matter, sweetie?”  
The boy whose name I had forgotten looked away from her, to the ground. “Are you sure things will be okay when we get back home?” The child's voice was adorable. So innocent. So scared.  
“Awwww!” Courtney exclaimed, coming to a stop as her hands clasped together near her face, staring down at the child in adoration.   
Our entire group stopped and turned to him.  
“He's so precious!” Courtney started to walk towards him. “Hey, listen to me. O-”  
“Excuse me, I don't believe your name is June,” June interrupted, and she stepped in front of Courtney as Courtney gasped loudly, and approached the young kid. A loving smile crossed her face. “Aw, little one!” She knelt down and opened her arms.   
The boy walked over to her and June pulled him into a hug.   
“Hey, you keep your head up, okay?” June said reassuringly. “We're going back home, and everything is going to be just fine. We're going to make sure of that, okay? You won't have to worry about anything anymore.”  
“You promise?” the boy asked sadly.  
June held the boy's shoulders in her hands, maintaining her smile.  
The boy smiled back a little bit.  
“I promise. We'll make everything better,” June nodded.  
The boy smiled wider and nodded. “Okay. Thank you, Miss June.”  
June gushed over the boy's cuteness and hugged him again, practically looking like a happy mother.  
I had to smile as I watched them, my body filling with warmth and comfort at the sight. Despite what had occurred for June, Courtney, and I since entering Prime Town, I felt relaxed at this moment.  
The other kids had begun to slowly walk closer to June, hopeful looks on their faces.  
June pulled away from the boy in her arms and noticed the cautious children around her. “Hey, you're all going to be okay. No more tears, okay, guys? No more fear.”  
The kids all dropped their fruit and surrounded June in hugs and excitement, inspired by her words.  
“Hmph,” Courtney muttered, crossing her arms over her chest, glaring at the scene.  
“Gothorita…” Gothorita smiled at June and the children surrounding her.  
June looked over at Gothorita and nodded, smiling. “Let's keep going, everyone.” She stood up and turned to me, beaming brightly.  
I nodded back at her.  
June walked with Gothorita by her side, the both of them surrounded by the kids as Courtney and I followed from behind.  
Courtney was fuming, mumbling things, her eyes glued to the back of June's head.  
I found myself wondering exactly why Courtney was with us right now. If she was so mad at June, she didn't have to stay with us. She really didn't have a reason to be heading back to this town at all.  
“There,” June pointed, coming to a stop.  
Up ahead was the familiar town we had all been in. From here, I could spot the school building in the distance, several police officers posted in front of it, leering around.  
There were also other adults in the area with either angry, mournful, or tired looks on their faces.  
My eyes widened as I recognized the tired looking Officer Jenny. I looked around, but I couldn't spot the mean Jenny or the chunky Jenny.  
The kids all gasped in unison, which was surprisingly cute actually, and then they started to whimper and mutter amongst themselves.  
“I'm scared, Miss June!” a little girl cried, grabbing June's hand.  
“Me, too, Miss June!” a boy whined, bouncing in place.  
“Miss June, do we have to go back?” Polly sniffled, holding Gothorita's hand as she looked up at June.  
All of the kids were crying and begging to not have to return back home.  
Courtney and I exchanged glances before looking back at June and the children.  
“Hey,” June smiled, raising a hand into the air.  
The kids all went silent.  
“What'd I say? Everything's gonna be just fine. No more crying. This is the time to be happy. There's no longer anything to be afraid of. You'll all be back home with your parents really soon. From here on out, everything is going to be just fine. Alright?”  
The kids all nodded slightly, frightened looks on their faces.  
June nodded to one side and then turned her head, winking at the group of kids on the other side of her. “Now, let's get home!”  
The kids all chattered with excitement and followed June and Gothorita through the woods.  
I stepped forward to walk with them, but Courtney grabbed my arm and pulled me back. “Hey!” I exclaimed in shock, turning to her.  
“Gary, let's run! The kids are safe now and June is going to jail! Come on!” Courtney begged, and yanked my arm towards her.  
I pulled back my arm angrily. “What is wrong with-?” I started to yell.  
“FREEZE!! You're under arrest!!” a voice shouted.  
A bright light shined from behind me, and I turned around only to be blinded by the beam from a flashlight.  
“Hands in the air, right now!!” the voice of an Officer Jenny ordered.  
The kids were all screaming and crying now as I raised my hands, my eyes closed tight.  
“It was all June! I'm innocent! Please, take her!!” I heard Courtney beg.  
My arms were grabbed roughly from behind and pulled back hard. I groaned in pain as I was forced forward, out of the woods. My eyes squinted open, still blinded by bright flashes in front of my eyes from the flashlight that had shined in them just seconds ago, and I blinked repeatedly to clear my vision. Oh, great, I thought in fear as I stared at both the tired Jenny and the mean Jenny, both women glaring at me, though the tired Jenny looked less threatening than she did exhausted.  
The mean Jenny also had a gun pointed at my face, and my eyes were glued to it, my heart beating rapidly as I swallowed hard.  
“I recommend you not try anything, kid,” the mean Jenny warned me.  
“MY POLLYYYYYY!!!!” a voice shrieked, making me jump in surprise, and something shot in between the mean Jenny and I like lightning.  
I turned to see that the group of kids were now with five police officers who were each knelt down in front of a child, checking their faces and arms while pointing a tiny flashlight at them.  
I realized that it was the wider shaped Officer Jenny who had screamed, and she was now knelt down in front of her daughter, hugging her tightly as she swayed from side to side.  
The child's eyes were wide with shock, her mouth wide open as she seemed to be trying to speak, but was unable to do so due to her mother's powerful hold.  
The mommy officer was speaking so many different words to her daughter that I couldn't understand a single thing being said. It may have even been a different language.  
The other adults in the area that weren’t cops, ran towards the kids, and in seconds, the children were all in the arms of at least one adult. Most of these grown ups were crying while hugging the children while the others were talking to them seriously with concern on their faces and tears in their eyes.  
The cops were pushed to the side, staring uncertainly from each other, back to the kids with the gang of worried adults.  
“Gah! Please! We found them all! We found all of the missing kids!” June cried.  
I turned my head to see June off to the side, struggling with a male officer that had her arms held behind her back.  
Gothorita was looking at us all in shock while the officer holding June, and a couple of other Officer Jennys, stared at the Psychic Pokemon in confusion, seeming unsure of what to do.  
“Don't say a word!” the mean Jenny yelled at June, pointing her gun at her.  
June gasped, along with the kids. She immediately stopped squirming against the officer holding her.  
It became uncomfortably quiet as everyone stared at the serious Jenny pointing her gun at June.  
Even the mommy Jenny had turned around, loosening her grip on her daughter.  
Polly gasped, staring at June in horror.  
“Just take them away!” the mother Jenny insisted to her partner.  
“Oh, I will, that's for sure!” the mean Jenny sneered with a nod. “We all stuck around just to make sure we caught you little punk kids. A criminal always returns to the scene of the crime.”  
“No, it's not like that!” June pleaded.  
“I said, shut up!!” the mean Jenny barked, waving her gun at June. “Arrest these kids immediately, and be sure to read them their damn rights I quite frankly would rather beat them over the head with than allow them to have. I don't want any technicalities here. They're going down. Hard!”  
“Gothorita! Gothorita!” Gothorita ran forward and stopped in the middle of the crowd, waving at us all desperately.  
“Listen to her!” June called out. “She says that we helped those kids! Gothorita was keeping the kids alive, Officer Jenny!”  
The officer squinted at June, her gun as motionless as a stone as she listened.  
“That Duskull that's been stealing the kids has been keeping them in some kind of hideout in the woods nearby, terrifying them!” June explained to everybody. “A lot of Ghost type Pokemon feed off of fear. Duskull are known to kidnap children because they enjoy the sound of their crying, and this Duskull would keep the kids for himself, just to terrify them and make them cry for his own enjoyment! One by one, Duskull was stealing these kids, but Gothorita found out what he was doing and helped the kids escape! She started keeping watch on Duskull and freeing the children that he would steal away! The kids were always scared and alone and crying. Gothorita herself is alone, too, so she would hypnotize the kids to calm them down and make them her friends. She doesn't have any friends out in the wild. She was saving the kids and giving them a new home with her, where they could be happy and safe together. She was protecting them!”  
“Goth…” Gothorita sighed in relief, smiling hopefully at the crowd of people.  
There was silence now, everyone staring at June and Gothorita, some with blank looks, some confused, and others in shock.  
The mean Jenny glared even harder at June and then turned to Gothorita. “Arrest that Pokemon, too!” The mean Jenny pointed her gun at the Gothorita, and the Pokemon cried out in confusion. “This must be an associate of the girl's! She just confessed that that thing has been kidnapping the children of this town and holding them hostage against their will by putting them under hypnosis!”  
“That is not what I said!” June screamed angrily. “The kids were too terrified to return home!! They were afraid of Duskull! Gothorita was hypnotizing them to keep them calm!! Will you listen to-?”  
“Please, I didn't do anything!” Courtney begged. “It's all June! It's June! Let us go and take her!”  
“Get these kids out of here!!!” the mean Jenny screeched.  
“Goth? Gothor…” Gothorita suddenly turned towards the group of children and cupped her hands, forming a Shadow Ball attack.  
“Stop! Don't move!” the mean Jenny warned Gothorita, waving her gun at the Pokemon threateningly.  
“Gothorita… Goth…” Gothorita was glaring at the children, ready to attack them with Shadow Ball!  
My mouth dropped open as I watched Gothorita, not believing what she was about to do.  
The officers near the kids all stood up and stared in disbelief at the Pokemon, the other adults clutching the kids in their arms even tighter, staring at Gothorita in fear.  
“STOP RIGHT NOW OR I WILL SHOOT!!!” Officer Jenny bellowed.  
“Pleh!!” I spit out a wad of spit at the officer ready to shoot Gothorita.  
“RITA!!” Gothorita ignored Officer Jenny and tossed the Shadow Ball at the group of kids.  
BANG!!!  
The mean Jenny screamed as my spit wad landed on her face.  
The Shadow Ball flew through the air.  
“Dusk…” A Duskull appeared from out of nowhere! “Duuuuusk…!” The Pokemon cried out as the Shadow Ball smacked it in the head. The Pokemon dropped to the ground.  
“That's him!! That's the Duskull!!” June burst out shrilly. “Gothorita stopped him!”  
“Gothorita!” Gothorita ran forward and stopped a few feet away from Duskull.  
I noticed a tiny hole in the ground just a couple of feet from where Gothorita had been standing just a moment ago. My head turned quickly to the mean Jenny who was wiping at the side of her face with one hand, her mouth wide as she stared wide eyed at Gothorita and Duskull, her gun in her other hand. Gothorita's okay, I sighed with relief. Jenny missed her shot.  
“Gothorita!” Gothorita grabbed my attention as she charged up another Shadow Ball.  
The screaming kids and adults were ushered out of the way by the officers as Duskull floated up in the air.  
“Goth!” Gothorita tossed another Shadow Ball.  
“Duskull…” Duskull floated above the attack and it crashed into the trees behind him.  
With a furious look, Gothorita prepared another Shadow Ball.  
“Duskull…”  
A shadow slid from underneath Duskull, darker than the night sky above, and stretched out to Gothorita, sliding underneath her. A large claw reached up from the shadow and slashed Gothorita from behind.  
“Gothoritaaaaa!!” Gothorita dropped to the ground as the shadow disappeared.  
“Duskull…” Duskull's body glowed purple and pink, his eyes flashing with pink repeatedly. Multiple crimson rings flew out from his body and hit Gothorita before she could even start to get up.  
Gothorita's body was outlined in purple and she screamed out in pain.  
“It's Night Shade!” June finally broke free from the officer holding her and she stepped forward.  
I then pulled my arms free from the officer holding me as well and kept my eyes on the battle.  
Gothorita fell.  
“Gothorita!” I called out to her.  
She shook her head and lifted it, glaring at Duskull.  
Duskull cupped his hands and they were surrounded by light blue fireballs spinning around them, a larger light blue fireball in the middle of his hands. One by one, the fireballs spinning around his hands fired out at Gothorita.  
“Now he's using Will-O-Wisp!” June informed us all.  
Gothorita scrambled on her hands and knees away from the first fireball and leaped out of the way of the following flames.  
Both Pokemon were glaring at each other now, Gothorita looking visibly more tired than her opponent. She closed her eyes and her body was outlined in light blue. She didn't move a muscle.  
Everyone was looking at her silently.  
Her eyes finally opened after a moment and the glow faded from her body, but nothing happened.  
I cocked my head in confusion. Something seemed familiar about what she had just done, but I couldn't quite place what it was.  
“Dusk…” Duskull cupped his hands again and a small, golden orb appeared in them. It started to grow immediately, and he tossed it at Gothorita.  
The orb grew a little larger and suddenly split several times, becoming several small golden orbs that flew towards Gothorita.  
“Goth!” Gothorita took a nervous step back.  
The orbs clung to Gothorita's body and enlarged immediately. They all connected and became one huge orb, covering the Pokemon, and then the orb exploded.  
Gothorita's eyes were now glowing red as she displayed Confusion, stumbling about.  
“Confuse Ray got her!” I realized.  
“Goth! Goth! Goth!” Gothorita tossed repeated Shadow Balls lazily at Duskull without aiming.  
Duskull easily dodged the Confused Pokemon's attacks.  
“Goth!” Gothorita fired a Psybeam from her eyes as Duskull flew above her last Shadow Ball, and he was hit, flying back from the strength of the Psybeam.  
Duskull shook his head from the impact, but he seemed ready for more.  
“Gothoritaaaa!” Gothorita was using Psybeam repeatedly, but her attacks were missing Duskull entirely as they collided with trees, the ground, and disappeared in the air. She was still stumbling about dizzily, and finally, she crashed into a tree. “Goth…” Gothorita moaned weakly as she fell to the ground.  
“Duskull…” The Ghost Pokemon used another Shadow Sneak.  
Gothorita wailed painfully as she slid along the ground after being swiped at by the ghostly phantom that appeared from the shadow that slid underneath her.  
“Gothorita! You can win!” Theodore exclaimed, stepping past the adult in front of him. A policeman grabbed Theodore's shoulder to hold him back, but Theodore struggled free and stepped closer to Gothorita. “Gothorita! Don't give up! I know you can do it! Please, don't lose!”  
“Gothorita! Come on!” a girl called out.  
“Gothorita, fight back! You can't lose!” one of the boys joined in.  
“Get up, Gothoritaaaaaaa!!” one boy screamed.  
The kids were all cheering for Gothorita to wake up and fight. They were all encouraging her to win, calling out her name and yelling out their support.  
“Duskull…” Duskull cupped his hands and prepared a Shadow Ball attack.  
“Gothoritaaaa!!” Polly shrieked.  
“Theodore!” I called out as I watched the child run in front of Gothorita.  
“NO!” Theodore shouted at Duskull, opening his arms, looking angrily at Duskull. “You won't hurt my friend!”  
Before I could charge into the Shadow Ball that Duskull mercilessly threw at the child.  
Before the officers were able to make a move.  
Before Theodore's friends could scream in terror.  
Before the other adults could call out to him.  
Before June and Courtney could even gasp in shock together.  
“Gothorita!” The red in Gothorita’s eyes vanished as she leaped forward and tackled Theodore down, forcing the child onto his stomach as she covered his back with her body, and she raised her hands into the air towards the Shadow Ball. “Gothorita!” A turquoise shield appeared in front of the two and the Shadow Ball collided with the Protect attack, disappearing on contact.  
Several sighs of relief flew through the air as the Protect faded.  
A light wind blew through the area as we all watched Duskull, Gothorita, and Theodore.  
Theodore lifted his head and looked at Gothorita. “Gothorita?”  
Suddenly, a multicolored beam flew down from the sky and collided with Duskull, slamming the Ghost Pokemon into the ground, raising a cloud of dirt into the air around him.  
“Whoa!” I gasped. “Oh! Wait! Future Sight! That was what she did!”  
As the dust cleared, everyone gasped as we slowly began to realize that Duskull was hovering in the air.  
“He's still up,” I growled in a low voice.  
“Gothorita!” Gothorita got off of Theodore's back and charged angrily at Duskull.  
“Dusk…” Duskull watched Gothorita.  
Gothorita vanished and then reappeared right underneath Duskull. She leaped high and uppercut the Ghost type with Feint Attack.  
Duskull tumbled backwards through the air.  
“That's the way to do it!” I cheered. “Yes!”  
The kids started clapping and jumping around.  
Even the parents seemed to be lured in by the battle as they murmured excitedly, watching with attentive eyes.  
Duskull suddenly flew forward and slammed into Gothorita.  
“Goth! Goth! Gothorita…” Gothorita bounced along the ground a couple of times before sliding to a stop, groaning.  
“Gothorita!” Theodore ran over to the exhausted Pokemon. He placed his hands on her shoulders and shook her. “Hey! Get up! Gothorita!”  
Gothorita moaned but didn't move, shivering on the ground.  
“Payback attack!” June stated. “Oh, no!”  
Duskull was looking shaky, but he was still moving around.  
Gothorita was facedown, her body twitching slightly.  
“Duskull…” Duskull floated over to Gothorita slowly, his body looking weak and tired.  
I grit my teeth angrily as I watched the Ghost produce a Shadow Ball attack, staring at his worn out opponent.  
Theodore turned to face Duskull, fear on his face as he began to tremble.  
“Dusk…” Duskull pulled his hands back to fling the ball.  
Gothorita looked up weakly at Duskull and sighed in defeat as her head dropped.  
I grabbed Excadrill's Poke Ball. Oh, no, you don't! I thought angrily, and I pulled back my arm.  
“Yaaah!!”  
A Poke Ball appeared from out of nowhere and smacked Duskull right in the head.  
“Dusk…!”  
The Poke Ball opened and a red beam pulled Duskull inside. It hit the ground and started shaking, the red button in the middle glowing.  
It shook.  
It shook again really hard.  
PING!  
The red light faded to white, and we all stared silently at the Poke Ball.  
I lowered Excadrill's Poke Ball and turned around, first staring at June.  
She was looking around in confusion.  
I then turned to Courtney.  
Courtney was already looking back at me and she shrugged her shoulders as our eyes met.  
My ears picked up the sound of footsteps and I turned around to see Mrs. Démarche walk past me and approach the Poke Ball. She bent over and picked it up, turning it around in her hand. Her mouth opened to let out a sigh. “Well, I guess I have a present for my husband when he gets back into town. I don't think he owns one of these. He should enjoy taming it.”  
All eyes were stuck on Mrs. Démarche.  
Even Gothorita had managed to lift her head up and stare at her.  
Mrs. Démarche's eyes widened as she looked around, realizing that everyone was looking at her. “Huh?”  
The kids immediately screamed with delight and ran towards their teacher, jumping in front of her and covering her legs in hugs.  
The teacher knelt down and pulled her students in for a hug as well, laughing. “I'm so glad you all are okay. I missed you guys so, so much! Oh, this will be such wonderful news for the parents who went home. Oh, you guys are just too much! I love you all, too!”  
I smiled broadly at the kids with their teacher, and then turned as I saw someone get closer to me from out the corner of my eye.  
June had her hand over her chest, staring down at the children, smiling warmly at them.  
Something nudged me from my other side and I turned to see Courtney.  
She winked at me and smiled.  
I smiled back nervously and looked back to the kids.  
Theodore suddenly backed away from Mrs. Démarche and ran to Gothorita. “Gothorita!”  
The other kids turned around and quickly ran to their friend, crying out their concerns. They helped her to her feet and then cheered, grateful that she was alright.  
“Goth… Gothorita!” Gothorita smiled at the children.  
Mrs. Démarche stood up and walked over to Gothorita. She got down to her knees in front of the Pokemon and smiled warmly. “Gothorita, my name is Mrs. Démarche, the teacher for these students at the school in this town,” she introduced herself. “I hear that you don't really have any friends where you live.”  
“Gothorita…” Gothorita shook her head, staring at Mrs. Démarche with wide eyes.  
“You seem to have taken to the children, though,” Mrs. Démarche nodded back at her.  
“Goth! Gothorita!” Gothorita responded.  
“Well, if you'd like, maybe we could work out something,” Mrs. Démarche offered. “You could become something along the lines of the class pet, if you will. You could be with the kids during school hours, and maybe, every week, a different child could take you home for a week, or something. Considering what's happened here, I really don't think that it'd be a problem with the school or the parents. But, it's up to you. How does that sound?”  
“Gothorita! Gothorita! Gothorita!” Gothorita agreed with delight.  
“Gothorita! Gothorita! Gothorita! Gothorita! Gothorita!” the kids began to chant.  
“Gothorita! Gothorita!” Gothorita laughed.  
The kids all laughed with her and went wild.  
Theodore turned to June and ran up to her, hugging her leg, pressing the side of his face against it tightly. “Miss June, thank you! You were right all along! Everything's okay, now!”  
The other kids, along with Gothorita, ran over to June and bounced in front of her, thanking her.  
Soon, the parents, the teachers, and all of the police officers had surrounded the three of us, apologizing repeatedly.  
The mean Jenny even bowed in front of us and saluted our work, saying we were welcome back anytime. She humbly apologized the most out of anyone else.

*

“I'm still not convinced you can read Pokemon. Sorry,” Courtney said nonchalantly.  
“How in the world can you be so stupid?” June screamed. “I mean, I practically resolved the issue there!”  
“No, you didn't,” Courtney stated. “You told them some crap that almost got Gothorita, me, Gary, and yourself in even more trouble. The battle between Duskull and Gothorita sorted everything out. You didn't do anything at all.”  
“I got the kids home safely and communicated with Gothorita!”  
“The three of us got the kids back home, first of all. Secondly, I didn't really see any communication between you and Gothorita at all. I can speak to Pokemon, if that’s the case.”  
“What?!” June looked ready to start swinging fists.  
“You heard me. Just because Pokemon can understand human speech in a lot of cases, and humans can, at times, get the gist of Pokemon language, doesn't mean you're some freaking… I dunno… You're not special, June! Get over it!”  
June grunted angrily and shoved Courtney to the ground.  
“Ow!” Courtney glared up at June.  
“June! Really??” I stared at her in surprise. “I really expected better than that of you! What is wrong with you?” I reached out a hand and helped Courtney to her feet.  
“Didn't you hear what she said?” June’s eyes looked ready to tear up.  
“That's not a reason to freaking shove people, June! You're freaking nuts, you know that? Come on, now!”  
Courtney was standing up, but her hand was still in my hold, her other hand wrapped around my wrist.  
I shook my hand a little, trying to free it from her, but Courtney was actually holding on to me. I turned to her and looked down at her hands.  
She smiled and winked at me before slowly sliding her hands off of me.  
I was taken back by this action, but I decided to ignore it as I turned back to June.  
She was opening and closing her fists, glaring at Courtney, baring her teeth.  
“Alright, look, we have more important things to do right now, like finding the next town or city,” I told them both. “Can we please focus on that? We can discuss the rest of this nonsense later. Please, you two!” These two were really stressing me out!  
Both girls huffed and turned their backs on each other.  
Sighing, I shook my head and pulled out my Town Map. “Looks like we… Oh, wait. What town were we in again?”  
June shrugged. “I dunno,” she mumbled quickly, moodily.  
“I don't know,” Courtney grunted, shrugging.  
“Didn't one of those people tell us the name of the town when we were there?” I exclaimed frantically.  
“I dunno,” June repeated, shrugging.  
“Probably,” Courtney muttered, shrugging.  
“Fine, so we're lost! Great,” I snapped. “At least everybody cares!”  
“Let's just go back to the town and find out,” June suggested.  
“June, we left there hours ago and still haven't come across civilization, yet!” I argued. “I don’t want to walk all that way back, again!” I looked up at the blue sky, the sun hiding behind one of the numerous clouds.  
“It's not that far of a walk…” June said in a low voice.  
“Then how about you go back there yourself?” Courtney asked in her own low voice.  
“Courtney, this is your last warning before I kick your stupid ass through a tree, do you hear me?” June threatened.  
“Oh, keep your weave in,” Courtney shot back, snickering. “How about we just find a wild Sewaddle and you can just ask it for directions.” She stuck her tongue out at June.  
“I'll rip that slimy thing from your throat! I DO NOT WEAR A WEAVE!!!!” June shrieked as she leaped at Courtney.  
I stepped in between them and wrapped my arms around June's waist, hoisting her over my shoulder and carrying her away from Courtney.  
“Let me at her!! I swear it!! I freaking swear!!” June was going insane.  
“June! Leave her alone! I am not dealing with this anymore!!” My voice was getting hoarse and it was hurting to scream. “I've had enough already!!”  
“Then tell her to go! Why is she even here, Gary?” June demanded as she struggled out of my grip and backed up a few feet, adjusting her jacket. “She has no business here! We've never been friends before! Ever! Why is she with us now?”  
“Well, if you find me a threat or something, I can leave,” Courtney shrugged, turning her back on us. “I told you I have a boyfriend already, but if you still think I'm stealing Gary away from you, goodbye, then.”  
“Oh, just cut it out already you little prick!” June raged. “What do you really want from us? You're nothing but a liar and always have been one! I don't believe anything you have to say and I never will!”  
Courtney turned to June with a smirk and snickered.  
“You've never been of any use to any of us, and have been nothing but a constant pain!” June continued, letting out all she had to say. “Since the day we met you, you've always tried to lead us astray, and nearly got me killed and almost made Gary miss the Pokemon League!”  
“Now, now, I didn't-” Courtney started.  
June stomped over to Courtney, but I blocked her path. “SHUT UP!!!” June's voice was so high and shrill, the birds in the area flew from the treetops, and even I jumped at the sound.  
Courtney went silent and her eyes widened.  
“You always get yours, though, don't you?” June told her, her voice getting lower, yet still maintaining its fury. “You didn't beat Gary in that competition you both took place in, you lost to Robin at the League, and you still remain a snotty, wretched little troll. Pitiful! It's no wonder you travel alone. Who in the hell would want to be around you? Of course, I'm sure your stupid, pink hair you had back in Kanto was the first roadblock that prevented anyone from wanting to travel with you. Who wants to travel with a weirdo with pink hair, anyway? You're not Nurse Joy, honey. You can't pull off that look. You looked like a stupid, ugly clown. And now your hair is blonde? Was that supposed to attract people to you better? Wrong! You're still an ugly, sickening, pathetic waste of flesh, bones, and organs, no matter the hair color, and that's all you'll ever be! A liar, extremely stupid, and ugly both on the outside and the inside! Maybe if you were a nicer person, you'd be a bit more attractive! But, no! You're ugly interior is displayed by that gruesome exterior perfectly!” June was huffing angrily now, her eyes locked on Courtney. “And your wardrobe sucks, too! I hate your stupid glasses!” June swallowed and breathed shakily.  
I was shaking, afraid to even look at June, let alone Courtney, and I kept my eyes down. It wasn't long before I heard the whimpering behind me. I swallowed and looked up at June.  
She continued glaring at Courtney.  
A loud wail came from Courtney. I turned around as Courtney turned away and ran.  
“Finally,” June muttered.  
“Courtney!” I ran after her.  
“Gary?” June gasped.  
Courtney was fast, but I got to her soon enough and grabbed her shoulders, turning her around to me.  
“Get off of me!! Get away from me, Gary!!” Courtney cried hysterically, swinging her arms at me frantically. She tried yelling at me some more, but she was crying too hard to form words, tears flowing down her cheeks.  
“No!” I said strongly, staring at her firmly, and I pulled her into a hug and held her tightly. It was a reflex to inhale deeply as I held Courtney, and I took in the sweet aroma from her hair that was starting to drive me crazy as I wondered for just a second exactly what that incredible scent was. “It's okay. Just stop crying. Please.” I suddenly realized that Courtney had gone completely silent.  
June's hurried footsteps approached us and she gasped as she saw us. “Gary, what are you doing?”  
“June, I'm only saying this one time,” I warned her, not looking over to her. “I'm sick of the damn fighting. If you two get into one more skirmish, I am out! I am through with the both of you! I'm sick of you both fighting all the time! First it's you, then it's her, then it's you, then it's her. Just… Enough! I'm not here for this, June!” I turned my head to her with a desperate look, feeling exhausted over all of this. “Please! You two are driving me mad! I'm freaking begging here!”  
June stared at me silently, awe on her face. “Gary… I'm so sorry.” She lowered her eyes. “But…” She looked up at Courtney.  
Courtney gently tried to free herself from me, and I released her. She kept her head down, refusing to look up. Sniffling as she wiped her cheeks, she turned around. “I'll go…” she whispered weakly. “I'm sorry… Goodbye, Gary. Goodbye, June.” She sniffled hard and walked away.  
I watched her sadly. I felt bad about all of this. This just didn't feel right.  
Courtney stopped walking and dropped to her knees. “I'm so sorry for my ugliness!” she sobbed, covering her face. “I wish I looked like you, June! I…” She continued to cry painfully.  
The sound of her loud crying was bringing tears to my eyes, my heart hurting to see Courtney in this state that I'd never seen her in before. I turned to June with hardened eyes, shaking my head.  
June looked away, trying to hide a face filled with regret.  
I walked over to Courtney and knelt down in the grass next to her. My hand touched her back and I rubbed her slowly. “Courtney, please. June didn't mean that stuff.” I turned to June angrily. “Right?”  
June looked up into the sky and sighed angrily. “Yeah, you're not ugly, Courtney. Geez.”  
I accepted that and looked back at Courtney.  
She shook her head and wiped at her wet face. “I know I am. I know I'm a horrible person. I'm so sorry to the both of you. I don't have any reason to be here, causing you two stress and anguish. Excuse me, please.” She got to her feet and dusted off her jeans. Her hand reached out to me. I took it and she pulled me to my feet, refusing to look at me, her teary eyes on the ground. “I'll just be on my way.” Courtney turned to June and smiled shakily, and then she looked away and snorted loudly before sniffling again. She sighed, lowering her head. “Good luck in the Unova League, Gary.” She walked away from us.  
“Hey, Courtney!” I called out to her.  
She stopped at the sound of my voice, but she didn't turn around.  
“Courtney, would you like to, maybe, accompany me to the Unova League?” I asked hesitantly, my heart beating sharply.  
“What?” Courtney gasped.  
“WHAT?!?!?!” June bellowed.  
“Well, I was thinking that I wouldn't mind having you join me…” I turned to June and exchanged her mortified look with my angry glance before turning back to Courtney. “…and June… to the Unova League. You and I could get our remaining Badges together, you know? It might be fun. I just think we need to put an end to all of this bad blood between us, and especially between you two, and move forward. What happened in Kanto is done with. That's how I want it to be. A clean slate, you know?”  
Courtney turned around happily and let out a thrilled squeal. “Are you serious? You mean that? You want me?” she gushed.  
My eyes widened. “Um… To travel with us… Yeah…” I replied nervously.  
Courtney laughed. “How many times do I have to say it, Sugar Lumps? I have a boyfriend already! Me and Andrew have been together for nearly four years! Ever since we were twelve years old, ha!”  
“You're… sixteen?” I asked her slowly. I tried to ease the tone of my voice and not sound as if I was surprised because I thought she was older, which I did. I thought she was at least twenty.  
“Yeah,” Courtney said. “How old did you think I was?”  
“Uh… Like… Fourteen…?” I lied.  
“Ha ha ha, that's funny!” Courtney laughed. “I'm sixteen! How about you?”  
“I'm thirteen,” I answered.  
“And you, June?” Courtney asked her with a smile.  
June shot her a dirty look, but she caught my glare, too, and sighed, her angry eyes lowering. “Sixteen,” she mumbled.  
Courtney gasped. “Hey! We're the same age! When's your birthday? Mine is November 1st!”  
“December 31st.”  
“Whaaaaaaat?! Are you serious?”  
June nodded angrily.  
“Wow! Right before New Year's, a bit after Christmas! That must be present heaven for you!”  
“Yeah,” June grumbled.  
Courtney sighed, her shoulders slumping. “I can take a hint. I know there's still a bit of animosity between us, I guess. I'm sorry for pretending like everything's okay, now.” She turned to me sadly. “Gary, thanks for the invite, seriously, but I can't. I don't want to make things awkward for any of us. I just want us to be friends. Thanks again, though.” She turned away from me.  
I grabbed her shoulder. “This will take time, Courtney,” I said firmly. “This isn't gonna happen overnight. But it's also not gonna happen if we walk away from it. If you'd like to stay, you have a spot with June and I, okay? How about it? Give it a shot. I'm sure we'll all get along great if we try.”  
Courtney and I both turned to June, who was eyeing Courtney suspiciously. We both looked at each other again.  
Courtney smiled. “Okay, I'll give it a shot, Gary!” Her eyes glimmered excitedly.  
I heard June suck her teeth, but not another sound came from her.  
My eyes were glued on Courtney's beautiful, cheerful face, and I smiled back. “Welcome, Courtney.”  
“Oh, Gary!” She pulled me into a hug.  
I hugged her back, returning June’s glare with a bland look of my own, not entirely convinced that what I had just done was the right thing to do, or what I really wanted.  
I pushed the concern in my head away and kept my eyes on June’s.  
My heart was beating rapidly from a mix of fear from June’s enraged face.  
Worry for what I had just allowed.  
And a confusing thrill from holding Courtney, and her holding me back.  
All the while.  
Secretly captivated by the magical scent in Courtney’s hair.


	45. One Boy's Pride Is Another Child's Pleasure

“It’s been two weeks since the Mamoswine have gone missing without a trace from the Pokemon Research Laboratory located in Unova’s Viprehpan City, and the scientists working at the lab, as well as the police, are still urging the public to call in with any leads regarding the missing Pokemon,” a newsman spoke from the television screen in the Pokemon Center. The volume was very low on the TV and was kind of hard to hear. “As previously reported, a collection of Mamoswine that have been in the care of Prof. P-”  
“Well, if this is where we are now, then I still can't be sure what town we came from.” June squinted at the Town Map plastered on the wall, grabbing my attention from the television. “There are four other places that lead into here from the west, alone. There's Velaero City, Prime Town, Floaddle Island, and Dildize City.”  
“Well, the point is, we know that this is where we are right now, so we don't really have to worry about where we came from, I guess,” I stated.  
“I don't wanna end up back where we came from.” June turned to me, crossing her arms.  
I nodded at her. “Well, if Spart Town is right here, then we must be headed in this direction.” I pointed to the right of where we were located on the map.  
“Okay, so where's our next destination?”  
“I was kind of thinking that maybe we could go to Verdew Town,” Courtney suggested shyly, smiling as she looked at the floor. “There's a Grass type Gym there and I've kind of been dying to go there. I love Grass type Pokemon!”  
“Grass type Pokemon? Alright. Well, let's get over there, then,” I nodded to her.  
Courtney smiled brightly and bounced on her feet. Her arms opened wide. “Hug?”  
I glanced at June.  
Her face was struggling to not show her anger, but I could see it in her eyes as she squinted down.  
What is her problem? I thought as I walked over to Courtney and allowed her to pull me into an eager hug, my own arms wrapped around her as well, albeit with less enthusiasm. She just wants a hug. Why's June got to be so weird? My eyes closed as I took in a sweet aroma from Courtney’s hair, and a second scent drew my nose closer to her neck. I held onto Courtney even tighter as my body became weak from the sensuous smell of the perfume she was wearing, my tongue running across my lips one time. My eyes closed and I became lost in the tantalizing fragrance.  
Courtney released me, bringing me back down to Earth, and she turned to June. “June?” She opened her arms and giggled.  
June turned to me wearily.   
I raised my eyebrows expectantly and nudged towards Courtney with my head.  
Sighing, June approached Courtney and hesitantly opened her arms.  
Courtney's smile faded and she lowered her arms, her chin dropping to her chest. “You don't have to, June. I understand if you still aren't comfortable around me, yet.”  
June grunted and crossed her arms, turning her back on Courtney.  
I opened my mouth to scold June.  
The door in the back of the Pokemon Center opened, and Nurse Joy and two Audino walked out, smiling warmly at us, Nurse Joy holding a tray with six Poke Balls, one Audino holding a tray with five Poke Balls, and the last Audino holding a tray with six Poke Balls. “Excuse me, Gary? Your Pokemon are all doing better,” Nurse Joy called out as she and her Pokemon walked behind the wooden counter. “Your Unfezant should take it easy for about week, but he’s recovering just fine and is in good shape. June, your Electivire is also healing up quite nicely, but should also take it easy for a little while. The rest of the Pokemon you three brought in have been taken care of, as well.”  
We all ran over to the counter.   
“Thanks!” I said, taking my Poke Balls from Nurse Joy.  
“Thank you!” Courtney gushed, taking her Poke Balls from an Audino.  
“Thank you so much!” June took the final five Poke Balls from the remaining Audino.  
“Nurse Joy, I meant to ask, is there a phone I could use?” I brought up. “The one here in the lobby isn’t working.”  
“I'm sorry, but all of our phones are down right now,” Nurse Joy told me with a sorrowful smile. “I called the repair guys out here almost two hours ago, but when you're not a Pokemon Center in a big name town or city, it can be a bit difficult to get any help when you want it.”  
“Ah, that's okay.” I waved my hand at her with a slight smile. “We'll just use the phone at the next town, I guess.”  
“Sorry about that,” Nurse Joy said.  
“No problem. Thanks, again. We'll be seeing you.”   
Courtney and June waved goodbye to Nurse Joy, and we all exited the Pokemon Center that sat by the side of the dirt road.  
“June?” Courtney said as we all stopped outside of the front door of the Pokemon Center and I pulled out my Town Map.  
“What…?” June asked cautiously.  
“Please tell me that you're competing in the Pokemon League with Gary and I.”   
“I'm not competing in any Leagues, okay?” June spoke quickly.  
Courtney didn't say anything.  
I turned to both girls as a strange feeling filled my chest, telling me that it was best that I try and keep the three of us moving rather than just standing still, so I walked to our right, leading the way down the dirt path.  
“Were you competing in the Kanto League, June?” Courtney asked. “You know. Back then?”  
“No,” June replied shortly.  
“And you're not competing in Unova, either?”  
June's jaw tightened as she struggled to keep her mouth shut and not say something mean to Courtney. “No,” she finally told her.  
“Then, may I ask why you're traveling with Gary?”  
June swallowed and turned to Courtney angrily. She didn't say anything, but just continued to look at her.  
Courtney turned to June and raised an eyebrow. “Yes?”  
“I am working with my Pokemon to build a better relationship with them,” June growled through gritted teeth, speaking slowly.  
“And what does that have to do with Gary?” Courtney inquired.  
Silence.  
“It's beneficial for me to follow him since he has a very strong bond and work ethic with his Pokemon,” June finally said, her voice sounding even more irritated.  
“That doesn't make any sense. You're following some kid around the world in order to work on your own relationship issues with your Pokemon just because this said kid has a good relationship with his own Pokemon?”  
“Courtney, you don't understand,” June answered impatiently. “Just drop it. It's none of your business.”  
“Oh, maybe it's none of my business, but I think I understand a lot better than you're giving me credit for, June,” Courtney said slyly, smiling at June sinisterly.  
“What does that mean?” June demanded. Her face was becoming red.  
“You know what I mean,” Courtney winked at June.  
What was I thinking inviting Courtney to this group? I thought to myself. It's bad enough dealing with June! This is going to be Hell!  
“Courtney, I'm not talking to you right now, and I don't intend on doing it anytime soon, either,” June snapped. “So, please, if you absolutely have to talk to me, make sure it's important!”  
“I think Gary is important,” Courtney responded.  
Time seemed to freeze as I stumbled at Courtney's words.  
Our group paused for a few seconds before we continued walking as if we had never stopped.  
“Gary's my friend, and I am concerned about his other friends and what they do,” Courtney continued. “I want to make sure he's safe.”  
“Yeah, you did a fine job of that when you led him off-track back in Kanto and nearly got me killed,” June said sarcastically.  
“That was the past and I’m sorry about that,” Courtney sighed. “But you know I didn't mean to get you sick like that. I had no way of knowing you'd be so careless.”  
“Careless?!” June screamed. “It was not my fault! It was an accident!”  
“Exactly,” Courtney winked, smiling smugly.  
June's eyes widened as she realized that she'd just been tricked. She growled at Courtney and glared at the path ahead of us.  
I sighed, shaking my head in exasperation. These two are driving me mad, I thought. “Look,” I pointed ahead. “A forest. According to the Town Map, we'll be in Verdew Town in about a day or so.”  
“Great!” Courtney cried out happily, swinging her arms by her sides.  
“So, by the way,” I started, folding up my Town Map and looking at Courtney. “Exactly how many Badges do you have?”  
“Eight,” Courtney said, smiling as she gazed down.  
I gasped. “Eight? You have all eight Badges?”  
Courtney nodded, not turning to me. “The Pokemon League is only a few months away, you know. Spring arrived not long ago, and once summer gets started, you had better have obtained all of your Badges and be training with your Pokemon. Or else, you’re gonna have a bad time at the League, hee hee. How many do you have?”  
“I only need two more Badges,” I said confidently.  
Courtney turned to me, maintaining her smile. “Not bad.”  
“Why do you want to go to Verdew Town if you already have eight Badges?” I asked her.   
“Ha! What better way to be prepared for the League than to continue traveling and collecting Gym Badges?”  
I couldn't help but look into her blue eyes and smile back, admiring how a few strands of her now blonde hair sat against her pink cheek.  
Courtney's glasses sat on her nose, giving her a sort of intelligent, geeky, extremely cute appearance she didn't have back when I met her in Kanto. While she was always pretty, something about her pink glasses added to it by a lot.  
A loud hacking noise made me look away from Courtney and I saw June bent over, holding her stomach, coughing hard.  
“Hey, are you okay?” I asked her as I stopped walking.  
She stood up, a fury inside of her eyes, and she cleared her throat. “Yeah, I'm just fine,” she told me moodily. “Guess I’m coming down with something.” She walked ahead of the two of us, but suddenly froze in her steps just a couple of seconds later.  
I also looked ahead.  
Courtney’s eyes were also on the person exiting the forest, walking towards us.  
The person stopped and squinted at us, brushing aside long, black hair that was in their face. A loud scream came out as the individual ran forward and leaped onto June, their arms wrapping around her neck as she was tackled to the ground, crying out in shock. “JUNIIII!!” Ruko shouted. “Super mega bear glomps!! It's been so long!! How've ya been?!”  
June coughed as Ruko’s hug strangled her by her neck. “I'm okay, Ruko,” she choked out. “Nice to see you, as usual.”  
Ruko's cheek forced itself against June's and snuggled eagerly. She looked up at me and climbed off of June, leaving her on the floor to cough repeatedly. “And good old Gar-bear!! Man, how've you been?!” She wrapped me up in a surprisingly tight hug and squeezed the air out of me.  
“Hi!” I gasped, my eyes wide as I struggled for air.  
“And who's this?” Ruko released me and turned to Courtney.  
I inhaled air into my lungs repeatedly, trying to recover my breath that had been stolen from me.  
“Hello,” Courtney greeted Ruko kindly. “I'm Courtney.”  
“I'm Ruko! Man, the friends in this group just keep on changing!” Ruko laughed. “It's nice to meet you!”   
Both girls shook hands.  
Ruko turned to me. “What happened to the other girl that was here?”  
“She… decided to go down a different path, so we split and went our own ways,” I told her, my heart beating hard as it split down the middle, and I could feel tears behind my eyes trying to make their way out, but I held them back, blinking fast.  
“Awww. I guess that's best sometimes, though,” Ruko said. “We can't all travel down the same path, right? We need to make our own way and stuff. Say, you remember my Jellicent I had when I battled the last girl you were with?”  
I nodded. “Yeah.”  
“I traded that for a freaking Cursed Body Ability Jellicent! That was a big help against the last Gym I came from about a week ago. And I traded my Ferrothorn for a freaking Zweilous! Scooore!!” Ruko laughed loud.  
I closed my eyes as my eyebrows furrowed. The inside of my body immediately flared up. My fists clenched tightly. “Ruko…” I started.  
“Say, let's have us a Pokemon battle! Six-on-six! I've got a little bit of time on me.” She looked at the large watch on her wrist before looking back up at me. “How about it, Gary?”  
“Fine!” My eyes shot open. “Let's battle, Ruko! My six Pokemon I've capture all on my own and raised ever since, against your six Pokemon which you apparently haven't captured on your own and have no bond with whatsoever.”  
“Huh?” Ruko stared at me in surprise, her smile vanishing slowly.  
“A Pokemon battle isn't just about powerful Pokemon, Ruko,” I said to her firmly, the words tumbling out of my mouth uncontrollably. “The bond and relationship the Trainer has with their Pokemon is just as important, if not more so! You have no kind of connection with your Pokemon, but I love my Pokemon and I've raised them all myself!”  
“I love my Pokemon, Gary! I know how to use them!” Ruko said, confusion on her face. “I've raised my Pokemon. I may not be their Original Trainer, but I still have used them all before. Pokemon Trainers trade Pokemon all the time and form great friendships with them!”  
“Yeah, because they don't trade them off at the sound of what might be a better Pokemon, Ruko!” Anger was pumping into my heart, flowing into my voice and making it rise as I tried hard to hold it back. “It isn't right! Trading is fine, but what you're doing is just…” I took a deep breath, trying to find the right word.  
“Just what?” Ruko asked, squinting at me.  
I swallowed as I stared back at her. For some reason, I was stuck. I knew what I was feeling was right, but I couldn't explain it properly. Ruko was wrong to exchange her Pokemon so loosely, and I had to show her why. “Ruko, I'll battle you and I'll show you that a Pokemon's strength is not determined by the Abilities or types or whatever you're out here basing wins on! It's a lot more than just that, Ruko! I'm going to defeat you! Six-on-six!”  
“Alright!” Ruko smiled again. “Let's battle! You seem to know a whole lot about Pokemon, Gary, but I'll do my best against you. I'm totally gonna lose, ha ha ha!”  
Damn right, I was barely able to say quietly in my head as Ruko and I backed up several feet away from each other.  
June walked off to the side to judge the battle.  
Courtney walked away and stopped a few feet behind me.  
“Ruko, I hope you're ready for this,” I told her seriously as I grabbed a Poke Ball. “I'm not gonna lose this one! I'm gonna show you that a true Pokemon Trainer actually trains their Pokemon and cares for them. They don't just throw them aside for something better. That's not right!”  
“Wait!” Ruko stared at me with disapproval. “I care for my Pokemon! I don't just throw them away! Just because I trade a lot doesn't mean I don't care about my Pokemon!”  
“You only want strong Pokemon!” I accused her. “You don't care about being friends with them. You don't care about their feelings at all!”  
“You know, in my life, I go through a lot of judgment from people.” Ruko now held a glare on her face. “You don't know anything about me. How can you say that?”  
She's right, I realized, swallowing nervously. But I know she doesn't care about her Pokemon like I do! She gave away her Starter! Her Tepig! She can't beat me! “Are you ready?” I shouted determinedly.  
“You bet!” Ruko grinned at me.  
“This will be a six-on-six Pokemon battle,” June said strictly. “No time limit! The first Trainer to have their Pokemon defeated, loses! Let the battle begin!”  
“Excadrill, go!” I shouted.  
“Beartic, let's battle!” Ruko shouted at the same time.  
“ExcaDRIIIIIIIILL!!!!!” Excadrill yelled powerfully.  
“BEEEEEEEEAAAAAARRRRRRR!!!!!” Beartic roared right back.  
Beartic. The Freezing Pokemon. This is Cubchoo's evolved form. This Pokemon hunts in cold, northern seas.  
“An Excadrill! Nice!” Ruko said loudly.  
“An Ice type,” I muttered. “Alright, then.”  
“Gary, I insist you go first,” Ruko nodded.  
I couldn't help but smile back, but I quickly shook my head and glared at Beartic. This battle is important, I reminded myself. I have to win! This is for my beliefs. My morals! I am right! I have to beat Ruko! “Excadrill, let's start with Rock Slide, now!”  
“Aqua Jet, go!” Ruko insisted.  
“BEEEEAAAARRRTIC!” Beartic's body was surrounded by water and it flew towards Excadrill, slamming into him before he could launch his attack.  
“Cadrill…” Excadrill groaned from the ground as he struggled to push himself up with his claws.  
“Now use Icicle Crash!” Ruko demanded.  
“Beartic!!” Beartic inhaled deeply and exhaled light blue sparkles from its mouth.  
The blue sparkles twinkled underneath the sun above and clumps of ice began to form. The ice grew longer and thicker, turning into sharp icicles before raining down on Excadrill.  
“DRIIIIIIILLLL!!!” Excadrill wailed helplessly as he was knocked over. “Excadrill…” Excadrill moaned weakly from his back.  
“Excadrill is unable to battle…?” June said slowly, her eyes wide. “Beartic wins!”  
I gaped at my defeated Pokemon. Excadrill…? I said silently, unable to get my lips to open to form words. Impossible…  
“Alright! Good job, Beartic,” Ruko smiled at the Pokemon before turning to me. “One down, Gary.”  
Hmph! I thought with disappointment. “Excadrill, good try. Return!” I grabbed my next Poke Ball. “Cottonee, I choose you!” I threw his Poke Ball.  
“Cooooottoonneeee!” Cottonee called out.  
“Oh, that's so cute! A Cottonee!” Ruko gushed. “Wow, such cool Pokemon!”  
“Alright, Poison Powder, right away!”  
“Blizzard attack!” Ruko chose.  
Cottonee moved even quicker than Beartic, a dark gray smoke flowing from his leaves with a purple powder that sparkled around it.   
Beartic coughed against the smoke and its face was flushed purple.  
“Beartic got Poisoned!” Courtney cheered from behind me.  
“Now use Energy Ball!” I commanded my Pokemon.  
“Blizzard, Beartic!” Ruko told the cold Pokemon.  
Beartic's jaws opened and it sent out a flurry of cold air, ice, and snow as Cottonee's leaves glowed and sparkled light green, a light green orb of energy charging in front of his face.  
Blizzard hit my Pokemon, and the Energy Ball attacked disappeared, Cottonee screaming out as he was flung backwards and tumbled on the ground. He came to a stop at my feet.  
“Please, no, Cottonee!” I begged.  
“Cottonee is unable to battle,” June said sadly, looking at me. “Beartic wins.”  
“Yes! Great work, Beartic!” Ruko congratulated her Pokemon.  
Beartic was breathing a little hard, the Poison declining its health.  
At least the thing is Poisoned, I noted as I held out Cottonee's Poke Ball. “Okay, Cottonee, you did well. Let's give another Pokemon a chance, now.” But, who? I asked myself as I glared at Ruko's eager face. “Seismitoad, I'm counting on you!” I threw his Poke Ball.  
“Seeeiiiiiismitoad!” Seismitoad gurgled.  
“Oooh! Seismitoad! This is gonna be good!” Ruko said to me.  
“Seismitoad, use Hydro Pump right now!” I screamed at him.  
“Beartic, attack with your Aqua Jet again!” Ruko ordered.  
Beartic flew into Seismitoad, causing him to stumble back against the attack.   
Seismitoad shook his head and blasted a powerful stream of water at Beartic, knocking it down onto its back.  
“Seismitoad’s doing it! Go get ‘em, Gary! Go, Seismitoad!” Courtney rooted.  
Finally! I said silently. “Now use your Earthquake attack!”   
“Beartic, get up and use your Blizzard!”  
“Seismitooooooad!!” Seismitoad leaped into the air and slammed down heavily, rocking the ground.  
Ruko, June, and Courtney all cried out and stumbled about.  
I bent my knees slightly and managed to maintain my balance.  
The ground split in a path leading to Beartic, the bear raging loudly as it was thrown back by the powerful force and rolled along the ground.  
“Beartic, get back up!” Ruko told Beartic.  
“Bear…” Beartic growled, and it pushed itself back onto its feet. One claw rose and landed on the back of its head as it rubbed it, its eyes closed. “Bear!” Beartic bent over as the Poison settled in even further.  
We're wearing it out, I nodded happily. This is almost over. “Once more with Hydro Pump!” I told Seismitoad quickly.  
“Swagger!” Ruko responded.  
Beartic stood up straight and crossed its arms, glaring at Seismitoad. Its body became outlined in red.  
Seismitoad froze and his eyes glowed red as Confusion set in. “Seis? Seis?” he croaked as he looked around in Confusion. Suddenly, he looked down at the ground and started pummeling himself in the stomach!  
Courtney gasped at this.  
“Seismitoad, cut it out! Shake off the Confusion!” I shouted to him.  
Seismitoad continued to attack himself mercilessly, punch after punch taking away his energy.  
“Now use Brine!” Ruko pointed.  
Beartic opened its mouth and sprayed Seismitoad in the face with a thick blast of water.  
Seismitoad gurgled painfully as he was forced backwards and hit the ground on his back. “Toooooad…”  
“Seismitoad is out…” June whispered in awe, a mournful look in her eyes as she stared at my Seismitoad. “Beartic wins again.”  
“Yyyyes! WOOOOOO!!! Another one!” Ruko leaped in the air a few times. “I can't believe we're winning! Your Pokemon are getting tougher and tougher, though, Gary! I bet I'm about to meet my match right about now.”  
Is she patronizing me right now? I wondered angrily as I returned Seismitoad to his Poke Ball, Beartic groaning from the Poison. She can't be that dumb. She must really thing I suck. I'll show her! This is for the Pokemon! This is for the real Pokemon Trainers! “Elgyem, let's show them what we've got!”  
“Elgyem!” Elgyem stared at his opponent  
“Hey! Elgyem! Okay!” Ruko pulled out her pink Pokedex from her pocket.  
Elgyem. The Cerebral Pokemon. Elgyem was unheard of before suddenly making their appearance in the Desert Resort in Unova over half a century ago. When threatened, they use their Psychic powers to squeeze their opponent's brain.  
“So cool! Wow! I want one!” Ruko put her Pokedex away.  
“Well, this one is mine!” I snapped at her. “You can only battle him!”  
Ruko squinted at me and opened her mouth as if to say something.  
“Elgyem, let's immobilize that thing for a change so it can't attack!” I interrupted her before she could utter a word. “Psychic attack!”   
“Hone Claws!” Ruko instructed strongly.  
Beartic's claws glowed white and it slashed them together, boosting its Attack and Accuracy.  
“Elgy!” Elgyem's eyes glowed blue, surrounding Beartic in the same blue color, and the bear roared painfully as Elgyem's Psychic powers were applied onto it.  
“Finish off that thing!” I encouraged Elgyem.  
Beartic closed its eyes, roaring even louder, its claws open, reaching to the sky.  
“Yes! You’ve got it now, Gary!” Courtney applauded excitedly.  
“Hold on, Beartic! Just a little bit longer!” Ruko told Beartic.  
“Bear…” Beartic groaned, gritting its teeth.  
“Almost there, Elgyem!” I pushed him.  
“Elgy… El!” Elgyem's eyes returned to normal and Beartic stumbled backwards, groaning before dropping to the ground on its backside.  
“Beartic’s out!” Courtney shouted with delight.  
June turned to Courtney angrily.  
“I don’t think so!” Ruko beamed happily. “Let's do that special move you've got! Assurance!”   
“Assurance!” I gasped. “NO!”  
Beartic got to its feet, bringing a loud, frightful gasp out of Courtney, and it raised an open palm coated in a black aura. It pulled back its palm as it ran towards Elgyem.  
“El?!” Elgyem uttered in fright.  
“Bear!” Beartic's palm slammed into Elgyem's face, tossing him back easily.  
I caught Elgyem as he flew towards my chest. I was thrown off of my feet, landing on my back with a pained grunt.  
“Elgyem…” Elgyem moaned, motionless in my arms.  
“Gary!” Courtney made her way over to me quickly. She knelt down next to me. “Are you alright?”  
I shook my head sharply and sat up, looking down at my Pokemon.  
“Elgyem's been defeated, too,” June said in a low voice, lowering her head sadly.  
“Beartic, you're amazing!” Ruko squealed with delight. “I can't believe you're still standing! Don't give up, yet! It's only gonna get worse, now!”  
Beartic was heaving heavily, exhausted from the battles, but it glared at me as it watched me return Elgyem to his Poke Ball and get back to my feet.  
I glared right back at it. How tough is that thing? I wondered. It's still standing! It can't have much left in it. Alright, it's time to take this thing out for good. “Darmanitan, I know you can do this! Let's go!”  
“DAAAAAAAAAAAARMANITAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNN!!!” Darmanitan roared at Beartic.  
“BEEEEEEAAAAARRR!!!” Beartic roared back without fear.  
“Flare Blitz, right away!” I urged.  
“Aqua Jet first!” Ruko called quickly.  
Beartic moved first with the fast move and knocked Darmanitan to the ground with the Super Effective hit.  
“Daaaaaaarrrr…” Darmanitan groaned as his stomach flashed white from the hit.  
“No! Not a Critical Hit! Not now!” I was shaking with anger and despair, my emotions creating tears in my eyes.  
“Brine!” Ruko said without hesitation.  
Beartic blasted Darmanitan, Darmanitan screaming helplessly as he tumbled.   
“Darmanitan, get up! COME ON!” I screamed shrilly, my voice full of panic.   
Darmanitan remained on his back, motionless.  
“Darmanitan's out,” June’s voice quivered, her eyes turning away from my direction.  
How could this be…? My eyes were glued to Darmanitan. Even Darmanitan is out? What do I have left? Excadrill, Darmanitan, Cottonee, Elgyem, Seismitoad…  
Beartic growled painfully, its eyes closed tight, as the Poison inside of it caused it to bend over.  
I returned Darmanitan to his Poke Ball. “Okay, thanks, buddy,” I muttered, staring at the Poke Ball before reaching for my final one. Nurse Joy told me not to use this one so soon, I reminded myself as I glared at the Poke Ball containing my final Pokemon. She said he needed time to rest. But, she also said he was doing okay. I can’t lose to Ruko like this. I can’t quit! I don’t have any other options! My fist tightened around the Poke Ball in anger as I debated with myself internally over the decision I wanted to make. I looked up at Ruko furiously.  
She was looking at the Poke Ball in my hand with a thrilled smile, her eyes attentive and flowing with anticipation at what my final Pokemon would be.  
For some reason, I became even more angry and I squeezed the Poke Ball with all the strength I had in me. She has to go down! I yelled in my head, pressing my teeth tightly against each other. I know I can count on my Pokemon! I LOVE my Pokemon! “Unfezant, I'm counting on you, now! Let's go!” I threw his Poke Ball.  
“Unfeeeeezant!” Unfezant stretched out his wings and stared down at Beartic from above. His tail was wrapped in white bandages.  
“Alright, a Flying type! Stay sharp, Beartic! Use Blizzard to take out that Pokemon!” Ruko spoke strongly.  
“Unfezant, use Detect, now!”  
Beartic attacked, opening its jaws wide and blowing freezing air, ice, and snow in a flurry at Unfezant.  
Unfezant's eyes glowed light blue and he spiraled underneath the chilling attack, flying close to the dangerous move as he soared towards Beartic.  
“Now use your Quick Attack!” I told Unfezant.  
Unfezant cawed loudly and in a flash, vanished, reappearing in the next second right in front of Beartic and tackling it in the stomach.  
Beartic groaned and stumbled back several steps.  
“Beartic, Aqua Jet!”  
“Unfezant, match it with Quick Attack again!”  
Beartic, coated in water, flew through the air at Unfezant as my Pokemon soared into Beartic, both creatures colliding into each other, forcing each other back.  
“Again!” I screamed.  
“Aqua Jet again! Take it down!”  
Both Pokemon repeated their actions several more times.  
Unfezant was now weakly flapping his wings, breathing hard, glaring at Beartic.  
Beartic winced, but never took its eyes off of Unfezant.  
“Unfezant, use Roost!!”  
“Blizzard, right now!”  
“BEEEEEAAAARRR!!!” Beartic blasted the Ice attack at Unfezant before Unfezant could start his Roost, which would have taken away his Flying typing temporarily and made Blizzard not be Super Effective.  
“Uuuuuunnnfez!!” Unfezant dropped to the ground in a heap.  
“No!” I said loudly through gritted teeth, my hands balled at my sides, staring down at Unfezant as tears started to drip from them slowly. Not like this. Not to Ruko! This can't be! My shoulders slumped. “Unfezant, no! Please!”  
“Wow! That was amazing!” Ruko walked towards her Beartic. “I won! A total sweep!”  
I licked my lips and continued staring down at my Unfezant in dismay.  
“Wait!” June gasped, her eyes on Unfezant. “Just hold on a second!”  
“Huh?” Ruko looked at Unfezant.  
“Bear?” Beartic gasped, staring down at my bird Pokemon.  
“Fez…” Unfezant groaned, and his head started to slowly lift from the ground. He turned weakly and stared at me. “Unfezant…”  
Courtney gasped loud.  
“Unfezant! Are you okay?” I couldn't believe my eyes.  
Unfezant's wings bent as he pushed himself up with them and turned to Beartic. “Fezaaaaaaant!!” Unfezant squawked at his opponent. His body glowed white brightly as he used Roost attack to recover his energy. “Unfeeeeeeez!” Unfezant’s wings outstretched as the glow faded.  
Beartic growled at him.  
Ruko clapped excitedly, smiling eagerly. “No way! I can't believe this! It's still got some fight in it!” She hopped back several feet from Beartic and a challenging smile came over her face. “Alright, then let's use Blizzard one more time. And really make it count!”  
“You can't fly right now, so just use your Detect until you can!” I told Unfezant.  
Unfezant's eyes glowed again and he flapped his wings as he sidestepped the powerful attack Beartic sent at him.  
“Icicle Crash, now!”  
“Detect!”  
Beartic paused for a moment and groaned, the Poison still sapping its health.  
How much more health does that thing have? I wondered. It's still fighting through the Poison?  
Beartic released a powerful wind from its mouth, the light blue sparkles inside of it forming large, sharp icicles, and Unfezant's eyes glowed again as he ducked and jumped around the attacks.  
“Hm…” Ruko said thoughtfully. “Aqua Jet!”  
“Unfez!” Unfezant's wings spread wide and he flapped them, taking into the air.  
“Alright, your flight is back! Use your Detect once more!”  
Beartic flew at Unfezant.  
Unfezant's eyes failed to glow, and he was taken down by Beartic.  
“Oh, no!” Detect doesn't always work if it's used consecutively, I reminded myself.   
“Beartic, Swagger, now!”  
“Unfezant, Razor Wind, go!”  
Beartic roared strongly, crossing its arms, glaring at Unfezant.  
Unfezant got up from the ground and into the air. His wings glowed white and he flapped them, creating a powerful wind, and white, crescent-shaped energy flew out and hit Beartic.  
Beartic took a few steps back and roared, and then its body glowed red.  
Unfezant’s eyes glowed red as Confusion set in.  
“Unfezant, screw that! You're my last hope! Use your Air Slash!”  
“Rest attack while it’s Confused!” Ruko beamed brightly.  
“No!”  
Unfezant's wings glowed light blue and he flapped them, multiple light blue saw disc energy blades colliding with Beartic as it had started to kneel down to sit on the ground.  
“Beartic, Rest! Let's recover for a bit!” Ruko urged her Pokemon.  
“Tic…” Beartic fell forward and dropped to its face.  
June gasped and a smile came over her face. “Beartic is out! Beartic is out!” she ruled with a bit too much surprise and excitement. “Unfezant won! Unfezant wins!! Oh, my gosh! I can’t believe it!! Oops.” She covered her mouth with both of her hands and stared at me with wide, fearful eyes as I threw her a sharp, furious glare, silently telling her it was time to shut up.  
“Wow…” Courtney’s voice trembled in a whisper.   
I looked behind me to see her visibly shaking as she shook her head and watched my still Confused Unfezant fly around in sloppy circles in the sky as he cawed out in varying levels.   
She looked down to me in disbelief, smiling with her mouth wide open, shaking her head.  
I could tell that she couldn’t believe I had pulled out a win, and honestly, at this point, neither could I. I breathed out a sigh of relief and kept my eyes on Unfezant as I began to wonder how much longer we could last against Ruko. Was Beartic her most powerful Pokemon? Could we defeat the rest of her team? If we keep on using Roost, maybe we can pull out a miracle and beat all of Ruko's Pokemon, I told myself with next to no belief in those words.  
“Beartic, good stuff! Nice job! Return!” She laughed and stared at its Great Ball. “I guess that Poison finally wore you down.”  
“Took long enough,” I muttered under my breath.  
“And now, I'm going to use you, Krookadile!”  
“Krooooookadile!” the Pokemon said as it was released from its Great Ball, snapping its huge jaws eagerly.  
“Alright, we have an advantage with you being part Flying,” I told Unfezant. “Let's start with Feather Dance! Lower its Attack!”  
Ruko's mouth opened but she didn’t say anything. “Oh…” she muttered, staring with wide eyes at Unfezant.  
Unfezant cawed strongly, his eyes still red, displaying his Confusion, and his body became outlined in gold. He waved his wings around and bounced his body in the air in a bizarre dance-like motion. His entire body then glowed with the gold color. A golden powder fell from Unfezant's body and all around Krookadile.  
“Krook…” Krookadile sighed. Its body hunched over and it suddenly looked a lot more exhausted.  
“Alright! Now, Air Slash!”   
My Confused Pokemon used Air Slash, Krookadile calling out as the sharp attacks slashed at its body. Krookadile shook its head and looked up at Unfezant.  
“Foul Play!” Ruko pointed up at Unfezant.  
“Foul Play…?” I repeated.  
Krookadile leaped into the air, high above Unfezant! Its jaws opened as it came down upon Unfezant and it pulled back its claws. It then forced its claws forward, slamming them into Unfezant, forcing him to the ground hard as they both crashed down together.  
Dirt was forced into the air, hiding both Pokemon briefly.  
“Uuunnn!” Unfezant burst out painfully.  
“There we go! Even with a lowered Attack, Foul Play's strength is based on the opponent's Attack stat to deliver damage!” Ruko winked.  
My eyes widened. Beartic’s Swagger boosted Unfezant’s Attack, and then Foul Play used that against him… That's good, I admitted silently. I didn't like that I had admitted that, but it was true. Then again, I thought, she didn't raise those Pokemon. She didn't do a thing for them. She's using strategies from other Trainers, not her own. These aren't her Pokemon. She can't beat me! I won't have it! “Unfezant!”  
My Pokemon was still on the ground, not moving.  
“That was excellent, but I think we've won!” Ruko stated, smiling.  
“Unfezant…” Unfezant groaned and shakily forced himself back up.  
“Huh?” I squinted at my Pokemon. “Unfezant?” I turned to June quickly.  
Her face held surprise, an impressed look in her eyes.  
“Krooook?” Krookadile said softly, surprise in its voice as it watched Unfezant get back up.  
Ruko was silent, watching Unfezant with a stunned look.  
“Ha! Not quite, Ruko! This battle is far from done!” I told her happily.  
“Uh, oh,” Ruko said, her eyes glued to my Pokemon.  
“Unfezant, let's show them what you've really got! Let's use Roost for starters and get back your energy!”  
Unfezant shook his head and opened his eyes, the red in them now gone, showing that he was no longer Confused, and he used Roost, his body glowing white as his energy was restored.  
Once the glow had faded, I shouted, “This is gonna boost its Attack, but it'll still Confuse that Krookadile, too! Let's try out Swagger!”  
Unfezant's body was outlined in red as he stared up at Krookadile.  
Krookadile cried out and its eyes glowed red.  
“Krookadile, shake off the Confusion and fight back with Crunch!”  
Krookadile stomped the ground in a rage, roaring angrily with its head facing the skies, and it slashed at its own face with its sharp claws!  
“Oh, no! Krookadile!” Ruko called out to her Pokemon desperately.  
“Let's add to that with Facade!” I ordered.  
Unfezant's body was covered in an orange aura as he ran on his talons. With a strong leap, he tackled Krookadile.  
Krookadile swung angrily at Unfezant, missing in its Confusion, clawing through the air and cutting at its own body every few slashes.  
“Krookadile, fight back and use your Earthquake! You can do it!”  
“KROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOK!!!” Krookadile howled, and it raised a foot and slammed it to the ground powerfully.  
The ground shook roughly, Courtney and June struggling to maintain their balance.  
Unfezant was tossed back through the air and he slammed into the ground. He didn't move.  
Krookadile's eyes turned back to normal and it heaved strongly, looking down at Unfezant.  
“Now that was pretty freaking intense!!” Ruko leaped into the air repeatedly. “Nice fight!”  
“My Unfezant…” I moaned weakly.  
“Looks like that Roost backfired on you,” Ruko explained. “It took away Unfezant’s Flying type, which left you vulnerable to Ground moves.”  
“I know how it works, thank you,” I said angrily. I sighed, lowering my angry eyes to Unfezant.   
Unfezant twitched his body, and then didn't move.  
I squinted at him. “Unfezant?”  
Unfezant's head turned slowly and he looked up at me with a face of exhaustion and defeat.  
“Unfezant, it's alright. You did great, man.” I forced a shaky smile and nodded at him, although what I really wanted to do was cry.  
“Un! Unfezant!” Unfezant got up, stumbling weakly on his talons before dropping again.  
“Unfezant, wait! That's enough! You can come back!” I held out his Poke Ball.  
“Unfezant!” Unfezant took a strong leap into the air and his wings spread wide as he flew away from the red beam of the Poke Ball.  
Ruko gaped in shock at Unfezant as he hovered above an equally stunned Krookadile, both Trainer and Pokemon cocking their heads sideways in confusion at the same time.  
I turned to June, who was looking up at Unfezant in disbelief.  
“I can't believe it…” Courtney whispered from behind me.  
Unfezant cried out at Krookadile.  
“I guess we're not done yet…?” Ruko questioned.  
“This is amazing! Ha!” I smiled proudly at Ruko. “This is what you get when a Trainer and Pokemon have a bond and work together and aren't just traded away, Ruko! This match is ours!”  
Ruko looked down to me, surprise on her face at my words I'd just spoken.  
“We're gonna beat all of your Pokemon, Ruko! Unfezant, use Air Slash!”  
Unfezant took a deep breath, clearly worn out, and he attacked with Air Slash.  
Krookadile grunted repeatedly and stumbled back in pain as white sparks flew from its body where the attack was hitting it.  
“Oh! Critical Hits!” Ruko said with worry. “This isn't looking so good, anymore.”  
Krookadile leaned over, trying to catch its breath.  
We need Roost to recover, but we'll be too vulnerable to Ground moves, I thought. That Krookadile is almost beaten. We'll recover when her third Pokemon comes out. We must win! “Unfezant, attack with Quick Attack, right now!”  
“Smack Down!” Ruko told her Pokemon.  
“Krook!” Krookadile's head snapped back as Unfezant slammed into its chin, causing it to flash white, signifying another Critical Hit! As Unfezant flew past it, Krookadile swiftly turned its head to my Pokemon and opened its jaws, a golden orb surrounded by an orange energy forming inside of it.   
The orb flew out at Unfezant and hit him in the back.   
Unfezant dropped to the ground, growling as he struggled to get back up.  
“That's good,” Ruko nodded. “That’s an astoundingly good Pokemon you’ve raised, Gary. Earthquake!”  
“Fly into the air!”  
Unfezant flapped his wings feebly, but he didn’t ascend.  
Krookadile shook the ground again.  
Courtney was dropped to her knees.  
June managed to keep her balance for a short time before landing on her back.  
I stumbled around before collapsing to my knees.  
Ruko stumbled around but didn’t fall.  
Unfezant was tossed back by the Earthquake and he slid along the ground on his stomach.  
“Unfezant! How?” I ran towards my Pokemon and knelt down next to him. My hand ran across his soft, feathered back gently. “What happened out there? Earthquake hit?”  
Unfezant wasn't moving.  
I lifted his head up gently.  
He didn't react to my touch, his eyes closed. He didn't even seem to be breathing.  
“That move, Smack Down, ensures a Flying type, or anything hovering above the ground, is grounded, making them vulnerable to Ground moves,” June explained, sitting up, staring at me sadly. “I’m sorry, Gary. Unfezant is definitely defeated this time. Ruko wins the battle.”  
Krookadile's body glowed a deep blue before returning to normal.  
“Alright! We won, Krookadile! That's what's up!” Ruko patted the Pokemon’s shoulder. “No need for Moxie at this point, ha ha ha!”   
“Krooo-hooo-hooooooookadile!” Krookadile nodded cheerfully.  
“Alright! Come on back. Good job.” Ruko returned her Krookadile and turned to me, smiling brightly. “Hey! That was awesome, man!” She walked over to me and extended her hand. “That Unfezant is the best! I can't believe it kept on going like that!”  
I lowered my head, ignoring her hand. Not wanting to be a bad sport, I forced myself to raise my hand and shook hers, but I refused to look at her, keeping my eyes on Unfezant, and I nodded.  
“Good thing the Pokemon Center is so close by, huh?” She lifted her hand and looked at the large watch on her wrist. “Oh, man! I've gotta get going or I'll be late meeting up with my girlfriend! I'll catch you all later, okay? Nice to meet you, Courtney! Byyye!” She turned around and ran back into the wooded area she had left when running into us.  
I sighed. “Come on back, Unfezant.” I returned my Pokemon.  
“Gary, are you alright?” Courtney asked softly, kneeling down next to me.  
“She's got some really strong Pokemon,” June said, looking after Ruko.  
“Well, duh, June!” Courtney snapped at her.  
June glared at Courtney.  
“Gary doesn't need to hear that right now,” Courtney said gently, turning to me with a smile. “You did just fine against her, Ga-”  
“Don't give me that!” I told her sharply, standing up, looking away from her. “I did terrible and I know this. Don't tell me I did good. I'm not an idiot.”  
June let out a satisfied grunt, smirking at Courtney.  
Courtney stood up and gave June a quick, dirty look before turning back to me. “I'm sorry,” she whispered. She looked down sadly. “Would a hug make you feel better?” she asked hesitantly.  
I sighed. “Sure,” was all I could say. I didn't really want to hug her, but I also didn't want to hurt Courtney. Plus, I was too upset over my horrible battle to build up the energy to start snapping and being mean, though I felt like that was the only way I wanted to be right now.  
Courtney looked at me with a bright, glowing smile and pulled me into a tight hug.  
I hugged her back weakly, the mixture of the feeling of her arms around me, the scent of her perfume, and the aroma of whatever shampoo she was using, bringing a certain, extremely minimal, calm to me.  
“I'll wait for you two back at the Pokemon Center!” June said loudly, angrily, and she stomped away.  
Courtney didn't let go of me, but she turned to June. “What is her problem?” Courtney asked, shaking her head. She turned to me, her pleading eyes touching me deep down into my heart. “I'm trying really hard, Gary. You know that, right?”  
I nodded and turned to watch June.  
June looked back quickly and turned away, a loud growl heard from her as she got closer to the building.  
“I know, Courtney,” I sighed.  
Courtney pulled me into an even tighter hug, her head on my shoulder, sighing. “I still think you did great out there, Sugar Lumps.” She giggled and rubbed her head against my shoulder.  
I didn't reply, staring at June as she stormed into the Pokemon Center.  
As I held Courtney, something inside of me told me that I was in the middle of a war that only one of these two girls was going to walk away from.  
And it was going to get really bad.  
Sooner rather than later.


	46. Time Zones

“A Sun Stone?” I asked, staring at the golden stone designed like the sun sitting in Courtney's palm.  
“Yeah, I don't need it,” Courtney smiled at me. “There's only a handful of Pokemon that evolve by this stone, and I already own all of them.”  
“Really? You do?” My eyes widened.  
“Yeah,” Courtney nodded. “I have tons of Pokemon, Gary.” She giggled. “I actually own every single Pokemon, excluding the Legendary Pokemon, from the regions I've explored.”  
“Huh?” I gasped, staring at her as if she were crazy.  
“You heard me,” she winked. “Other than the Legends, I own every single Pokemon in the Kanto, Hoenn, Johto, and Sinnoh regions. I'm missing a lot from Unova, and I don't intend to leave here until I catch them all, too!”  
“No way!” I smiled eagerly.  
Courtney beamed brightly, flashing her teeth. “That's right! So, I don't really need this stone anymore. And, I think I have an extra one somewhere in my bag, anyway.”  
June made a noise and I turned to see her kick strongly at the ground, dirt flying up. She grumbled, shaking her lowered head, not turning to Courtney nor I.  
Courtney turned to her. “June? Are you alright?” she asked caringly.  
June ignored her, not saying a word as she walked with us, a few feet away.  
“June?” Courtney tried again.  
June still didn't react.  
I sighed loudly and glared at her, but I didn't speak. I didn't have to.  
June heard me and closed her eyes. Her furrowed eyebrows relaxed and she turned to Courtney with a forced, calmer face. Her breath escaped her nostrils. “Every… Pokemon…?” June asked in a slow, strained voice, her eyes blinking repeatedly with each word.  
“Other than the Legendary Pokemon, and some in Unova,” Courtney told her.  
June swallowed, clearly trying to find the nicest words possible. Her eyes lowered to the ground as she spoke again. “So, you mean to say that you own close to about…” She paused as she looked up to the sunny sky. She mumbled and started counting off on her fingers for a moment before finally looking back to Courtney. “Over five hundred Pokemon? Close to six hundred? Give or take?”  
Courtney nodded. “That's about right, ha! I have to call Prof. Birch and ask again to be sure of the exact number. And I think I have some duplicates of some of my Pokemon, too. It's hard keeping track of what I own, you know? But, not counting the duplicates, I have about the number you said.”  
June inhaled deeply and held her breath.  
She doesn't believe her, I thought, watching June smile as she looked back into the sky. It wasn't a happy smile. It was a dangerous smile that meant June was about to go over the edge. She let out her breath. “You know, ha ha ha, Pokemon Trainers have spent their entire lives traveling the world, exploring the farthest reaches of the planet, dedicating their lives to the goal of capturing every Pokemon in existence, many dying on their quest, while others grow too old to continue the effort. Not one Trainer on record has accomplished this goal, or even gotten very close. Although there are an extremely small number of Trainers who have captured an extraordinary amount of Pokemon, including some Legends on excruciatingly rare occasions.” June took a breath, still smiling her warning smile, and she turned to Courtney. “I don't remember what number was last recorded from the Trainers who are at the top of the list of Pokemon owned, Courtney,” June chuckled. “But, ha, you mean to tell me that you have captured nearly six hundred different species of Pokemon on your own, at the age of sixteen?”  
“Yup! Ha, maybe I should call up a magazine or something and get an interview, huh?” Courtney laughed shyly, looking down as she brushed aside her hair. “It wasn't all that difficult for me, either. I've traveled to so many regions during my time as a Trainer. My parents were really rich, so I could travel off to places like Unova, and I always had access to money thanks to them. I had plenty of time to explore other regions after competing in their Pokemon Leagues and I made it my little goal after the competitions were over to capture more Pokemon like Prof. Birch requested of me when he gave me my Treeko!”  
“Is he the Professor who gives the Starters in Hoenn?” I asked.  
“That's right,” Courtney replied, nodding. “Have you not heard of him?”  
“He sounds familiar, yeah,” I told her. “I just never really met him. He's not really as popular in Kanto as Prof. Oak.”  
“Well, no Professor is as well known as Prof. Oak,” Courtney stated. “No matter the region!”  
June mumbled something I couldn't hear.  
“Huh?” Courtney turned to June.  
“Nothing,” June muttered.  
“June, are you mad at me over something?” Courtney asked with concern.  
June mumbled again.  
“What was that, dear?” Courtney inquired.  
June opened her mouth and inhaled, but nothing came out of her mouth for a moment as she stared at Courtney. Her eyes shot to me for a second before returning back to Courtney, and her breath came out in a sigh. As June closed her mouth, her eyes met with mine again for another second and then reverted back to Courtney. She looked down and continued walking with us silently, shaking her head.  
“June, honey, what's wrong?” Courtney walked closer to June, holding the Sun Stone in her hands. “Won't you tell me? Please? You know, you can tell me anything. We're friends. Friends are honest with each other, right?”  
Friends? I turned sharply to Courtney as I followed the girls, raising an eyebrow.  
June looked at Courtney suspiciously. She sighed and stopped walking, bringing our trio to a halt.  
Oh, boy, I thought with exasperation.  
“We're not friends, Courtney,” June said bluntly, crossing her arms, her face hardening. “I don't trust you for a second. You nearly ruined Gary's chances of getting into the Pokemon League back in Kanto, and you constantly prove yourself to be no good. You really expect Gary and I to believe you've captured nearly six hundred Pokemon? I mean, just how dumb do you think we are, Courtney? There's no way! There's just no way you had that kind of time! You're only sixteen, Courtney! It's unheard of! Are you really even sixteen? I don't know what to think of you at all, alright? So don't ask me to believe things you say, especially utterly ridiculous claims like what you’re making.”  
Courtney lowered her head and looked away from June, towards me. “Okay,” she said softly. She rubbed at her right eye and walked ahead of us, sniffling.  
“Oh, cut out the damn act already!” June shouted after her.  
“June!” I yelled. I had wanted to scream a lot of other things at her in that moment, but I was just too exhausted to do so anymore.   
When it came to June and Courtney, it was nothing but fights, fights, and more fights. And it seemed that the harder Courtney tried to be friendly, the more June resisted her. I understood that June didn't trust or like Courtney, but I believed in second chances, and Courtney wasn't coming off as rude or anything, so there was no need for June to be so cold to her.  
June stared at me with a pained, sad look. “Gary, you can't be serious!” June cried.  
“You can't be serious, June!” I shot back. “What has she even done to deserve this? Why are you acting like this to her? I've had about enough already!”  
June looked after me as I walked past her and towards Courtney.  
Courtney came to a stop and immediately covered her face and sniffled. She shook her head. “No, please don't be mad at her, Gary,” Courtney whimpered. “I made mistakes, and I don't deserve her forgiveness. I have earned her hatred of me. I'm just so sorry for what I've done. If I were a better person, we could all just be friends right now!” She cried gently, rubbing her eyes.  
“It's not like I'm a perfect person, either,” I told Courtney as I placed a hand on her shoulder.  
Courtney gasped at my touch and looked up at me, her eyes shimmering behind tears that were slowly running down her cheeks.  
I stared back at her firmly. “And June is far from perfect, herself,” I nodded.  
“I never said I…” June's voice was hurt as it faded to silence.  
“She has no right to act like she's so much better than you and make you feel inferior to her,” I continued. “The things you've done aren't even that big a deal. We've all done worse. And June hasn't exactly been the most honest person, even with me.” I turned to June.  
June’s mouth and eyes widened in shock at me before turning into an angry scowl. Her lips pursed together and her eyes squinted at me.  
I looked back to Courtney. “Don't let her get to you, alright, Courtney?”  
“But…” She turned to June, sniffling as she wiped at her cheeks and eyes. “I want to be friends. I don't want us to be so hateful to each other. June, please?” She stepped away from me and approached June cautiously, taking slow steps towards her.  
June sneered at her. An angry sigh came from her mouth and her arms dropped to her sides. “Courtney…” she said hesitantly, her face softening.  
“June, I won't make you.” Courtney stopped and extended her arms. “But, I'm really trying to be sincere right now with you. I want us to try again and be friends. If I screw up again, then I don't deserve to ever be forgiven again. Hell, I don't deserve to be forgiven now, but, I'm begging you, June. I'm only begging for one last chance. Please, June.”  
June turned to me with an exasperated look on her face.  
I returned her stare with an expectant look and cocked my head at her.  
June looked back uncertainly at Courtney.  
Courtney widened her arms. “A hug? Please, June?”  
June's shoulders slumped and she sighed. “Oh, fine, Courtney. I concede.” June approached Courtney slowly.  
Courtney squealed with delight and ran towards June, wrapping her up in her arms and bouncing on her feet. “Oh, Juni, this is gonna be so great! We can put all of this bad blood behind us!”  
June smiled weakly and looked at me as she hugged Courtney reluctantly, rubbing her back.  
I smiled back and nodded. Good job, June, I thought happily. Finally, a little peace.  
“And, in celebration of this moment, and as an apology for what we put Gary through with our silliness, please.” Courtney stepped over to me, her Sun Stone in between her hands, and she stopped just a couple of feet away from me. She held out the stone. “I'm sorry, Gary. Please accept this Sun Stone.”  
I stared at the rock in her hands and then looked up at her. “Courtney, I don't know about this. I mean, I appreciate it, but…”   
“You have a Cottonee. You don't have a Sun Stone to evolve it, though. Go on. I don't have any need for it.”  
“Wow… I…” I lifted my hand and reached out for the stone she held up to me.  
June smiled slightly as my hand got closer to the stone.  
A loud roar rang throughout the forest, making me, Courtney, and June jump and gasp as we looked through the trees around us.  
“What was that?” I cried out frightfully. The loud roar brought immediate fear to my heart and my entire body started to tremble.  
“Sounded like some kind of monster!” Courtney's voice shook.  
“I think it was a Pokemon,” June said, looking around determinedly.  
“June, honey, I really don't think this is the time to be telling your silly jokes about being able to read Pokemon right now,” Courtney told her.  
“Excuse me?” June glared at Courtney.  
Another roar rang through the trees, followed by another roar from a different direction, and then a third roar from another location. The roars sounded like they were from the same kind of beasts.  
“Look, let's just get out of here and get to Verdew Town,” I said nervously. I didn't hear the girls' responses and I moved forward, my eyes scanning the trees around me. Another series of roars rang through the woods and I froze, my mouth hanging wide open, and I looked around frantically.  
June and Courtney both gasped.  
“Let's get out of here!” I shouted in a panic as the roars continued to echo throughout, rattling my eardrums and traveling throughout my whole body. I ran forward quickly, leaving the other two behind me as they screamed and ran after me. My breathing was rapid as I ran around trees and kicked up dirt.  
A loud roar stopped me in my tracks and I looked up as something white and enormous appeared, destroying tree branches, leaves, and vines as it swung its arms in circles and flew past me.  
I looked after it as it disappeared into the trees. “What…?”  
“It was a Pokemon!” June called out. “I told you!”  
“Well, I didn't really think it was a monster!” Courtney said. “I mean, Pokemon are monsters in their own way, right? Pocket-?”  
“Screw a definition! What exactly was that thing?” I demanded.  
“I couldn't see it too clearly,” June admitted.  
“Ha! It was a Vigoroth, obviously,” Courtney smirked. “Hm, so much for being able to read Pokemon.”  
“What did you just say?” June growled.  
Not now, you two, I thought impatiently as I kept my eyes on the spot where the Vigoroth had vanished from sight. I thought you two were friends now!  
Another roar from behind me made me whip my head and another white creature flew from the trees, whipping its arms angrily. It was closer to Courtney than it was to June or I, and Courtney screamed shrilly in horror.  
“Courtney, duck!” I shouted to her.  
The Pokemon blew past her and Courtney screamed even louder as she was dropped to the ground, the threatening creature knocking her over.  
Vigoroth. The Wild Monkey Pokemon. This is the evolved form of Slakoth. Unlike its lazy, pre-evolved stage, Vigoroth is full of vigor. Due to its intense level of energy, it gets no sleep and is constantly hungry. Raising this species of Pokemon comes with a dire warning.  
The Vigoroth that took down Courtney continued roaring and smashing its arms through branches in its way as it disappeared into the trees.  
“Just run!!” I urged June and Courtney, and I ran.  
“VIGOOOOOOOOOOORRRRR!!!” Another Vigoroth swung through the trees, its claws clinging to a vine, its feet reaching out in front of it, headed directly for me!  
I instantly stopped running and ducked to my knees, collapsing further down and pressing my body flat on the ground. I felt the wind from the Pokemon as it flew above me and I closed my eyes tightly.  
Vigoroth roared furiously as it soared past.  
I rolled onto my back and gasped as the Pokemon released the vine and dropped to the ground on its feet before growling at me. I stared back at it in terror, not moving a muscle, trying hard not to stare it in its eyes, fearing that that might make it even madder.  
The Vigoroth let out a roar that cut off my breathing and made me jump, and it began to charge!  
June and Courtney screamed, both girls turning away from the oncoming Pokemon and taking off past me. They didn't get far at all before they both came to a stop at the same time, gaping in horror, a couple of deafening roars practically making my heart explode in fear as I scrambled to my feet.  
I turned around and screamed as I saw the pair of Vigoroth that were holding Courtney and June still with fear just from the deadly glares on their faces.  
“Vigoroth!” A Vigoroth leaped from the trees to my right and landed on the ground heavily, its round chest heaving powerfully.  
“Aaaaaahhhh!!” I cried out in pain as something smacked the back of my head and I closed my eyes against the bright lights flashing through the darkness as I fell onto my face. Screaming again, my voice muffled by the dirt under my face, something heavy ran along my back, running off of me, roaring like mad. I choked on the dirt as it got into my mouth and nose as I looked up to see what had just knocked me down, blinking away the bright flashes.  
The Vigoroth that had run off of my back turned around, a look on its face that rivaled even my Charizard when he used Scary Face. Perhaps Vigoroth was using Scary Face right now.  
“Vigoroth!” Another Vigoroth jumped from the jumble of trees and other plant life and landed near us, snarling.  
Several more Vigoroth appeared from the forest, leaping from vines and stomping through the trees, joining their friends, wearing the same livid faces as the Vigoroth who were terrifying us already.  
“Vig!”  
“Vigoroth!”  
“VIIIGOROTH!”  
“Roth!”  
“Vigoroth!”  
“ROOOOOOTH!”  
“Roth!”  
We were surrounded by Vigoroth. They all looked ready to tear us to pieces without hesitation. Before I was able to take another second to think, the Vigoroth around us leaped into the air, their claws reaching for us, raking the air, our death promised.  
The three of us shrieked at almost matching volumes.  
I grabbed a random Poke Ball from my belt, wondering if the Pokemon inside of it would be enough to save us all, and I pulled my arm back. “HEEEEEEEEELLLLP!!!” I started to force my arm forward.  
“Spore attack, go get 'em!”   
A strong, deep voice called out and a giant, yellow spotted red flash flew through the air. A yellow powder flowed away from the huge mushroom, landing on a few of the Vigoroth near us. The creature, a Parasect, then turned towards a few of the other Vigoroth, showering them in the yellow powder, and continued spraying at the remaining Vigoroth, coating them as well.  
The Vigoroth all landed on the ground on their feet, no longer attacking June, me, and Courtney, all of them glaring at the green being before them.  
Parasect spoke out briefly.  
“Alright! Well done, Parasect!”  
I turned to the voice and saw a young lady approach us.  
Her green hair was in a ponytail that reached to her shoulders, knotted where a yellow bow sat. She had on a tan, short sleeved shirt that held several pins in the shape of flowers colored yellow and blue, dark brown shorts that stopped right at her knees, and green sandals that each held a tiny, half blue and half red bow on top. She calmly stepped through the group of Vigoroth that were surrounding us and smiled and nodded at me, June, and Courtney. “Don't worry, you three! Gramma is here to save you!”  
“Huh?” I stared at her in mass confusion, fright still pumping through my body.  
“VIGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRR!!!!!” the Vigoroth all roared as they slammed their chests with their fists.  
“Whoa! Why aren't they asleep?” the lady cried in shock, backing up a couple of feet as she stared at the angry Vigoroth.  
Parasect scurried backwards fearfully, bumping into the young lady's legs.  
“You really tried putting a Vigoroth to Sleep?!” Courtney exclaimed. “That's the last thing you do to a Vigoroth!!”  
“Oh…” the lady said, slapping her forehead. “That's right.” She laughed loudly. “Vigoroth go completely insane whenever they try going to sleep. Haaaaa! I forgot.”  
“ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” the Vigoroth roared as they all leaped at once towards us.  
“Whimsicott, immediate Tailwind, please!” The young woman tossed a Poke Ball with one hand while holding out a Poke Ball with her other hand, returning Parasect.  
A little green creature landed near the lady. It inhaled deeply and then quickly blew out air.  
“WWWHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAA!!!!” I screamed as a powerful wind from out of nowhere blew me forward from behind, my feet scrambling at an incredible speed all of a sudden!  
June and Courtney shouted out as well, the lady crying out with a joyous look on her face, Whimsicott also running along with us as we all shot past the group of enraged Vigoroth.  
The Pokemon were all behind us, bellowing angrily as we all ran away from them at a speed my legs had never been able to move at in my entire life.  
“Yes! I told you Gramma was here to save you guys!” the lady laughed. “We're on our way out of here. Don't you kids worry!”  
“Did you say Gramma?” Courtney gasped suddenly.  
I didn't fully understand what was going on, but it seemed that we had just managed to escape with our lives, and for that, I was extremely grateful.  
The roars from the Vigoroth were now startlingly close behind us and seemed to inspire the three of us to try running faster as we all cried out and struggled forward.  
“Use the Tailwind to your advantage, kids!” the lady urged us. “It won't last forever, and those Vigoroth sure have some speed on them! We should be safe as soon as I locate a little help.”  
“Help? Where? From who?” My feet were unstoppable as they moved at a pace that would have been otherwise impossible for me to move at if not for Tailwind.  
The Vigoroth continued the chase behind us, the ground quaking underneath their stampeding feet, their shouts clear as day, ruling the jungle.  
The five of us were moving at an amazing speed, screaming at a level that competed with the roars of the Vigoroth. I had no idea that Tailwind could be used like this! But would it be enough to save our lives?  
“Oh, wait. I think we should have made a left turn back there…” the woman suddenly stated thoughtfully. “We may have just run past that help I was telling you about. And Tailwind is winding down.”  
I stared at the lady's worried face with my own look of fright as the five of us ran as quickly as we could as our speed began to sharply decline back to normal.   
The ground beneath my feet began to quake even harder. Although I was terrified to look behind me, as the familiar roars and growls got closer, I was taken by surprise at how close they sounded and turned my head around. “YYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!”  
The Vigoroth were all several feet behind us, but their outstretched arms were only inches from gripping our bodies, drool and foam falling from their agape jaws like rabid dogs.  
“I can't keep this up!” June gasped wearily. “The boost from Tailwind was nice, but I'm out of steam!”  
“June, this isn't the time to be stupid!!” I screamed at her. “Keep moving!!” I didn't want to admit it, but I was feeling drained on energy as well.  
“Wait, I really thought they were around here,” the woman with us said in a low voice, looking around. “Oh, darn it. I've completely forgotten!”  
“We need to battle them, or we're dead!” Courtney screamed.  
Our Pokemon! I realized, looking down at the Poke Ball that I still held in my right hand. Of course! I almost forgot! I closed my eyes and ran past my group, groaning loudly as I forced myself forward. My eyes shot open and I turned around to face the three girls and the Vigoroth as I continued to run, backwards, now.  
The new woman, Courtney, June, and Whimsicott all gasped in shock.  
I nodded at them confidently. “Alright! I'm counting on you!” I pulled my arm back and glanced at my belt, recognizing which Poke Ball I had grabbed. “Excadrill, it's up to you to help us out, now! GO!” I threw his Poke Ball as the Vigoroth all roared again, their claws beginning to enclose on June’s shoulders, Courtney’s neck, and the other woman’s head.  
Excadrill’s Poke Ball spun rapidly through the air at the oncoming foes.  
The Vigoroth closest to my Poke Ball pulled back a claw…  
…with a wide mouth and a powerful grunt…  
…he clawed at my Poke Ball…  
…and my Poke Ball came flying back at me!  
I caught it in my hands, shocked, and I stumbled and tripped to ground, landing hard on my backside, sliding to a stop. I could no longer breathe, my heart filling my throat, beating painfully inside of it. I tried swallowing, but it only made me feel like throwing up.  
Whimsicott, the woman, June, and Courtney ran right past me, screaming for their lives, the Vigoroth right behind them.  
Several of the oncoming Pokemon turned their eyes hungrily to me, the rest of them keeping their eyes focused on their still running prey.  
I gripped my Excadrill's Poke Ball in my hand and turned slightly on the ground as if protecting the Pokemon inside of it, knowing this was the end for me.  
“Yes! There you are!” I heard the woman shout.   
I heard Courtney cry out.  
June’s scream followed.  
I shouted out, surprised as I was suddenly yanked by my jacket to my feet and pulled to the side at the very last second, the Vigoroth storming past me.  
“HELP US!!” the woman shrieked.  
An incredible roar made every muscle in my body go limp with fear and I let out a petrified scream as I was thrown to the ground.  
“Stay down, kid!” the woman said, shoving my face into the dirt.  
I choked and coughed as my nose and mouth were once again lined with the filth.  
Louder roars than what were from the Vigoroth erupted.  
I covered the back of my head, trembling out of fear from the new roars that shook me down to my soul and left me paralyzed.   
“A collection of Slaking!” Courtney screamed from close by.  
I forced my head against the woman pushing me down and I turned around to see what was going on. My eyes widened, stunned by the sight I was seeing, but I couldn't even begin to speak.  
There were several colossal Pokemon in the area, all resembling gorillas of some sort, extremely muscular and ugly looking, and perhaps half of them had their mouths wide, roaring terrifyingly at the Vigoroth while the other half of the pack of Slaking were laying down on their sides, watching calmly.  
The Vigoroth let out fearful cries, wearing terrified looks on their previously ferocious faces, and turned away immediately, running away from the roaring Slaking.  
The Slaking that had been roaring then sprawled out lazily on the ground and the Pokemon who were laying down stood up and flexed their arms angrily as they all gazed up into the sky.  
It was what the Slaking were staring at in the skies that now held my attention.  
“That Pokemon!” June exclaimed from somewhere to my left.  
“I've never seen that around these parts!” the woman called, pointing at the bird in the sky.  
“No freaking way!” I couldn't take my eyes off of it, completely ignoring the fleeing Vigoroth.  
Archeops. The First Bird Pokemon. This is Archen's evolved form. This creature is better at running than it is at flying, able to even outspeed an automobile. This species is omnivorous.

Slaking. The Lazy Pokemon. The evolution of Vigoroth. While considered the laziest of all Pokemon, while lazing about, it is storing energy to deliver powerful blows when it has to. This ability to laze about can be useful in recovering its energy as well.

“Archeops…” I whispered, more interested in this Pokemon than anything else. It looked just like one of the ancient Pokemon that had been released from Twist Mountain by the people claiming to be from Team Solace.  
“Wait! Isn't that one of those Pokemon from the mountain? The one from-?” Courtney spoke out.  
The Slaking who were raging at the Archeops from the ground all opened their mouths wide and sent out several large, white beams of energy at the Archeops.  
Archeops let out a sharp cry and dodged the Hyper Beams firing from the Slaking.  
The attacking Slaking then all sprawled on their backs and the resting Slaking got to their feet, proceeding to attack with Hyper Beam at the Archeops.  
Archeops dodged several of the blasts, but one beam caught it in the stomach, and the next attack hit it in the wing. As it cried out helplessly, spiraling down, one last Hyper Beam caught in directly in the face, and it was silenced as it tumbled down fast, head over heels.  
“Archeops, no!” I scrambled away from the female stranger, her Pokemon, and my two friends, and ran after the falling bird.  
“Slaking, stop! That's enough! Please!” the woman begged to the brutal group of Slaking.  
“Gary, what are you doing?” June yelled out to me.  
I don't know! I shouted in my head, running towards the dropping bird Pokemon. I hadn't even been able to think. My body was acting on its own.   
Before I had accepted that my right hand was moving by my waist…  
Before I had understood that my right hand was digging into my pocket…  
Before I knew that my arm had pulled itself back and flew forward, releasing the content in my hand…  
Archeops was dead weight, ready to collide painfully to the ground.  
I let out a determined grunt.  
A small red and white object flew through the air, spiraling at the Pokemon that was heading for a terrible landing.  
A Poke Ball? I gasped silently, my eyes widening in realization. Huh?  
The Poke Ball slammed into the fainted Pokemon's stomach and opened, sucking the creature in with a red beam.  
I reached the Poke Ball as dropped right into my outstretched hands.  
The Poke Ball shook in my hands, the red light glowing in the middle of it.  
It shook again.  
PING!  
My breath came out in a surprise cry. What just happened? I wondered.  
The Poke Ball started to glow white, and in seconds, it vanished from my palms.  
I stared at my empty palms in shock and confusion, unsure of what had just happened, although a strong feeling of understanding was surging throughout my body. It was a feeling I wasn't ready to accept or believe. I wasn't even sure I was comprehending the feeling accurately. There was no way…  
I didn't see anything but the palms of my hands.  
I didn't hear anything.  
Time was frozen completely still.  
All other life on Earth had ceased to exist.  
There was no longer even an Earth.  
I was existing in an entirely new dimension where all of my senses were no longer a part of me.   
There was no time, space, or even consciousness.   
It was as if the only thing that existed was the feeling of accepting what was.  
“This tree isn't from this forest.”  
I gasped loudly and turned around, surprised by the voice that had removed me from my mysterious plane of existence.  
The woman who was with us was staring at a tree that stood out drastically amongst the other trees around it.   
This tree's trunk was a lighter shade of brown, and the branches were extremely curly. Several pear-like fruit sat on the branches.   
Courtney had her eyes on me, fear showing in them. She stood the closest to me out of everyone.  
June was watching the woman near the tree.  
Whimsicott stood near the woman's legs, looking up curiously at the tree.  
The Slaking were all lying on their backs on the ground, most of them sleeping and snoring strongly, the rest looking at us with little interest in their eyes, resting their heads on one hand that was propped up with their elbows.  
The woman rubbed the tree trunk gently and turned around, shaking her head. She stared at June, and then turned to me, glanced at Courtney, and finally looked down at Whimsicott and smiled. “Definitely not a tree we've seen before, right?”  
“Whimsicott!” The Pokemon nodded quickly, not returning the lady's smile.  
The lady looked up at the three of us and nodded, her smile shortening. She raised a hand and smacked the trunk of the unique tree, keeping her palm against it. “Well, it seems that this tree is not from this forest, but has arrived here in the past day or so under mysterious circumstances. You kids stay safe and get out of this forest, okay? Verdew Town is right up ahead. I'm gonna head on, myself, and come back later to study this strange phenomenon. Be careful!” She smiled and turned to the Slaking. “Take care, Slaking! And thanks for the help! Say hi to the Vigoroth for me!” The woman waved at the Slaking, her Whimsicott smiling at the Pokemon.  
The Slaking who were actually awake looked at her lazily and grunted.  
The woman and the Whimsicott then glanced at the tree. Whimsicott inhaled deeply and let out a powerful gust of wind, and the Pokemon and its Trainer were gone, running at lightning speed away from us.  
A strong wind blew around Courtney, me, and June, tossing up leaves and dirt at us, causing me to close my eyes momentarily until the wind died down. We then faced each other.  
“That was Gramma!” Courtney blurted out.  
“Grandma? What do you mean?” June asked. “That was your grandmother? She couldn’t be older than twenty-five!”  
Courtney burst out laughing. “No, not my grandma! The Gramma! The Verdew Town Grass type Gym Leader!”  
“That was her? Are you sure?” June questioned.  
“I’ve never seen her before, but she said she was Gramma!” Courtney was getting excited now. “I think that was definitely her! She even has Grass type Pokemon! Whimsicott and Parasect!”  
“Well, I’m sure plenty of people own Grass types,” June smiled at Courtney. “Gramma isn’t her real name, is it?”  
“No, it’s a nickname the people in town gave her. I think it’s because they say she has a bad memory or something, ha ha. Oh, come on, let’s just get out of here! I have to find out if she’s really Gramma!” Courtney immediately took off after the direction the lady and her Whimsicott blew off to.  
June and I traded looks.   
I shrugged and sighed. “Let’s go.”  
June turned to the tree the woman had been looking at.  
“Come on, Gary! June. Let's follow after her!” Courtney called back to us, not stopping. “I'm sick of being lost. We're this close to finally accessing a real town!”  
I nodded and ran after her, leaving June behind. I stopped quickly as I felt a wet feeling near the top of my legs, and my eyes squinted down at my jeans. I wiggled my legs a little bit. Huh? I grabbed at my jeans legs, rubbing up them briefly before I removed my hands in a shocked gasp at the wetness. I sniffed my hands for a moment before pulling them away from my face in disgust. Urine? I realized. No! How? When? Why? I’m thirteen?! When did this happen? My eyes widened as I remembered the Slaking using their terrifying Roar attack on the Vigoroth to scare them away, and how it had shaken me up so badly, it made me lose control of my entire body for a moment, causing me to go limp with fear. My face started to burn with embarrassment. I turned to June quickly, hoping she wasn’t watching me, and to my relief, she was still staring at the strange tree. “June?” I called out to her.  
“Hm?” she murmured, not moving.   
I turned to Courtney, who was quickly getting further away from us, and then I looked back at June. Nobody noticed, I thought gratefully. I gave one last glance at the Slaking.  
They now were all fast asleep, snoring loudly.  
I started to run quickly after Courtney. The wet feeling in my jeans was quite disturbing, but I kept a straight face and ignored it as best as I could. “June, come on!” I called, looking back.  
“Huh?” June shook her head hard and turned to me, surprise on her face. “Oh! Hey! Wait a minute! Don't leave me!” She looked behind her at the sleeping Slaking and gave them a smile. “Thank you for all your help, Slaking!” June quickly looked through the trees around her, her smile fading, and then she gave the bizarre tree one last glance before running after me.  
The rest of the trees in the area looked normal, nothing like the odd tree that had captivated June, the lady, and her Whimsicott.  
The three of us looked curiously around us as we traveled quickly through the woods, this time led by Courtney. “Hey, look! That must be Verdew Town! Oh, yay!” Courtney pointed and then charged forward.  
I smiled and took a quick stroll after her, June letting out a satisfied grunt at what was before us.  
From atop the hill we were on, I could see a large town. Most of the buildings within it seemed to be houses from what I could see, but a couple of buildings were noticeably taller than the others and could have served other purposes.  
“I spy a Pokemon Center!” Courtney started to run faster.  
“Yeah? Excellent!” I chased after her, running downhill, scanning the town excitedly. I can change my clothes as soon as we get there, I thought eagerly.  
“It took us long enough!” June ran after us.  
Courtney proved to be the most excited of the three of us as she continued to lead us downhill, finally speeding forward through the flat, grass covered land of the town, tearing past a sign that I could barely read as I tried to keep up with her, spotting the words Verdew Town on it at the last second before I ran past. She ran down an established path, continuing straight ahead as the path offered a turn to her left.  
The buildings on either side of us were two-story houses made of either red or white bricks. The houses all had small, white fences and flourishing gardens out front. One house in particular was three-stories high and was made of red, blue, and green bricks. The fence was the tallest I had seen of any of the houses and was painted yellow, the front garden containing the tallest, healthiest vegetation and plant life of anything I may have ever seen in anyone's garden in my life.   
Even my neighbor from Pallet Town, Mrs. Ketchum, who was quite proud of the exquisite care she took in her garden, had competition with what I had just run past.  
The grassy path suggested a new direction to Courtney's right, and she took it, charging straight through, and me and June followed her.  
Courtney ran past a few more houses before stopping in front of a building made of a mix of red and pink bricks, a pink 'P' on the top of the building.  
Yes! A Pokemon Center! I thought, following Courtney inside. The wet feeling in my jeans had gone on long enough and was continually grossing me out the longer I had to secretly tolerate it.  
The inside of the building only held a Nurse Joy and Audino behind a counter. There sat a few phone booths that I knew I would be using really soon, and some benches and chairs near tables.  
We all approached Nurse Joy.  
“Hello!” I said to her happily.  
“It's so great to see you, Nurse Joy!” Courtney said, clasping her hands together in front of her.  
“Hi, Nurse Joy!” June waved. “And, of course, Audino!”  
“Hey,” Nurse Joy said nonchalantly, a bored look on her face. Her head sat in her open palm, her elbow on the counter. “You need something or what?”  
Her Audino stood with both of its elbows on the counter, its head in its palms, staring at us with absolutely no interest.  
Our three pairs of eyes widened and we exchanged glances before turning back to Nurse Joy.  
“We just need a basic checkup and some food for our Pokemon, pretty much,” I told her.  
“Sure, fine, whatever,” Nurse Joy replied. “Leave your Poke Balls on the counter. Me and her will check 'em later.”  
Audino yawned, covering its mouth with its hand briefly before returning it to its cheek.  
We stared at the two in shock.   
What kind of attitude is that for a Nurse Joy and an Audino to have? I wondered. Are they serious? Do we have a choice? Hesitantly, I placed my six Poke Balls on the counter.  
June set her bag on the counter and unzipped it, digging through it for a moment before she found her five Poke Balls and placed them on the counter.  
Courtney was the last to set her six Poke Balls on the counter.  
Nurse Joy yawned, and with a roll of her eyes and a frustrated sigh, she scooped up several of the Poke Balls.  
Her Audino lazily scooped up the rest.  
The two walked away from the counter and stopped in front of the electronic back doors. They opened and the two walked through them, disappearing from view as the doors closed shut.  
I let out my breath in a relieved sigh. Now that our Pokemon are getting the help they need, I just need to get to the bathroom and out of these jeans, I told myself.  
“So, this is where you two are gonna battle the Grass type Gym Leader,” June said to Courtney and I.  
“If that lady was really Gramma, then that must have been her Whimsicott,” Courtney noted. “Ha! You better take that Sun Stone now, Gary.” She smiled at me warmly.  
Sighing, I lowered my eyes to my jeans, desperate to get out of them, unconcerned with what Courtney was talking about at the moment.  
“Wow! Green hair! How pretty was she?” Courtney gushed, making me look up at her again.   
“She seemed nice, and really helpful,” June acknowledged. “If she wasn't so close with those Slaking that saved us from those Vigoroth, things could have ended entirely different.”  
“But why were those things chasing us to begin with?” I asked.  
“Because they're Vigoroth, Sugar Lumps,” Courtney smiled sweetly, placing her hands on her hips. “They originate from Hoenn and have nasty attitudes at all times. They're pretty bad-ass but can be tamed by skilled Trainers.”  
“They seemed to be pretty stressed out to begin with,” June said thoughtfully, frowning at the floor. “But after using that Spore attack on them, they went berserk! They seemed to be filled with pure rage, but without any real purpose. It was kind of like they were releasing their energy, but getting no relief.”  
“Well, you see, hon, Vigoroth are a species of Pokemon that are overflowing with too much energy,” Courtney explained to June with a smug smile. “Their hearts beat at a tenfold tempo, and they get absolutely no sleep unless they spend the entire day running around and burning off all that energy they have. If a Vigoroth dares to try to go to sleep without getting rid of a sufficient amount of energy, or if someone actually attempts putting one to Sleep, the blood in their veins becomes irritated and they go completely mad and rampage. Even in their sleep, they can be very dangerous because they can often times be very violent sleepwalkers and destroy things. If Vigoroth aren’t able to move at all times, their stress rises and they can become very ill.”   
June’s face went red as she stared stunned at Courtney.  
That was like listening to a Pokedex, I thought as I stared at Courtney, impressed.  
“I really don’t think you should be running around claiming to be able to speak Pokemon language, sweetie pie,” Courtney laughed lightly. “From what I’ve seen, the more you do, the more embarrassing it gets for you.” Her body began to shiver with restrained laughter as she closed her eyes and lowered her head, a smirk on her face.  
My eyes widened nervously.  
June scowled, her face getting even redder.   
I better think up a way to break this one up, I realized. What is it with these two?  
“Courtney, you listen to me, okay? I-” June started angrily.  
“Say, I caught an Archeops!” I shouted over her.  
Both girls turned to me and gasped.  
“That's right!” June's anger was quickly forgotten and was replaced with shock, the red leaving her face. “That's an extinct Pokemon, Gary! That's a really rare catch!”  
“Ha! I have to call Prof. Oak! I wish I could see his face right now! He's probably in more shock right now than my Porygon-Z ever gave him!” I ran to one of the phone booths.  
“Porygon-Z?! Wait a minute!” Courtney shouted. “No way!”  
June muttered something I couldn't make out.  
“That's right,” I laughed as I took my seat. The wetness in the lap of my jeans startled me for a moment, making me jump, but I was too excited to give a damn about that and I lifted the warm, plastic receiver to my ear. “Maybe I'll let you meet it!” I dialed the professor's number and then turned to Courtney. “Say, do you own a Porygon-Z?”  
The phone rang in my ear.  
June turned to Courtney with an amused smirk.  
The phone rang again.  
Courtney stared at me coolly before turning to June and then looking back at me.  
The phone continued ringing.  
“Of course I do!” Courtney smiled. “When I said I have all Pokemon but the Legends and some in Unova, I meant it, ha ha ha!”  
The phone rang again.  
June rolled her eyes but didn't make a sound.  
I smiled and nodded at Courtney, and then opened my mouth to say something to her.  
“Hello?” the exhausted voice of Prof. Oak spoke through the receiver in my ear.


	47. Stress Comes In Threes

“Professor Oak!” I beamed at him through the video screen.   
Professor Oak smiled at me wearily through the other side of the screen. “Ah, Gary, my boy! Good to see you!” He looked exhausted. His face held dark bags under his eyes, a darker version of the old, wrinkly skin around it.   
I wondered just how old the professor actually was as I wore my excited, eager smile. “Hey, sir!” Stretched to the limit, my mouth broadened even wider.  
Professor Oak seemed to be struggling just to smile as it faded slightly from his face but returned again. “I'll bet I know why you're smiling,” Prof. Oak chuckled.  
I laughed happily. “So, what do you think?” I asked him.  
“Well, the Sawk you sent me was just great, but when the Archeops arrived, well, it was just simply unheard of!” Prof. Oak’s voice got louder with excitement, his eyes lighting up, life seeming to return to his body.  
“Sawk? I sent you a Sawk?!”  
“Yes. It was sent to me about a week before Archeops,” Prof. Oak nodded.   
“Sawk…” I mumbled, thinking hard. I caught Archeops, and before that, my last caught Pokemon was… um… Tympole… I didn’t capture anything after… “Row!” I burst out. Row gave me a Sawk? I pondered, remembering when the Fighting type Gym Leader tossed me a Poke Ball after I had defeated him in our Pokemon battle. Why did he give me a Sawk? I gasped as I remembered the Sawk that Row had captured while on Scrafty Walk.  
Row and a wild Sawk had saved June and I from the rogue Scrafty on the mountaintop, and then Row had proceeded to capture the Sawk.  
Is that the same Sawk? I wondered. Why would he give me that?  
“Are you alright, Gary?” Prof. Oak asked.  
I shook my head and looked into his dark eyes. “I’m okay,” I managed to smile. “Sorry. I was given that Sawk by a Gym Leader, but I don’t know why. I wasn’t even told what Pokemon it was. I guess he gave me a Sawk!”  
“Hmmmm. I see,” Prof. Oak nodded, rubbing his chin. “Well, either way, these are both some great Pokemon. I know I wanted you to capture more Pokemon, but to think, an Archeops! This is simply astounding! What a discovery! How did you come across this rare find?”  
My mouth hung open in the air and I paused, staring at Prof. Oak's face through the screen. I recalled the group of extinct Pokemon escaping from the hole in the cave wall of Twist Mountain. Shaking my head, I stared solemnly at Prof. Oak. “Well, we found it wild near Verdew Town, where I'm at right now.”  
“In the wild?” Prof. Oak questioned. “It's not unheard of to find Fossil Pokemon in the wild, but it's not common. My research will definitely benefit with this Pokemon. I want to run some tests on this Pokemon if you don't plan on using it.”  
“Oh, well, sure. I guess,” I said uncertainly. To be honest, I had wanted to use Archeops. It's a freaking ancient Pokemon! I wanted to see it again! I wanted to touch it! I wanted to use it in battles and beat trainers with it! Though my promise had been to capture every last Pokemon in existence, I was so taken aback by the fact that I had actually managed to capture a Fossil Pokemon! “Can I see it at least?”  
“Well, I would like to allow for that, but that's a bit difficult to accomplish at the moment,” Prof. Oak answered with a tired sigh.  
“Why's that?”  
“Well, almost immediately after letting Archeops out of its Poke Ball, the Pokemon became very violent and erratic and flew about the lab in a fury. It's very confused and upset right now. Capturing an ancient Pokemon is very dangerous as its settings have to be very precise and comfortable for it, duplicating its original environment from how it used to be before the species was extinct in the first place. If their place of settling is disrupted in the slightest, it can lead to a deadly situation for both the Pokemon and whatever has upset it.”  
“Is Archeops okay?” I asked urgently.  
“It has smashed quite a lot of things in my mansion,” Prof. Oak told me seriously. “Furniture, a couple of pieces of equipment, and destroyed a couple of walls, but, thanks to Tracey, all is well. I'm really getting quite old these days. Without Tracey, that thing would still be rampaging right now. I wonder how many more years I can keep this up.” Prof. Oak laughed and then coughed strongly. “Archeops is now outside with Tracey. I was out there with them when you called me.”  
“Sorry it's been so much trouble for you and Prof. Sketchit,” I apologized. “I guess we should be delicate with it for now before transferring it or anything, huh?”  
“Yes. Transferring it right now is not the best idea,” Prof. Oak said, coughing lightly. “Not only might it be too dangerous for you to handle right now, but the transferring process itself might harm the Pokemon. We need to be very gentle with this Pokemon.”  
“Alright, then, how about we make a couple of trades for some of my other Pokemon, instead?” I suggested.  
“That's a fine idea,” Prof. Oak nodded, smiling, and he wiped at his right eye. “Who would you like to receive?”

*

“Would you look at this building?!” Courtney squealed, her hands clasped in front of her face as she bounced on her toes. “This is the most beautiful Gym on the entire planet!! Let's go battle Gramma!” She ran towards the building in excitement.  
I looked up at the towering building one more time.  
The Gym was taller than the rest of the buildings in the entire town that I’d seen so far. It was made of wooden beams, unlike the bricks of the other buildings, and was painted in swirls of pink and baby blue, several different kinds of colorful flowers painted all over it. It looked as if a class of kindergarteners with paint had their way with the outside of the building, but were actually pretty good artists. The roof was light green.  
I turned to look at the collection of amazing flowers and fruits and vegetables growing in front of the building, lining the path June and I were taking as we hurried after Courtney. My eyes were soon glued warily on a couple of large bumblebees that were floating near a few enormous sunflowers.  
Verdew Town Pokemon Gym was written in fancy, beautiful script in green letters on a large piece of white paper that was stuck to a wooden sign by the flowers.  
Courtney stopped in front of the door and pressed a small, white button.  
A gentle piano tune played, and I smiled at the beautiful sound. I loved pianos. They were my favorite instrument! I even knew a small piece of music by Bay Toven for a very short time, taught to me by my mom, until we got into an argument over something so small, I can't even remember what it was, and my lessons ended there. I wiggled my legs a little bit and smiled, looking down at my clean, urine free jeans, relieved to be in a clean pair.  
“That sounds so pretty!” June said gently, smiling with her eyes closed.  
“This is the best Gym in the whole world!” Courtney clapped her hands impatiently with a smile as she waited for the door to open.  
Her wish was soon granted as the door in front of her opened and a warm smile spread across the familiar face of a young woman. “Hello, kids!”  
“It's you!” Courtney shouted with delight, smiling brighter than the sun. “Are you really Gramma? The Gym Leader of Verdew Town?”  
“Yes, I am! Are you three kids here to challenge me to a Pokemon battle for the Flower Badge?” Gramma inquired happily.  
“Whimsicott?” Whimsicott appeared from the inside of the building and stood beside its Trainer, looking up at us curiously. “Whimsicott!” it smiled at us knowingly.  
“The Flower Badge??” Courtney squealed. “Oh, my gosh, how cute!! Yes, please!!” She then looked down at the Pokemon by its Trainers legs. “Hey, you! Nice to see you again!”  
“Whimsicott! Whimsicott!” it waved to her with one appendage.  
The deep smell of a variety of flowers and dirt reached my nose and I sniffed lightly, staring at Gramma. Smells like a garden, I thought to myself as I sniffed harder. Is that the inside of her Gym? Is it her? Is it her garden?  
“Oh? You two know each other, do you?” Gramma looked down at Whimsicott in confusion.  
“Huh?” Courtney looked up at Gramma, confusion on her own face.  
“Whimsicott…” Whimsicott closed its eyes and raised one hand to its face as it shook its head.  
“Of course she knows us,” June said, raising an eyebrow. “She helped us all against those Vigoroth in the forest! Remember?”  
“Vigoroth?” Gramma turned to June. “What Vigoroth?”  
“The ones that were chasing us all back there in the forest!” June cried. “You were there with us! Don't you remember?”  
“When was this?” Gramma ran her hand through her green hair that was tied back in a ponytail.  
June turned to me and Courtney, giving us a crazy look.  
“Oh, my.” Courtney covered her mouth and started to giggle.  
“Um, Gramma?” I spoke up.  
“Yes?” Gramma answered me.  
“You, your Whimsicott, and the three of us were in the woods getting chased by a pack of Vigoroth, and you lead us to the Slaking in the area and they scared them all off. And we saw that-”  
“OH! The Slaking! Yes! I remember you three now!” Gramma laughed with joy. “You three kids got out of there safely, thank goodness. And you just reminded me that I need to head back to that forest to check on that tree that was there! That thing was so bizarre! And that Aerodactyl that was there, too. I'll bet there's a connection.” Gramma winked at us. “You kids care to come with me?”  
“Aerodactyl?” Courtney said slowly.  
“There was an Archeops there, but not an Aerodactyl, Miss,” I told Gramma weakly.  
“Oh, ha ha ha! I knew it was one of those flying Pokemon!” She laughed again.  
“And, we don't mean to interrupt anything, but, we did say we wanted to battle you for your Badge,” I mentioned.  
“Haaaa! That's right! You three did just say that!”  
Whimsicott sighed and lowered her head, shaking it wearily.  
Gramma pushed open the door wider and stepped back. “Please! Come on in and let’s have us a Pokemon battle!”  
The three of us walked past Gramma and Whimsicott and into the building.  
As I walked past Gramma, my eyes widened as the smell of flowers grew even stronger, and I looked into her green eyes, realizing that the scent was coming from her!  
It was bare inside of the Gym, containing nothing but a battlefield outlined in white paint, the paint chipped and wearing away. A few doors stood closed and there was a window on each wall, but other than that, it was dusty and empty.  
“Kind of bland,” I commented.  
“Hey!” Courtney shoved me lightly, scowling.  
“I don't really care much for this Gym,” Gramma admitted. “I'm more into the front and backyard where I grow the flowers and fruits and vegetables! I just love plant life. I have a beautiful house in this town with a similar garden. I take great pride in my babies and give them all the love they need and deserve. There's no price too high, no time too long, and no task too dire when it comes to my children.”  
So, she's one of those people, I thought in dismay.  
Gramma and Whimsicott walked over to one side of the battlefield, smiling happily. “So, who's first?”  
Courtney, June, and I turned to each other.  
“Um, I'm actually not battling!” June called out to her. “I'm just here to watch, basically. These two are actually your challengers.”  
“Oh? Alright, then. Which of you two are going first?”  
Courtney jetted forward and waved a Poke Ball in the air. “Me! Me! Me! Me! Me!”  
Gramma laughed at Courtney's eagerness. “Now, that's energy! I like it! How about a one-on-one Pokemon battle?”  
“Just one-on-one?” Courtney asked, surprised, lowering her hand.  
“Yeah,” Gramma nodded. “All of those two-on-two and three-on-three things confuse me. Let's just make this one sweet and simple. Is that okay?”   
“Whatever you want, Gramma!” Courtney agreed, nodding eagerly. “One-on-one!”  
“Okay! Whimsicott, let's battle!” Gramma pointed.  
“Whimsicott!” Whimsicott jumped to her spot on the battlefield.  
“Okay, then I'm going with Sceptile!” Courtney put her Poke Ball back on her belt and grabbed a different one, throwing it quickly.  
“Sceptiiile!” Sceptile cried out.  
So Courtney's using her Sceptile, I saw. I had seen her Sceptile before during our breakfast, lunch, and dinner breaks traveling together, and she had confirmed that it was the same Treeko I had battled back in Kanto when we were competing in a competition together. I had also gotten to see her Alomomola, Maractus, Swanna, Cubchoo, and Crustle.  
“Hey, where's the judge?” June inquired, looking around.  
Gramma smiled at June and shrugged her shoulders. “To be honest, I have no idea. I've tried calling her up several times, just to spend some time together, you know? She's a childhood friend of mine. But she never answers her phone. I keep forgetting to pay her a visit to make sure she's alright. Haven't seen her in a couple of months. I'm sure I can judge a match just fine, myself.”  
“Well, I used to be a Gym Leader in the Kanto region. How about if I judge the battle?” June offered.  
“Such a pretty, young lady as yourself was a Gym Leader?” Gramma asked. “Well, please! In that case, go right ahead!”  
“Yay!” June clapped her hands and ran to the side of the battlefield.  
Courtney grunted as she stared at June from the corner of her eye.  
“This will be a one-on-one Pokemon battle between Verdew Town Pokemon Gym Leader, Gramma, and Courtney from… somewhere in the Hoenn region,” June smiled at both girls.  
“I'm from LaRousse City, although we did later move to Oldale Town, which was quite different,” Courtney said haughtily, placing her hands on her hips. “LaRousse City is beautiful, technologically advanced, and has everything a girl could want. Malls, fancy restaurants, it’s surrounded by the ocean, and has an enormous Battle Tower! Oldale Town is like, Dead Town. There's nothing to do there. The only good thing about that town was meeting my boyfriend, Andrew. He was in the area, and the moment I first saw him, I just couldn’t take my eyes off of him! It was love at first sight for the both of us. I just couldn’t believe it! We talked and I followed him to Petalburg City, where he lives. Oh, I miss my Andrew so much. He's the absolute most sweetest, loving, handsome, car-”  
“So, anyway, it's Courtney versus Gramma, for the Flower Badge,” June interrupted impatiently. “One-on-one. No time limit. Begin!”  
“You may have the first move,” Gramma smiled and nodded at Courtney.  
“Thank you! Oh, this is gonna be fantastic! Grass types are my favorite type of Pokemon!” Courtney was jumping repeatedly in the air.  
“Really? Me, too!” Gramma's voice held immense pleasure.  
Well, duh, I thought to myself, staring at the Gym Leader.  
“Aren't they amazing? They're so elegant, strong, and some are just the most beautiful things this planet holds!” Courtney went on.  
“And they're also gentle, fragile, and need so much attention and care,” Gramma continued. “I've dedicated my entire life to them. Nothing means more to me than my precious Grass type Pokemon and the plants and fruits and vegetables I grow! I love them with my life! In my will, I have them all entrusted to the care of my-”  
“Can we get this battle started already?” I shouted impatiently, crossing my arms.  
“Oh, right! We are battling!” Gramma laughed. “Sorry about that!”  
Courtney glared at me before turning back to Gramma. “It's fine. Gary's just being rude.”  
“Gary just wants to get his seventh Badge, thanks,” I snapped.  
“Well, you should have been a bit more determined, like I was,” Courtney smiled, turning back to me. “I got my Badges pretty quick. Only took me about six months to win my eight Badges.”  
Six months? I thought, silenced, my eyes wide.  
I caught June shaking her head and rolling her eyes, her lips twisting in an expression of disbelief.  
“Wow! Six months is amazing!” Gramma congratulated Courtney. “Good job! I bet you're going to do great at the Pokemon League.”  
“Thanks, Gramma! I hope so!” Courtney blushed.  
“We'll never even get there if this battle doesn't happen already!” I yelled.  
Courtney squinted her eyes at me before looking away again.  
“Whoops! You're absolutely right!” Gramma agreed, smiling at me before turning to Courtney. “Courtney, you go first!”  
Courtney smiled back at Gramma and gave her a nod. “Okay! Sceptile, begin this battle with your Screech attack!”  
“Sceeeeep-tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiilllllle!!!!!” A piercing screech escaped Sceptile's mouth, knocking over Whimsicott.  
I screamed and covered my throbbing ears. It was louder than any Screech attack I had ever heard in my life. I was deafened, my eyes watering as I shut them tight.  
“Now use your Acrobatics, go!” Courtney shouted.  
I looked up at Courtney, blinking away the tears that were clouding my vision.  
She didn't seem to be fazed by the Screech attack, standing her ground, although Gramma, June, and Whimsicott were all still holding their ears, their faces scrunched up in pain.  
Sceptile ran forward and knocked over Whimsicott, charging back and forth so fast, afterimages of itself were right behind it.  
“Whimsicott,” Whimsicott groaned as she got back to her feet and shook her head.  
“Not bad!” Gramma said happily, rubbing her temples. “Now, it's our turn! Use Hurricane, now!”  
Whimsicott inhaled deeply and her cotton-like substance glowed light blue. She exhaled and created a powerful wind that blew around the Gym.  
June cried out as she stumbled back against the powerful attack, and I blocked my face with my arms as I bent my knees, struggling to keep my footing.  
“Sceptile!” Sceptile was caught in a huge tornado of wind as it was lifted into the air and spun around helplessly, shouting out for help.  
“Sceptile, hang in there!” Courtney urged her Pokemon.  
The Hurricane ended and Sceptile was dropped to the floor. It breathed heavily as it got back to its feet.  
“Sceptile, another Acrobatics should do it!” Courtney said strongly.  
“Cotton Guard!” Gramma ordered.  
Sceptile ran quickly at Whimsicott.  
Whimsicott's cotton puffed out drastically and covered her entire body. She stumbled back a couple of short feet as Sceptile attacked her repeatedly with Acrobatics, but when Sceptile finished, Whimsicott cried out from inside of the cotton, seeming just fine.  
“Oh, that's clever,” Courtney nodded, smiling at Gramma.  
“Thank you, dear! How about this? Toxic, now!”  
Courtney gasped. “Sceptile, dodge that!”  
A stream of purple liquid squirted out from the cotton surrounding Whimsicott and splashed onto Sceptile's face.  
“Sceeep! Sceptile!!” Sceptile screamed as it wiped frantically at its face. The purple liquid disappeared into the Pokemon's skin, and its face flushed purple. Groaning, it dropped to its knees.  
“Sceptile, don't give in!! You can do it!!” Courtney called to Sceptile. “Please!! Get up, Sceptile!! Try using your Swords Dance attack! We have to make up for the Defense Whimsicott boosted by using Cotton Guard!”  
Sceptile got to its feet, shaking its head hard, glaring at Whimsicott. “Sceptile…” it growled. The blades on its arms glowed purple and it swiped strongly into the air towards Whimsicott.  
“Cotton Guard!” Gramma instructed her Pokemon.  
Whimsicott's cotton increased, expanding even wider around her body.  
“Do it again, Sceptile!” Courtney demanded.  
Sceptile groaned in pain from the Poison, but used its Swords Dance once again.  
“Spore attack! Let's stop it now and put it to Sleep, then finish it off with Dream Eater!” Gramma pointed at Sceptile.  
“Whimsicott...” Whimsicott hesitated, and then she closed her eyes and her body shivered as she sprinkled a golden powder from the cotton around her body.  
Sceptile flinched in pain from the Poison as it stopped using Swords Dance, and it looked around it as the Spore attack landed on it.  
“Spore…” Courtney muttered in a low voice. “Spore?” Courtney said louder. “I don't get it…”  
“Scept?” Sceptile looked around, confused.  
“Whimsicott!” Whimsicott spoke up.  
“Hmm. Swords Dance again!” Courtney shouted.  
“Sceptile…” Scepetile groaned weakly but used another Swords Dance, maxing its Attack.  
“What? Spore didn't work? What happened?” Gramma gasped.  
“You mean, that wasn't a part of some kind of tactic?” Courtney asked with disappointment. “You did that move on purpose not knowing it wouldn't work?”  
“Why doesn't it work?” Gramma cocked her head at Courtney.  
Courtney’s mouth hung open a bit for a moment as she stared silently at Gramma. She then blinked a couple of times. “To begin with... Whimsicott doesn’t even learn Spore...” Courtney informed her. “It just used Stun Spore. Also, Spore, and all powder-based moves like that don’t work on Grass types, Gramma.”  
“Oh! That's right!” Gramma laughed. “Grass types have been building an immunity to powder-based moves for years! Where is my head at? Ha ha ha! Well, in that case, how about we use Charm attack to cut down that Sceptile's Attack?”  
“Whimsicooooooott!” Whimsicott sang out at Sceptile, shivering her body inside of the cotton around her.  
“Sceptile, Detect, now!”  
Sceptile's eyes glowed light blue and it glared at Whimsicott.  
“Whimsicott!” Whimsicott shouted angrily as her attack ended without affecting Sceptile.  
Sceptile's eyes stopped glowing.  
“Not bad!” Gramma acknowledged to Courtney.  
“And neither is this,” Courtney winked. “Iron Tail!”  
Sceptile's tail hardened and turned to iron as it ran towards Whimsicott. It leaped in the air and whipped Whimsicott with the Steel move.  
Whimsicott cried out painfully as she soared through the air. She bounced along the floor and came to a stop a couple of feet behind Gramma.  
“Whimsicott! Are you okay?” Gramma spoke sadly.  
The cotton around Whimsicott’s body shrunk back down to its normal size and the Pokemon’s body was visible again, defeat evident on her face.  
“Whimsicott is defeated,” June nodded at Whimsicott. “Sceptile wins!”  
“Haaaaaaaa!!” Courtney shrieked happily. She ran towards her Sceptile and hugged it.  
Sceptile hugged Courtney back, breathing heavily as the Poison continued to wear it out.  
“Sceptile, you did it! Yes! We won the Badge!” Courtney squeezed her Sceptile tightly.  
Her Pokemon's arms released its Trainer, too exhausted to hold on to her any longer, and it sat down wearily on the floor, struggling to breathe.  
“Oh, Sceptile! You make me so happy,” Courtney said as she took off her backpack. She got down to her knees and opened her bag, reaching inside and coming back out with a Berry. “Here, have this.”  
Sceptile opened its mouth and chewed on a piece of the Pecha Berry. The purple on its face disappeared, and it eagerly took the rest of the Berry into its hands and devoured it happily.  
“Now you're looking good!” Courtney laughed.  
“Whimsicott, are you alright?” Gramma asked sadly, kneeling down by her Pokemon. “You take a nice rest, okay? You almost got that Sceptile. Return.” She returned her Whimsicott to her Poke Ball and got to her feet, walking over to Courtney. “Very well done. That Sceptile is certainly very well trained. I can see the love and bond you two have with each other. You have earned the Flower Badge. Congratulations!” Gramma reached up to her tan shirt and removed one of the several yellow and blue colored flower pins attached to it. She held it out to Courtney.  
“Oh!” Courtney gasped, getting to her feet. “These are the Badges! I was going to ask you where you got them from! I wanted to buy one! Oh, my gosh! I won the Flower Badge! Sceptile, we got another one!”  
“Sceptiiile!” Sceptile said happily, standing up as Courtney took the Badge from Gramma.  
“Congrats, Courtney,” I said eagerly, and I looked at Gramma. “It's my turn, now! I want to win a Badge, too!”  
“That's right! It's your turn, now, isn't it?” Gramma walked back to her position on the battlefield.  
Courtney and her Sceptile stepped back, out of my way.  
“So, this will be another one-on-one, okay?” Gramma requested.  
“Um, alright. Sure!” I'll get this Badge in no time at all, in that case, I thought to myself, smirking.  
“This will be a one-on-one battle between Gary, from Kanto's Pallet Town, and Gramma, the Verdew Town Pokemon Gym Leader. This match will be for the Flower Badge! There's no time limit. Begin!”  
“Ok, I choose you, Leavanny!” Gramma threw her Poke Ball.  
“Leavaaaaaaany!” a lanky Pokemon cried.  
Hmm, I thought as I grabbed my Pokedex.  
Leavanny. The Nurturing Pokemon and Swadloon's evolved form. This Pokemon is seen as a parental figure in forests where they live, not only caring for its own eggs with loving care, but they can also be spotted in forests producing silk that it uses to create clothing out of leaves for smaller Pokemon.  
“Grass and Bug! Then I'm going with Unfezant in this match! Go!” I threw his Poke Ball.  
“Feeeezant!” Unfezant cawed down at Leavanny.  
“Gary…” June said, looking at me uncertainly.  
“Don’t worry,” I nodded at her confidently. “Unfezant is just fine, especially for this battle. Right?” I smiled up at Unfezant.  
“Feeeeeeeeeez!” Unfezant nodded at me, turning his head back to look at me.  
June crossed her arms with disapproval as she looked at my Pokemon.  
It’s just a little wound on his tail, I thought. He’s got a bandage on it. We can beat a stupid Bug and Grass type Pokemon, geez. We’ve got too much of a type advantage!  
“Good luck, Sugar Lumps!” Courtney called out to me. I turned to see her blow me a kiss.   
My eyes widened and I turned away quickly. She has a boyfriend, I reminded myself.  
June was shooting me and Courtney a disgusted look, as if something grotesque had just occurred.  
“Okay, okay. I see what's going on,” Gramma nodded, smiling up at my bird Pokemon. “Go on, then. Let's see what you've got!”  
“Unfezant, let's make this quick! Air Slash, now!”  
“Unfezant!” Unfezant's wings glowed light blue as he flapped them and released several light blue, saw disc-like energy at Leavanny.  
“Dodge!” Gramma said quickly.  
Leavanny easily swiveled out of the way of the attacks, not getting hit once.  
“Now use your Swords Dance!”  
Leavanny's arms glowed purple and swung through the air in an elegant sway, boosting its Attack.  
“Unfezant, catch it with Gust! We could knock that Bug out in a hit or two!” I told my Pokemon.  
Unfezant flapped his wings strongly, blowing a powerful gust of wind at Leavanny.  
“Substitute!” Gramma told her Pokemon.  
Leavanny was hit by the Gust, and it vanished into thin air upon contact!  
I growled as I looked around for the real Leavanny.  
“Slash, now!” Gramma called.  
“Leavaaaaanny!” Leavanny appeared behind Unfezant, leaping into the air.  
I blinked in surprise.  
“Unfezant!” Unfezant uttered in shock as he looked behind him and was Slashed. His back flashed white, signifying a Critical Hit. He dropped to the ground, bouncing just once. Shaking his head, he got back up to his talons and flapped his wings, ascending into the air.  
“Wow! Look at Leavanny go!” Courtney cheered behind me.  
I turned my head back and glared at her.  
Courtney eyes widened at me, but she couldn’t stop smiling. She looked down at the floor of the Gym, her cheeks growing pink with embarrassment.   
“Okay, now, umm…” Gramma looked down at the ground in confusion. Silence filled the Gym as we all awaited Gramma's orders.  
Screw this, I thought. It's my turn! “Quick Attack!” I told Unfezant.  
Unfezant flew at Leavanny in a flash.  
“Protect!” Gramma said frantically.  
“Leavanny!” Leavanny closed its eyes and was hit by Quick Attack. It stumbled back, staying on its feet, and shook its head.  
“Protect didn't work?” I questioned.  
“Leavanny? Oh! That's right! I didn't teach you Protect…” Gramma covered her face with one hand, shaking her head. “Remembering all of these moves is such a trip!”  
My mouth hung open in shock at Gramma's level of forgetfulness.   
This was not the time for her to be slipping on her memory!  
“This is over, Unfezant! Gust attack and end this!” I said determinedly.  
“No! Leavanny! String Shot, now!”  
Unfezant flapped his wings as Leavanny glared up at him.  
“Leavanny, go!”  
Leavanny grit its teeth, its eyes focused on Unfezant as the wind cut into its body. Its eyes closed tight but its mouth opened wide and a string fired out at Unfezant.  
“Unfezant, do it!”  
Unfezant flapped his wings harder and the string was blown back.  
Leavanny cried out helplessly as it was lifted off of its feet. It landed on its back and slid along the ground.  
“Unfezant!” Unfezant cried out to Leavanny as he stopped his attack.  
I smiled proudly.  
Leavanny shakily climbed back up and shook its head. “Leavanny!” it shouted out bravely.  
“Wow! Leavanny is still going! Yay! Yay! Leava-Oops,” Courtney slapped her hands over her mouth as her eyes widened at the glare I shot her.  
“I guess I underestimated it,” I growled as I turned back to the battle. Quick Attack should take it out, but I'm not gonna just charge in like that, I thought. Leavanny has boosted Attack moves, so I can't be so reckless. Especially not in a one-on-one battle. I'd better keep my distance.   
“Grass Whistle!” Gramma instructed Leavanny.  
Leavanny raised one of its leafy hands to its mouth and blew against it, making a pffffft! noise.  
“Gust attack it again!”  
“Leavann? Leavaaaaaannyyyy!!” Leavanny was tossed back by Gust attack and sprawled out on the floor.  
“Leavanny, what happened? Why didn't Grass Whistle work? Oh, no! I didn't teach you that one, either! No, no, no! I forgot! This is so complicated!!!”  
This chick's memory is worse than my Pidove's was! I thought wearily. “Quick Attack! It's time to end this already!”  
“Leavanny, take that hit and get ready! We're not out of this battle, yet!” Gramma's determined shout grabbed my attention.  
I squinted at her focused, serious face. It's too late, Gramma. The Flower Badge is mine.  
Unfezant slammed into Leavanny and the Bug stumbled back, groaning.  
“Now use String Shot!” Gramma told Leavanny.  
“Leeeee!” Leavanny spit out string at Unfezant and it wrapped around his talons as my Flying type soared towards the ceiling.  
“Un?” Unfezant looked back.  
“Drag it into the air! Give it a flying lesson if it wants to hang with you so badly!” I said, feeling frustrated as I didn't understand what Gramma was planning, and I didn't like that.  
“Feeeeezant!” Unfezant ascended higher, Leavanny's String Shot still coming out and wrapping around his body.  
“Keep spitting out that String Shot!” Gramma's fists were tight as she gazed up at the ceiling, following Unfezant.  
“Gary!” June cried out to me, but she didn't say a word. Her face showed me that she wanted me to notice something I wasn't seeing. I assumed that, as the judge of this match, she wasn't going to tell me, either.  
“Gary, Leavanny's String Shot is still coming out of its mouth!” Courtney said to me. “You're wasting time! You're not gonna be able to lift it into the air like you think!”  
I gasped and turned to Unfezant. “Then turn around and just use Air Slash!” Or maybe Quick Attack would be better, I considered. Or Gust. We can beat that thing! I suddenly gasped as I started to see what was going on in this battle.  
Unfezant's body was now more than halfway wrapped up by String Shot, and as he tried to turn around to face Leavanny, the attack continued wrapping him up, reaching his wings quickly, and he cawed loudly. In seconds, his body was bound up to his neck.  
“Now, let him drop and catch him with Electroweb!”  
Leavanny spit out its String Shot and Unfezant cried out helplessly as he fell. Leavanny opened its mouth again and spit out a sparking string of electrical web that spread out wide, positioned right underneath Unfezant.  
“Feeeeeeeeeeeeeezaaaaaaaant!!” Unfezant squawked painfully as he landed in the trap and was immediately electrocuted.  
“NO!” I urged. “Unfezant, get out of there, now!”   
Unfezant screamed out against the pain of the Electric attack, and the web suddenly wrapped around him, shocking him further.  
“UNFEZANT!” I raged.  
The Electroweb disappeared and Unfezant screamed out as he broke free from the String Shot around his body, his wings extended out, and he laid on the ground, breathing hard.  
“Return! Go!” Gramma said immediately.  
I looked up as Leavanny charged at Unfezant and slammed into him with Return attack.  
Unfezant was tossed out of the battlefield with ease and slid along the floor behind me.  
“Unfezant, no!” I ran to my Pokemon and knelt down beside him. “Unfezant! We can't lose! Not to a Leavanny! Not like this! We're stronger than this!”  
Unfezant’s body twitched and then went still.  
“Oh, Gary,” June said sadly from her spot outside of the battlefield, staring at my Unfezant. “I'm so sorry.”  
Courtney shook her head with a pitiful look on her face.  
Her Sceptile had its stern, serious eyes on my Unfezant.  
Gramma stared down at my Unfezant with a mournful look, seeming to be on the verge of tears.  
I looked back down to my Unfezant and swallowed. “I can't believe it…” My eyes began to tear up, but I managed to smile. “Good try, then, Unfezant.”  
“Fezant…” Unfezant suddenly turned his head weakly and looked up at me.  
“No shame, buddy. Type never really did matter, after all, you know? Next time, alright?” I held out his Poke Ball.  
“Fezant!” Unfezant shifted his body and smacked my hand with his right wing.  
His Poke Ball flew from my hand and bounced along the floor.  
“Hey!” I gasped. “What the-?”  
“Fezant!” Unfezant disappeared in a flash and flew at Leavanny.  
“Unfezant! What are you doing?” I got to my feet.  
“Leavanny!” Leavanny stumbled back as the Quick Attack hit and it dropped to its knees.  
Unfezant flew higher into the air and attacked with Gust.  
“It's still up! Substitute!” Gramma wore shock on her face, just like her Leavanny; just like the rest of us.  
Leavanny was hit with Gust, but vanished from its spot.  
“Return again!”  
Leavanny appeared in the air, high above Unfezant, and it came down, its body as straight as a missile, and knocked Unfezant out of the air. Both Pokemon were a crumpled heap on the ground, breathing hard, exhausted, Leavanny on top of my Unfezant.  
“Unfezant!” Unfezant smacked Leavanny off of him and got up, stumbling on the ground.  
“Unfezant, take it easy! Don't push yourself! It's alright!” I called to him as I picked up his Poke Ball.  
“FEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZANT!! UNFEZANT!!” Unfezant screeched at me angrily.  
“Huh?” I looked at him, frozen in place, my eyes wide.  
Unfezant turned back to Leavanny, who was shakily climbing back to its feet.  
“I'm impressed! We need more power! Swords Dance!” Gramma pushed on.  
Leavanny boosted its Attack with Swords Dance, swinging its now purple leaves in the air rapidly, sharply, and beautifully.  
“This isn't right,” I heard June whisper.   
I turned to her and my heart's beat picked up its pace.  
She was staring at Unfezant with wide, fearful eyes, shaking her head.  
I looked back at Unfezant as he squawked and flew into the air, and his body suddenly glowed brightly.  
“Whoa!” My eyes squinted at the light. “What is that?”  
“He's using a new move, I think!” June called out to me.  
Gramma stared in amazement at my Unfezant and didn’t say a word, her mouth wide open in awe.  
Leavanny was also captivated by my Unfezant, watching the glowing ball of light dazzle before it.  
“That's Sky Attack!” I realized. “Unfezant just learned Sky Attack!!”  
The blinding light flew at Leavanny.  
“Wait for it!” Gramma yelled.  
Leavanny shook its head and bent its knees slightly, glaring at the oncoming attack.  
Is she crazy? It won't survive that! I said loudly in my head, watching with shock. What are they planning?  
“Now, drop!” Gramma said strongly.  
Leavanny fell onto its back and laid still.  
“Me First!” Gramma added.  
Leavanny's body flashed purple for an instant, and then its body glowed blindingly white as Unfezant soared over it.  
“Leavanny!!” Leavanny plowed into Unfezant, both balls of light soaring into the air.  
One of the balls of light then fell towards the ground and crashed powerfully.  
The other ball of light faded and Leavanny was revealed. It fell to the floor on its feet and immediately dropped to its knees, shivering from pain and exhaustion.  
The first ball of light faded and Unfezant was shown, motionless on the floor.  
“That's it! Stop! Please!” June begged, running towards me, waving her arms in the air frantically. “Just stop! Call him back! He's out!”  
“Huh?” I stared at June, confused, my heart beating rapidly at the panic on her face. “What’s wrong, June?”  
“Gary, return him! He’s out! He won't stop!” June grabbed my shoulders tightly.  
I turned to Unfezant and cried out in surprise. “What are you doing?”  
Unfezant was standing up again, but his head was at an awkward angle, his eyes closed as his body twitched painfully.  
“Unfezant, come back!” I stepped past June and held out my Pokemon’s Poke Ball.  
Unfezant flapped his wings, ascending above the red beam, but he cried out in pain and dropped to the floor again, breathing hard.  
“Something's wrong with him!” Courtney pointed at my Pokemon. “What's going on?”  
“Stop it, Unfezant! Come back!” I tried returning him again.  
Unfezant was gone in a flash as he attempted another Quick Attack at Leavanny. He appeared a few feet away from his opponent before he gave up his attack and tumbled on the ground, screaming out in agony.   
Leavanny caught my Unfezant as he rolled softly into its open arms. “Leavaaann,” Leavanny spoke gently to my Pokemon.  
Unfezant’s head was to one side, his wings in the air, twitching, his body jumping as he breathed painfully.  
“Call him back!!” June shoved me angrily.  
I stumbled forward and tried once more to return my Pokemon. “Get back in the Poke Ball, Unfezant! Stop it!!”  
Unfezant turned to me and I froze in place. Right before the red beam finally caught him, I saw the tears in his eyes that dripped down, landing in Leavanny’s hand. “Fezant…” He finally was back in his Poke Ball.  
“Leavaaaan,” Leavanny said sadly, looking down at the tears in its leafy hand.  
“I don't understand,” I said as I cupped the Poke Ball in my hands, staring down at it sadly. “What were you doing out there? What were you trying to prove?”  
Gramma returned her Leavanny. “You kids should take that Pokemon to the Pokemon Center. That was really careless of you to let him battle like that.”  
“But, I was trying to return him!” I tried.  
“I don't wanna hear it! Get out of here! Now! Go! Go! That Unfezant needs immediate help!” Gramma said strictly. She turned to June. “I'm sorry, young lady. We'll have to battle another day. This battle has upset me far too much.”  
June opened her mouth to respond, but instead, she nodded and pulled me towards the door.  
“I'm so sorry about that, Gramma!” Courtney called out to her, and then she returned her Sceptile and swiftly followed June and I out of the Gym.

*

“That was really scary,” June said quietly.  
“I don't know why Unfezant behaved that way,” I sighed. “He never acted that way before.”  
“He did the same thing with Ruko,” June stated. “He just kept on battling.”  
“I know. I mean, he never did that when he was a Pidove or a Tranquill,” I responded. “He's not even listening to me anymore!”  
“It's not that,” June shook her head. “He wants to listen to you. He wants to do whatever you say; whatever you want!”  
“Obviously not. I told him to stop and return, and he ignored me!”  
June shook her head. “You don’t understand, Gary.”  
“What do you mean?”  
“Oh, not this again,” Courtney giggled. “Are you gonna tell him that you understand something about Unfezant? That you heard his voice speak to you or something?” She burst out laughing.  
“Courtney, this isn't a damn joke, you-!” June bit her lips and resorted to just glaring at Courtney.  
“Yes? Please, don't hold your tongue,” Courtney insisted.  
“Courtney, I'm not in the mood for your attitude so cut it out and stay quiet!” I snapped.  
“Attitude? But-” Courtney pleaded, a desperate look on her face.  
“No! If you don't believe June can read Pokemon, then suit yourself! But don't you talk down to her about it! I believe in June's ability, and I want to know what's wrong with my Unfezant!”  
Courtney nodded her head quickly, her eyes wide, and she looked away.  
June wouldn't have removed that enormous smile from her face to save a child’s life, her eyes on Courtney, and she turned to me. “Well,” she said pompously. “Unfezant is definitely very attached to you. He's willing to do anything for you. You wanted that Badge, and he was going to extreme lengths, pushing his limit, and refusing to stop in order to be what you wanted him to be. He loves you a lot, Gary. But this could be seriously dangerous if this is how far he's willing to go. He was really badly injured from that Gym battle.”  
Unfezant. The Proud Pokemon. This is Tranquill's evolved form. They only grow attached to their Trainer, going to great lengths to show their affection.  
Courtney cleared her throat, keeping her eyes on her Pokedex, refusing to look at June and I.  
“Well, it's not like I was wrong,” June grumbled, glaring at Courtney’s Pokedex.  
Courtney squinted hard at her Pokedex, but didn’t say a word.  
“So, Unfezant's just trying to be my friend, in a way,” I said thoughtfully. “He's like any other Pokemon. He's just trying his best for me.”  
“Yes, and no,” Courtney said lightly, not turning away from her Pokedex that she was now fiddling with. “Unfezant are different in a way. Yes, Pokemon usually go to the limit and beyond when they have a strong bond with their Trainer, but all Unfezant are like that, and it's really recommended to be careful when raising one. When it comes to their dedication to their Trainer, they don't know when to stop, as you can see.”  
The doors at the back of the Pokemon Center opened and Nurse Joy and Audino came out, scowling as they looked around. Their eyes landed on me and they furiously stomped over to me. “You!” Nurse Joy stopped in front of me and slapped me across the face!  
“Hey!” I looked up at her in fright, my cheek burning instantly. I raised a hand towards it, but I was afraid to touch it. “What was that for?”  
“For allowing your Unfezant to get into such critical condition!” Nurse Joy barked at me. “You're lucky nothing too serious happened to the poor thing, but I'm going to have to look after him for a couple of more days or so to be sure he'll recover properly! How dare you allow that innocent creature to get so badly injured! You should be ashamed of yourself as a Pokemon Trainer! Jerk!!” She slapped me again in the same spot and walked away.  
I barely had a second to cry out from the explosive pain I was suffering before I was hit again by Nurse Joy’s Audino. “Audino!” Audino hit me multiple times with Double Slap before following Nurse Joy, and I slumped back in the chair I was sitting in, both cheeks on my face on fire.  
“Hey! You can’t do that!” Courtney called after the two in disbelief.  
June stared after them, stunned speechless.  
“It wasn’t my fault!” I managed to get out of my throat.  
Nurse Joy and Audino whipped around quickly, baring their teeth at me.  
“It was an accident! I didn’t mean to get him injured like that!” I explained. “My Gym battle with Gramma got out of hand! I’m really sorry!”  
Nurse Joy and Audino’s faces turned to surprise, their eyes widening and their mouths opening a bit. They exchanged glances and then looked back at me.  
“Gramma?” Nurse Joy asked me.  
I nodded slowly. “Yeah. The Gym Leader here. I challenged her to a battle, and she defeated me. My Unfezant just refused to stop battling, though. I tried returning him. He just wouldn’t quit! I really didn’t mean for him to get hurt like this, Nurse Joy. I mean it!”  
Nurse Joy and Audino exchanged glances again before turning back to me.   
I blinked my eyes and squinted hard at the two, unsure of what I thought I had seen for just a split second. Did they just smirk at me? I wondered, slowly shaking my head. No. No way.  
They shook their heads at me, staring at me as if I were a decomposing corpse. The pair then turned away and walked back through the doors in the back.  
“Well, it's good to know those two actually do care about their job,” June murmured.  
“Gary, are you alright?” Courtney cried, placing her hand on my shoulder.  
I shook my head and sat up straight. “I'll be fine…” I muttered.  
“-to pick up the new album by Madame Blah Blah, HIPPOP, out June 3rd,” a commercial on the TV high on the wall ended, the album cover of Madame Blah Blah’s new CD on the screen, showing her face covered in makeup that made her look like a weird mannequin, surrounded by mysterious images and symbols.  
A new commercial started with a familiar melody, showing a man in a light brown suit and matching tie. He smiled at us from outside of several buildings lining the street he stood on. “Unsure of your next pet? Want to raise a Pokemon close to home, without having to travel around the world just to find it? Don't want to engage in Pokemon battles, only seeking to have a pet to be your new friend? Then come to PokeLand Discount.” The man was now magically inside of a store with shelves of products and smiling people on line in front of a counter.  
A beautiful young lady stood behind the counter, next to a cash register, wearing a button up, black shirt with a white name tag clipped to it. She was smiling at a customer as he handed her money, the counter in front of her littered with things the man seemed to be buying.  
“At PokeLand Discount, we not only sell Pokemon, which we raise with the utmost love and care,” the man continued as his background was now surrounded by shelves that held Pokemon contained in large, steel cages.   
I saw a few Rattata inside of a humongous cage, one of them running on a wheel while the other Rattata wrestled around with each other playfully, kicking up wood shaving bedding underneath them.  
Some Patrat were in another cage next to the Rattata, a few curled up together, napping peacefully on top of their own bedding, while one was awake, gnawing on a large piece of wood feverishly.  
A pair of Buneary were in a cage of bedding near the bottom shelf with a small, flat gray block between them, resembling concrete, smiling as they looked up, one of their ears pointed up, the other ears curled in a bun on top of their heads.  
A Bunnelby was by itself in another cage next to the Buneary, kicking up bedding underneath it as it hopped around.  
“We also carry all kinds of Pokemon health items, including Potions, Antidotes, Poke Balls, and Full Heals,” the man continued as he seemed to slide through an aisle lined with shelves of products. “We also accept donations for those who can no longer care for their Pokemon, as long as they meet our qualifications.” The man was now standing by enormous fish tanks, a couple of them holding Goldeen, another one holding Horsea and Feebas, another holding a few Staryu, while a really big tank held a few Basculin. The man was back in the front of the store again, the line in front of the cash register now gone.   
The young lady was still behind it, smiling at the camera.  
“With our friendly staff, you can get the best guidance on how to raise your Pokemon, with the latest, up-to-date information on all the Pokemon we carry. Also, call in about our Pokemon veterinarian visits on Sundays, to get exact times and dates, and see our competitive prices. Why go anywhere else?” The screen now showed the man in front of the PokeLand Discount store, the young lady by his side, along with five other people around them.   
The five new people wore a yellow name tag, and instead of a button up shirt, they had collared, black polo shirts.  
The woman and the five new people all wore black slacks, their shirts tucked into their pants.  
Everyone was beaming brightly.  
“PokeLand Discount! The best care for your Pokemooooooon!” a female voice sung the familiar lyrics to the pleasant enough beat used in all PokeLand Discount commercials.  
The screen faded to black.  
“This is Felicia Eon with the news,” a lady with lipstick even redder than her hair spoke from the screen, wearing a black suit. “A lady who had just come back from Anville Town got a rude surprise today when she opened her bag she had gotten from a stranger she had exchanged items with today, as is customary to do on weekends, there. Thinking she had received six Rare Candies for her Thunder Stone, Water Stone, and Shiny Stone, she went home before checking her items, only to find that they were lumps of sugar wrapped in plastic!”  
I looked away from the screen, shaking my head, and my eyes landed on the phone booths. Maybe I should give Prof. Oak a call, I thought. Or my mom. I got to my feet and walked over to a booth, taking a seat. Or just Prof. Oak. I picked up the phone and dialed his number.  
The gentle glow from the blue screen remained as a sharp BUZZ! BUZZ! BUZZ! BUZZ! rang out repeatedly from the receiver.  
I pulled the receiver away from my ear. “His phone is busy?” I asked out loud, staring at the screen. “Hmm.” I hung up the phone and waited for a few seconds before I lifted the receiver again to try to dial him one more time. Hurried footsteps behind me made me turn around, and I saw June running up to me, terror on her face.  
“Gary! Come here!” She grabbed my shoulder, her eyes watering.  
“June, what's wrong?” I stood up.  
“Prof. Oak!” She pointed at the TV.  
“Huh?” I dropped the receiver in my hand and walked quickly to the TV.  
“His lab was under attack! They can't find him!” June sobbed, her hand gripping my shoulder tightly as she shivered.  
The TV showed something that made my heart block my breathing, thumping in my throat, and I tried to swallow it back down, with failed results.  
The remains of a building in a crumbled heap were being shown as a camera moved across a wide plain, the camera switching to a different section of the area every several seconds.   
I immediately recognized the area. It was unmistakable. I’d been there too many times not to know that place.  
That demolished building was the exact spot where Prof. Oak’s Lab was located.  
Several Pokemon were all over the grass, not moving or breathing really hard.   
Courtney moved next to me and grabbed my other arm, shaking.   
Countless more Pokemon continued to be shown, all of them in a helpless, horrible, pained condition. Some were bleeding all over the grass from various places on their bodies, others had visibly broken legs and arms, and others suffered twisted necks. Several areas that were being shown had police and firefighters running through them, all wearing full-bodied protective outfits.  
“Authorities and specialists have only just entered the research laboratory of Prof. Oak after the attack,” the newswoman spoke, out of sight. “There is no word on how many Pokemon have been injured or found dead, nor is there any word on where Prof. Oak is at this time. The attackers on this legendary lab are also a complete mys-”  
The screen suddenly went gray with static, the lady disappearing and then reappearing.  
“-looking into-” The lady came back, her sentence interrupted as the screen went gray again with the funny noise.  
“Hey! Come on! What's with the service, here?” I shouted angrily, stepping closer to the screen.  
June and Courtney moved forward with me, clinging to me.  
“-dead, without a-” the newscaster said before disappearing into the gray noise again.  
“Come on!!” I bellowed, my heart beating painfully in fear.  
“-could-” the woman tried to continue. “-it-”  
The screen went gray with a sharp noise.  
“Yo! You've got to be kidding me! Prof. Oak!” I shouted angrily.  
June and Courtney's grip tightened on me as they huddled closer to me, fearfully.  
The screen suddenly cleared out startlingly quick, making the three of us gasp. The TV displayed nothing but darkness, the dark silhouette of a figure barely visible amongst a dark blue background behind it. I could see a metallic, shiny, silver cane in front of the silhouette, and it looked like the being behind it was gripping the top of it, their hand covered by something dark. Perhaps some kind of cloak.  
“What's going on?” Courtney whispered shakily.  
“Is that a person?” June cried.  
“It's been a long time,” spoke a voice that was clearly being altered, sounding far too deep, dark, and distorted. It sounded male. “The attack on Prof. Oak's Lab is only the beginning, I promise you. Judgement Day is coming, and from it, there shall be no escape for any of you who have shown no support for the cause of Team Solace. We, Team Solace, have returned, stronger than ever before. When the time comes, there shall be no mercy for any of you. All Pokemon will be annihilated, once and for all. There is no more forgiveness. No more chances. You have all made your choices. The side of the fence you stand on now, is where you will die; or prosper.”  
The screen went gray again, and the newswoman reappeared. She wasn’t speaking, but was looking off to the side fearfully. She nodded her head and licked her red lips, looking back to the screen. Felicia swallowed nervously and opened her mouth, pausing before finally speaking. “It would appear, based on continually flooding reports from all over the world, that just a moment ago, many television programs and radio stations all over the world, including this very news station, were hacked into and interrupted, displaying a terrifying claim about the terrorist organization known as Team Solace. According to this message from an unknown individual, the group that was thought to have been shut down nearly three years ago, has rebuilt itself and is responsible for the attack on Prof. Oak's Laboratory, and is promising more attacks like it in the future. This is certainly very terrifying and disturbing news. I think I need to go to the restroom. Excuse me.” Felicia's face was turning green, and she covered her mouth with one hand and got to her feet, running away from the screen.  
The screen suddenly went completely blue, and a message read: We Are Now Experiencing Technical Difficulties. Please Stand By.  
“No,” June gasped, breathing noisily, heavily. She released my arm and wrapped her arms around her stomach, stumbling away from me, and collapsed to her knees.  
“Gary, what's going to happen? I'm scared! I need a hug!” She wrapped her arms around me.  
“Nooooo!” June groaned weakly.  
I didn't budge, keeping my eyes on the screen, feeling ready to throw up myself, the feeling worsened by Courtney's tight hug.  
“Prof. Oak…” I whispered weakly, my legs quaking underneath me.  
“NNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!” June screamed at the top of her lungs.


	48. Survival Of The Fittest

“With us now is the legendary Pokemon Professor, Prof. Oak,” the newscaster named Marsha said firmly, staring sternly into the camera and then looking at the professor. “Prof. Oak, how are you feeling?” She lowered her microphone to him.  
“Well, I've certainly been better,” Prof. Oak groaned, sitting in a chair outside, rubbing his back, a pained look on his face as he leaned forward on a silver cane. “I should be okay, though.”  
“Can you tell us what happened here?” Marsha asked.  
“Not at all,” Prof. Oak shook his head wearily. “One minute I was doing my research on a rare Pokemon a Trainer had sent me, and the next minute, there was this loud set of explosions from outside and the Pokemon were all in a panic, screaming and whatnot. Before I could even get to the door to see what was happening, my entire mansion was collapsing on top of me!”  
“Reports are coming in that this attack was from the terrorist organization known at Team Solace,” Marsha informed Prof. Oak.  
“Team Solace!” Prof. Oak gasped in shock, looking up at Marsha, his eyes bulging.  
“Yes, sir,” Marsha nodded at him. “The radio and television stations across the planet were all interrupted and a message proclaiming that Team Solace has returned and was behind this attack was proclaimed by an unknown individual.”  
Prof. Oak stared hard at Marsha. “I see…” he said in a low croak of a voice. He groaned and removed his hand from his back so he could rub his chin as he gazed down solemnly at the ground. “Well, it isn't outside the realm of possibility, that's for sure. A group like that could easily have resurfaced.”  
The professor's words made my heart drop.  
“Team Solace has finally come to an end.” Those words spoken so long ago by the Professor were nothing but icicle jabs into my heart, freezing my entire body.  
“The mindset of a group like that didn't solely belong to the leader, and this group may very well be a copycat group, if not perhaps a regrouping of the old members,” Prof. Oak said seriously, keeping his eyes down.  
“That’s a rather terrifying thought, Professor,” Marsha said nervously, running her hand through her curly, black hair. “With the return of this deadly group, do you have any advice for the people out there, including but not limited to, Pokemon Trainers?”  
“Hmmmm.” Prof. Oak closed his eyes. “As I matter of fact, I do.” He opened his eyes glared directly into the camera. “Lillipup. Knowing its limitations, being both brave and wise.”  
A poem… I thought to myself, reflecting on it.  
“Don't do anything reckless,” Prof. Oak continued. “Know when to flee. Know when to fight. Above all, stay safe.”  
A strong silence took over the room, nobody speaking as Prof. Oak's words sunk in.  
Wow, Prof. Oak, I admitted to myself. That was actually pretty good.   
Marsha lifted the microphone to her face. “Those were powerful words from Prof. Oak just now, encouraging us all to be strong in these trying times. May his wise words fill us all with hope for the future. Back to you, Feli-”  
“Wait!” Prof. Oak stood up, groaning painfully, and he pulled the microphone to his face, Marsha still holding onto it, a surprised look now on her face. “I want to give a, um, how do the kids say…? A 'shout-out,' to Gary!”  
My eyes widened at the mention of my name. Me? I questioned silently.  
“Gary, don't you worry about your Pokemon, okay? They're all okay, luckily,” Prof. Oak said happily, smiling and waving at the camera, his cane dropping. “I've had them all transferred to Prof. Juniper, and for the time being, any Pokemon you capture will all be transferred to her. You can choose to either call her to trade Pokemon, or you can use your Pokedex. Please, do try and contact her, though. I’m sure she’d love to speak with you again.”  
“Um, excuse me, please, Prof. Oak,” Marsha grunted angrily, pulling her microphone back to her face, Prof. Oak holding onto it with a scowl. “Are you speaking to your grandson, Prof. Gary Oak?”  
Prof. Oak pulled the microphone back in front of him, Marsha glaring at him as she hung onto it. “Huh? Oh, no!” Prof. Oak laughed. “This message is for a young Trainer I know named Gary-”  
“Today, we have Timothy Bruise here to talk about his new life and engagement to Kathy Stholmes,” TV host Croakrah Spindley smiled from the set of her world famous TV show.  
“Huh? What the f-?” I whipped my head around.  
“Yaaaaaawn,” Nurse Joy said, waving her hand in front of her face, holding a remote in her other hand. “The old man's fine. Enough already. The news is too depressing these days. I just can't deal with it sometimes. You can find another TV to watch the news on. In my Pokemon Center, we'll watch what I want.”  
“Turn it back!” June growled ferociously, stomping towards Nurse Joy.  
“Or else what?” Nurse Joy stepped from around her counter towards June.  
“Audino!” Audino cried angrily, joining her partner.  
The duo crossed their arms in front of their chests and glared at June.  
June stopped but continued returning their furious stares. She growled at them.  
“While I'm still caring for your little boyfriend's Unfezant, I don't think any of you three are in any position to be telling me what to do!” Nurse Joy snapped.  
“Just forget it!” I grabbed June's arm and pulled her back. “The Professor's fine. Let's just get out of here. Come on!”  
June stumbled, trying not to be budged by my yanking, keeping her eyes on Nurse Joy and Audino.  
Courtney then helped me pull June back as well.  
“Fine!” June suddenly shouted, yanking her arm out of Courtney's grasp, and then out of mine.  
Courtney gasped in reaction.  
“I can walk on my own,” June grumbled, and stomped away from us, leaving the building.  
With a sigh, I turned to Courtney.  
She stared at me sadly.  
“Let's just go,” I said, and walked towards the front door, Courtney following me. I turned back to the TV and I could see Timothy Bruise jumping on the tiny black couch he had just been sitting on with Croakrah Spindley, the crowd going wild with excitement, Croakrah laughing, holding an amused look on her face as she clapped with the audience.   
I opened the door and allowed Courtney to walk out first before turning back to Nurse Joy. “And she is NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!!!” I angrily slammed the door shut.

*

“You sure you don't need some sleep, June?” I asked her.  
The afternoon sun beamed high in the sky. It was a beautiful day, the grass crunching beneath our feet as we headed towards the Pokemon Gym.  
We had been up all night the night before, waiting on news about Prof. Oak, and June had been the one who had woken Courtney and I up at around three in the morning when it had been revealed that Prof. Oak had been found.  
By two in the afternoon, he had given the interview we had just seen where I received my shout-out at the end.  
“I'm okay,” June smiled. “I'm just glad that Prof. Oak is okay! I'm so grateful!”  
I nodded. “Me, too. I’m so relieved that my Pokemon are fine. Talk about luck! We can all rest a lot easier tonight. And I'm totally getting my Badge this time!”  
“Good luck, Sugar Lumps,” Courtney said as we walked down the path lined by flowers, fruits, and vegetables that led to the Gym, several bumblebees floating above many of the flowers. She stopped and turned to me. “Good luck hug?” She spread her arms wide and then turned to June. “Group hug?”  
June and I turned to each other and then looked back at Courtney.  
Ugh, I thought. What is it with her and hugging all the time? “Alright…” I said hesitantly.  
“You don't have to,” Courtney said sadly, lowering her arms and head. “I can tell you don't want to.”  
“No, I do,” I said quickly, my heart beating fast as I started to feel bad.  
Courtney shook her head. “No, you're just saying that. Let's just get that Badge, okay?” She smiled at me, though it was clearly forced.  
I opened my arms. “Courtney, I'd love a good luck group hug before my match.” I smiled at her.  
“Yeah? Okay! Yay!” She wrapped me in a tight hug.  
My arms squeezed around her, and I became helpless to the scent of whatever perfume she was wearing today, different from before, my nose pulling me towards the location of the smell, on her neck.  
Several loud knocks made me look up and I saw June with her arms crossed, her back to Courtney and I, glaring at the door.  
“Huh?” Courtney let go of me and turned to June. “Hey! It was supposed to be a group hug!” she complained.  
June completely ignored Courtney.  
The door opened and Gramma stood smiling at us. A strong smell of flowers and dirt greeted my nose, either a perfume or the smell of Gramma’s hard work caring for her gardens. She was wearing a yellow tank top matching the yellow bow tied at the ponytail in her hair and her yellow shorts. The tank top held several of her Flower Badges on it. Her feet were in brown sandals with blue and white flower designs all over them. “Hello, kids! Nice to meet you! Are you here to challenge my Pokemon Gym?”  
“That's right! I'm back for a rematch, Gramma!” I stepped up to her quickly. “Will you accept?”  
“A rematch? We've battled before?” Gramma giggled.  
My shoulders slumped in disappointment. I can't believe I lost to such an airhead, I thought to myself. “Yes! You beat me!” I frowned.   
“Oh, well, come on in! I don't really remember us battling.” Gramma cheerfully looked around her garden. She inhaled deeply and let out a happy sigh. “What a beautiful day!” She held open the door to her Gym and waved us inside.  
“You battled Courtney first and your Whimsicott lost to her Sceptile!” I tried reminding Gramma.   
“Nope. Not ringing any bells,” Gramma said cheerfully as she walked past us and towards the battlefield.  
June sighed. “I'm probably gonna be the judge again,” she muttered, and walked towards the battlefield as well.  
“You beat my Unfezant with your Leavanny!” I cried out, taking my place at the battlefield.  
“My brain is a little funky sometimes, sweetheart,” Gramma smiled at me warmly from her side of the battlefield. “I'm sorry, I just don't-” Her smile suddenly faded and her eyes widened. “Wait a minute! You!” She glared at me now.  
Uh, oh, I thought, my eyes widening.   
“You're that horrible Trainer who pushed his Pokemon to battle even when he was defeated! I remember you! How dare you come back here to my Gym!” she leered at me coldly.  
“That's not what happened!” I protested, worried that she wasn't going to let me battle her. “Unfezant was just trying too hard and was battling on his own!”  
“And you let him!” Gramma accused.  
“Not true!” I yelled, getting upset. “I tried to stop him! He just wouldn't listen! He's in recovery right now, but me and him have to have a long talk when he gets out. His actions after he was defeated weren't my fault! I just… I guess I should have done more…” I lowered my head shamefully. “As his Trainer, I should have known he'd get like that. I should be more in tune with my Pokemon. I guess it really is my fault. I'm sorry.”  
“Well, I can see that you understand your fault in this situation,” Gramma said kindly. “That's very mature of you. It will help you to become a better Pokemon Trainer. Your Pokemon deserve that.”  
I nodded at her. “They do.”  
Gramma nodded back at me with a smile. “Well, how about you and I have a two-on-two battle this time?”  
“Really?”  
“Mhm. I do prefer one-on-one matches, but they can be a bit unfair in their own way,” Gramma acknowledged. “Let's make things a little more interesting this time. What do you say?”  
“Absolutely! Let's go!” I nodded eagerly.  
“Okay, then.” Gramma grabbed a Poke Ball.  
“This will be a two-on-two Pokemon battle between Verdew Town Pokemon Gym Leader, Gramma,” June spoke, “and the Kanto region's Gary, from Pallet Town. There is no time limit.” She stopped suddenly and turned to Gramma. “Ummm, is anyone allowed to switch Pokemon, ma’am?”  
“However you want it, sweetheart,” Gramma smiled at June. “I don’t mind.”  
“Hm, okay. Then we’ll do it how the Gyms usually have the rules set,” June smiled as she turned to me. “Only Gary may substitute Pokemon. At stake is the Flower Badge! Begin!”  
“I really need to remember to visit my girlfriend and see if she's doing okay. She hasn't judged a match of mine in so long. I miss her,” Gramma muttered. “Alright, I'm going with Leavanny!” Gramma threw her Poke Ball.  
“Leavaaaaaanny!” Leavanny called out in its odd tone of voice.  
“And I'm going to bring out Drifloon! Let's go!” I threw her Dusk Ball.  
“Floon…” Drifloon called out in a low voice.  
“Welcome back to the team, Drifloon! Let's win the Flower Badge!” I said happily, looking up at her.  
“Floon…” Drifloon didn't look back at me, and her head lowered, her face turning red.  
“You alright, Drifloon?” I asked her.  
“Huh?” I barely heard June's whispered voice, and I turned to her, seeing she wore a face of confusion as she looked up at Drifloon.  
“Well, this is interesting! A Drifloon!” Gramma said. “Please, do go first, Gary!”  
“Right! Okay, use your Gust attack!”  
“Floon,” Drifloon said, but didn't move.  
I waited with a smile.  
Leavanny watched Drifloon.  
June stared at Drifloon.  
Courtney gazed at Drifloon.  
Gramma didn't take her eyes off of Drifloon.  
My smile started to fade as Drifloon remained still. “Drifloon? Didn't you hear me? I said to use your Gust attack!”  
“Floon,” Drifloon said in a low voice.  
I turned to June.  
Her mouth hung open as she stared at Drifloon. She lowered her eyes to me and slowly shook her head.  
“What's wrong with her?” I cried out to June, and then looked back up to Drifloon.  
“I guess Unfezant isn't the only one who isn't listening to you,” Courtney commented.  
“Drifloon, use Gust!” I shouted at her.  
“Floooooooooooonnnn!” Drifloon shouted back. She spun in a circle, lowering her body down towards the floor. “Floooooonnn…”  
“She won't attack!” June gasped.  
“Gee, ya don't say,” Courtney muttered. “I wouldn't have been able to figure that one out without your amazing powers.”  
“What was that?” June demanded angrily, turning to Courtney.  
“Drifloon, why won't you listen to me?” I called out to her.  
“Well, if your Pokemon won't fight, I guess I'll have the first move,” Gramma stated. “Let's take this chance to use Swords Dance, now!”  
“Leavaaaaaaan!” Leavanny's arms glowed purple and it swung them through the air sharply and quickly.  
“Drifloon, use Shadow Ball, then!” I told her.  
Drifloon lowered her body even lower to the floor instead of attacking.  
“Another Swords Dance!” Gramma said quickly.  
“Constrict! Stockpile! Hex! Minimize!” I shouted out desperately. “Do something, Drifloon! Come on!!”  
Drifloon shook her head and refused to fight. She actually appeared really sad!  
“Drifloon, what's going on? You were one of my best battlers back in Kanto! What's happened?” I questioned feebly.  
Drifloon turned her face to me, and I saw the mournful look in her eyes.  
“Drifloon!” I cried, my heart beating at the sad look on her face. “Drifloon, are you okay to battle? I thought you would be! What's happening with you? Don't you want to fight?”  
Drifloon turned away from me.  
I can't use her, I realized. She won't battle for some reason. Something must be wrong!  
“Alright, now let’s attack strong with this one!” Gramma said, pointing at Drifloon. “Use Electroweb!”  
“Leavaaaan!” Leavanny spit out a sparking, electric string that expanded into a huge spider web. The web landed on Drifloon and wrapped around her body, and she wailed out in pain.  
“Drifloon, no!” I shouted. “Get out of there!”  
Drifloon struggled, crying out helplessly.  
“As a Gym Leader, one thing I know is that variety is key,” Gramma smiled proudly. “Shadow Claw!”  
A physical move! I thought fearfully. With that thing's Attack boosted from Swords Dance, it might be too much for my Drifloon to handle!  
Leavanny leaped at Drifloon, one of its arms in the air, surrounded by a dark aura, and it smacked Drifloon hard.  
“Floooooooooooooooooooooooooonnnnnn!!!!” Drifloon tumbled on the ground before sliding to a stop. The web around her body vanished, and she sprawled out flat on the floor.  
“Drifloon!” I called out weakly. “What happened to you since the last time we battled?” I sniffled sadly, emotions rising up inside of me, reflecting on when I had used her at the Pokemon League.  
She had taken out three Pokemon all on her own, getting me through to the sixth round. She put up an astounding fight against a few of Robin's Pokemon as well, even taking a Thunder attack from his Pikachu.  
My Drifloon was always shy, but never afraid to battle. This wasn't the same Drifloon I raised. She had changed. Was it because of what she had suffered from Team Solace when they had attacked at the Kanto League years ago?  
Drifloon's head lifted shakily and she looked up at me.  
It hurt me to see her in such bad shape, unable to fight, and that depressed look on her face was the final straw. “Okay, that's enough, Drifloon. I don't know why you won't fight, but we'll work on this together, alright? You don't have to fight anymore.” I smiled and winked at her as I grabbed her Dusk Ball. “I still have one more Pokemon that I'm sure can pull us through to a victory.” I held out her Poke Ball. “Re-”  
“Flooooon!” Drifloon's appendages reached out and wrapped around my wrist. “Floon! Floon! Floon!” She floated up into the air, keeping her eyes on me.  
“Drifloon?” I gasped. “Hey! What's up? What are you doing?”  
Drifloon shook her head at me and then released my wrist and turned around to Leavanny. “Floon!”  
“Is this gonna be another case of your Pokemon fighting beyond their limitations?” Gramma demanded, frowning at me. “I refuse to allow this to happen again!”  
“She's still able to battle!” June declared. “It's okay!” She had a focused look on her face as she watched Drifloon.  
“Well, if you say so,” Gramma said to June with a shrug. “That is one tough Drifloon if it's still able to battle after taking that Shadow Claw, but it won't stand up to another one! Go finish it off, Leavanny!”  
“Leeeeeeeeee!!” Leavanny charged at Drifloon with Shadow Claw, ready to finish the match.  
“Thunder Wave!” I ordered.  
Drifloon's appendages sparked with light blue electricity, and they pointed at Leavanny as it leaped at her. “Floooon!” Drifloon zapped Leavanny, Paralyzing it instantly.  
“Leavaaan!” Leavanny dropped to the ground and twitched painfully, its body sparking with electricity. “Leav! Leavanny!” Leavanny struggled to move, its eyes closed tight.  
“Gust attack!”  
Drifloon's body glowed light blue and its body was surrounded by a tornado.   
The tornado flew away from Drifloon and surrounded Leavanny, the Bug type crying out as it was tossed around inside of the attack.  
Leavanny was flung from the Gust as it dissipated and bounced on its back on the ground.  
“Hex attack!” I ordered.  
“Leavanny, move out of the way of that move!” Gramma screamed.  
Leavanny climbed to its feet, looking up at Drifloon with determination.  
Drifloon's eyes glowed with a mix of purple and red.  
Leavanny hovered in the air, outlined in the same mix of scary colors, and it wailed in pain as the damage set in.  
With Leavanny Paralyzed, this attack will do even more damage than normal, I thought happily. Drifloon is finally coming through!  
“Vaaaanny…” Leavanny moaned as it was finally released. Its body shook noticeably as it struggled back to its feet.  
We can Stockpile and then Swallow, if we get the chance, I considered. Nah, we need to just hit for all its worth. We might not get another turn. “Another Hex attack!”  
“Leavanny, use Me First!” Gramma instructed.  
Leavanny bent over and its body sparked with electricity. It was Paralyzed!  
Drifloon attacked Leavanny with another Hex, Leavanny struggling to break free.  
“Oh, no!” Gramma said, distress in her voice.  
Leavanny was released and dropped to the ground. “Vanny… Vanny… Vanny!” Leavanny breathed hard, pushing itself up with its leafy hands. “Leav!” It fell back down and remained motionless.  
Alright, I thought victoriously. One down, one to go. Whimsicott must be next.  
“Leavanny! Are you alright? Are you able to keep going?” Gramma said gently to her fallen Pokemon.  
And she complained about me pushing my Pokemon too hard? That Bug is done, lady, I thought impatiently.  
Leavanny's eyes tightened, and then they opened!  
“Whoa!” No matter how wide my eyes spread open, I couldn't believe what I was seeing, my heart beating sharply.  
June stared solemnly at Leavanny.  
Courtney cried out. “Wow! Grass types! YAY! This is amazing!”  
“Grass types are the best types! You can't get this type of courage from any other types, nor make it look as moving and alluring!” Gramma cooed.  
“I know, right? Grass type Pokemon have a way of bringing out emotions in what they do!” Courtney gushed. “They don't just do an act; they are the act! They bring life to it! They bring out the true definition of it, and redefine it at the same time, like nothing else on this planet could dare do!”  
“Precisely! Grass types are like the embodiment of what it truly means-” Gramma went on.  
“Excuse me, can you two do this another time?” I yelled.  
“Oh, sorry,” Gramma laughed. “I got a little caught up.”  
“So rude, geez,” Courtney said moodily, crossing her arms and glaring at me.  
Leavanny got back up, its legs shaking as if unable to hold itself up.  
“Leavanny, we're only one move away! It's about time we attacked!” Gramma said strongly. “Return, now!”  
I opened my mouth to order a move, but my mouth widened further instead and my eyes squinted at Gramma. Return…? Seriously?!?!?! I screamed in frustration in my head.  
Leavanny ran powerfully and took a strong leap into the air, flying at my Pokemon.  
Drifloon hovered silently.  
Leavanny flew right through Drifloon and slid on the ground. “Leavaaaan?” Leavanny said in confusion, looking at me.  
“Return is a Normal move!!!” I screamed furiously at Gramma. “That doesn't work on GHOOOSTS!!!”  
Gramma raised her hands to her cheeks with a smile. “Gosh, I totally forgot that!” She closed her eyes and laughed loudly as if a great joke had just been told.  
“Don't be so mean, Gary,” Courtney scolded me. “Sometimes, people forget some of the rules and type advantages and disadvantages and moves and such. It can get confusing.” The tone of her voice was weak and low, as if she was trying to defend Gramma, but was having trouble doing so.  
“Drifloon, use Shadow Ball!” I shouted impatiently.  
Drifloon formed a sparking, purple ball in front of her face as she turned around to Leavanny. She quickly smacked the ball with one of her appendages as Leavanny turned its head around.  
“Leavaaaanny!” Leavanny was hit in the face and slid along the floor on its back, coming to a stop. “Vaaaannn…” Leavanny moaned weakly.  
“Leavanny is no longer able to fight! Drifloon wins!” June announced.  
“Yes! YES! Alright, Drifloon! One more to go! Let's go all the way!” I jumped for joy.  
“Floooon…” Drifloon looked down, her face red, her appendages swaying loosely. “Flooooooooonn…” Drifloon lowered herself to the floor.  
“Drifloon?” I called out to her.  
“Poor Leavanny,” Courtney shook her head. “Well, just one more to go, Gary!” She smiled at me.  
“Leavanny, you did really well,” Gramma said, sadness on her face as she returned her Pokemon.  
“Alright, for my final Pokemon, I'm going to bring out, Leavanny! Ha ha!” She threw an Ultra Ball this time.  
“Leavanny?” I repeated.  
“Leavanny?” June repeated.  
“Leavanny?” Courtney repeated.  
“Leavaaanny!” Leavanny cried as it appeared from its Ultra Ball.  
“You have two Leavanny?” Courtney questioned, cocking her head.  
“Ha ha, yeah!” Gramma laughed. “I caught this one by accident a while back. I forgot I already owned one and I just had to have one! Then, not long after I caught this Leavanny, I remembered I already had my own Leavanny, so, I have two! Funny, huh?” She burst out laughing.  
I covered my face with one hand. I have to get out of this Gym, immediately, I told myself. “Drifloon, let's start off strong! Gust, now!”  
“Floooooooooon!” Drifloon floated back up into the air and attacked Leavanny with Gust.  
“Leavanny, use your Payback!”  
Leavanny was sucked inside of the tornado created by Drifloon. It cried out helplessly before finally flying out, landing on its feet, twirling around dizzily. Leavanny collapsed and closed its eyes tightly, groaning. In the next instant, Leavanny's eyes opened and it flew out at Drifloon, delivering a flurry of punches from its leafy hands that were coated in a dark aura.  
Drifloon screamed out painfully and she flew back and bounced on the ground weakly.  
“Drifloon, get up and fight back! Use your Thunder Wave!” I pleaded with her.  
Drifloon groaned and shivered on the ground, fighting to get back up.  
“Take the time to pull off a quick Swords Dance, Leavanny!” Gramma instructed Leavanny.  
Leavanny boosted its Attack Stat with Swords Dance and then cried out strongly at Drifloon.  
Drifloon shook her head and glared at Leavanny.  
“Drifloon, Minimize!”  
“Swords Dance again!”  
In a puff of smoke that surrounded Drifloon, she was gone instantly.  
I squinted and was just barely able to spot her tiny form in the air.  
Leavanny boosted its Attack with another Swords Dance.  
“Now use Gust attack!” I said strongly.  
Drifloon's little body flashed with a light blue glow and a huge tornado flew out at Leavanny.  
“Payback!” Gramma said quickly.  
Leavanny was caught up in the tornado and thrown out as it faded away. Landing on its stomach, it groaned and shook its head, getting back up, and ran towards Drifloon to attack with Payback. The Bug and Grass type swung blow after blow, but it didn't seem to hit my Pokemon and it let out an angry cry as it ended its attack and looked around.  
“Alright! Another Minimize, Drifloon!” I said happily. We're about to end this! I thought eagerly. Leavanny can't even see Drifloon!  
Another puff of smoke appeared on a tiny spot of the field as Drifloon cried out and shrunk herself even smaller.  
“Leavanny, use Mind Reader!” Gramma said with a serious tone, her face hardening.  
“Mind Reader!” I exclaimed. “No!”  
Leavanny stood up straight and didn't move, glaring at one spot on the battlefield.  
“Drifloon, Thunder Wave, right now!” I cried out in a panic.  
“Payback!” Gramma demanded.  
Drifloon was barely visible, but I could just make out her appendages flash with blue electricity and zap Leavanny.  
Leavanny didn't budge and kept its eyes on Drifloon as it was hit by her attack. It then zoomed forward and swung viciously at Drifloon multiple times.  
Drifloon let out a loud, terrifying shriek that filled my body with shivers as she spun downward and collapsed to the ground.  
“Drifloon!” I shouted desperately. “Oh, no! Drifloon, no! We almost had this one!”  
“Drifloon is unable to battle any further,” June announced. “Leavanny is the winner!”  
“That was a really great job, Leavanny!” Gramma congratulated her Pokemon. “We won't be taken over by a slight type disadvantage, now will we?”  
“That's right!” Courtney cheered. “Fight for what a Grass type is worth!”  
I glared at Courtney as I grabbed Drifloon's Dusk Ball.  
Courtney turned to me with wide eyes, her mouth open in shock. “Um, I mean, like, just don't think Grass types are gonna go down easily just because of a type disadvantage,” Courtney said, staring at me as her eyes widened even further. “Especially when they're in the care of such a loving, strategic Trainer as Gramma.”  
Strategic is a bit of a stretch, I thought. But she does have a nice set of moves on her Pokemon. “Drifloon, that was really awesome battling, buddy! Come on back for a good rest!” I returned her and grabbed my next Poke Ball. “And now, it's time for my next Pokemon! Let's go, Darmanitan!”  
“DaaaaaaaaaaarMANITAAAAAAN!” Darmanitan roared at Leavanny.  
Courtney gasped.  
June smiled.  
Gramma squinted at my Pokemon.  
Leavanny grimaced at my Pokemon.  
“Darmanitan, Flare Blitz, right now!”  
“Leavanny, use Protect!”  
Her Leavanny doesn't know Protect, I thought, smirking. Or… One of them didn't… My smirk faded as I watched Darmantian’s body become coated in flames and soar at Leavanny.  
A turquoise shield appeared in front of Leavanny.  
Darmanitan's powerful Flare Blitz hit the shield and bounced back, tossing the Pokemon back several feet in surprise.  
“Ha!” Gramma laughed, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “I knew one of my Leavanny were able to do Protect!” She laughed excitedly. “Now, return!” Gramma held out an Ultra Ball and returned Leavanny.  
I gasped in shock.  
June gasped in shock.  
Courtney gasped in shock.  
“I choose Whimsicott! Go!” Gramma threw a Poke Ball.  
Gramma threw the Poke Ball to the field and the Pokemon came out.  
“Whimsicott!” Whimsicott cried out happily, smiling at Darmanitan.  
“Whimsicott?” I cried out, staring at Whimsicott.  
“Whimsicott!” Courtney tilted her head in confusion as she looked down at Whimsicott and then up at Gramma.  
“What…?” June questioned, squinting at Gramma.  
“What?” Gramma asked angrily, staring at us all. “Don’t count us out so easily! Whimsicott can win this battle! We’ll prove it! Let’s begin with Stun Spore, Whimsicott!”  
“Whimsicott!” Whimsicott’s body shook hard and sprayed a golden powder at Darmanitan.  
“Manitaaaaann!” Darmanitan growled as he was covered by the Paralyzing powder.  
“Hey!” I shouted angrily. “You can’t do that!”  
“Yes, I can!” Gramma gave me a confused look. “That move is authorized by the Pokemon League and is perfectly legal!”  
“Gramma, stop! You can’t send out a third Pokemon! This is a two-on-two battle!” June called out. “And I made it perfectly clear that you are not allowed to retreat your Pokemon! I declare that Gary is the winner of this match, as well as the winner of the Flower Badge!” June waved her open hand towards me.  
My heart dropped in dismay. “What…?”  
“Oh, gosh, no!” Gramma gasped, raising a hand to her mouth. “Whimsicott, stop! Return, please!” Gramma returned her Whimsicott quickly. “What have I done…?” Gramma looked down at Whimsicott’s Poke Ball sadly.  
“Darmanitan, get back, now!” I shouted quickly and returned my Pokemon. I looked at Gramma and gave her an exhausted sigh.  
“You see why I hate battles that are more than just one-on-one matches, now?” Gramma giggled. “I get so confused when more Pokemon are involved. Ha ha ha!”  
June sighed and closed her eyes, shaking her head pitifully.  
“Gary, you did it! That was a great battle!” Courtney ran up to me and pulled me into a tight hug.  
I wasn’t able to turn around to the hurried footsteps behind me before I felt a second strong hug wrap around my waist.  
“Gary! You did wonderfully! Congratulations!” June gushed.  
“You had a great battle, Gary! Really exciting!” Courtney squealed, hugging me even tighter.  
“You battled very wisely! Good work!” June squealed, squeezing me even harder.  
“You were on your way to a victory, even if Leavanny hadn’t been switched out accidentally!” Courtney insisted, her arms pulling me towards her in a hard grip.  
“I’m constantly impressed by how much you grow as an amazing Pokemon Trainer, Gary!” June’s grip was starting to strangle me.  
“You’re on the road to becoming a Pokemon Master!” Courtney’s grip was actually strangling me!  
“Get… Off…” I choked out desperately, struggling to break free.  
“Awwww! Hugs!” Gramma wrapped me up.  
“Cannot… Breathe!!” I begged.  
“Oh!” Courtney, June, and Gramma all exclaimed at once and released me, backing away.  
I choked and coughed hard, smacking my own chest hard as I stumbled back.  
Courtney’s face was red, looking down, smiling.  
June was staring off the side, avoiding my glare, her face also red.  
Gramma was smiling at me, holding out a Flower Badge towards me. “Congratulations on your Flower Badge, Gary! You earned it! I totally screwed up, there. Ha ha!”  
I sighed and hesitantly took the Badge from Gramma’s hand. “Great…” I stared down at the Badge weakly and sighed again. “Thank you, Gramma,” I said, giving her a weary look.  
Gramma beamed happily. “Congratulations.”

*

“Don’t be so down, Gary.” June placed her hand on my shoulder. “You got your next Badge! How many more do you need, now?”  
“He only needs one more,” Courtney replied snootily, smirking proudly at June. “Right, Gary?” She turned to me.  
“Yeah, this is my seventh Badge,” I nodded, staring down at it in disappointment.  
“Whatever,” June grumbled, turning away from me, her hand falling off my shoulder.  
“Would a hug make you feel any better, Sugar Lumps?” Courtney asked me, opening her arms.  
I sighed as I looked up at her. Again? I thought. “Sure,” I said, not wanting her to think my sigh implied that I didn’t want to hug her, even though that’s exactly what it meant, along with other things I was feeling about her.  
“Yay!” Courtney pulled me into a hug, and I hugged her back, deeply inhaling the captivating scents from her body. “You earned that Badge, Gary. You only have one more to go, now! Isn’t this thrilling?”  
“Yeah,” I agreed, releasing Courtney.  
She took several seconds longer to release me. “So, where are we headed to next? For your eight Badge! And my tenth!”  
“I haven’t really checked out the Town Map for that information, yet.” I looked up at the TV screen in the Pokemon Center.  
Croakrah was now interviewing Multi-Platinum superstar rapper, Cray-Z, in his project upbringing of Resthorde-Styevesant in Brookelane, New Tork City. They both were sitting on the stoop of a raggedy old building, talking normally despite the presumable danger two powerful superstars might be in in such a dangerous neighborhood.  
I assumed that they must be surrounded by security and police out of the views of the camera, despite the occasional shots of the cameras scourging the neighborhood, displaying only muscular, scowling men in baggy jeans revealing their boxers, wife beaters, and du-rags, the occasional scantily clad female with a horrendous hairdo and a greasy, makeup soaked face standing around chewing on possibly gum.  
The video was suddenly interrupted as the screen glitched with a fuzzy, gray display and static, going back to the Croakrah and Cray-Z interview, and then cutting out quickly to the gray screen again.  
I gasped loudly and got to my feet. “Hey!”  
“Gary?” Courtney uttered fearfully.  
The video went gray again, and then displayed the interview once more before graying out again. The TV now showed a familiar display.  
A dark blue background sat behind a black silhouette, a metallic cane gleaming out amongst the figure. “You were all warned,” the voice spoke out in its cloaked voice, just above a growl, distorted strongly. “Team Solace was never one for threats that never were meant to become reality. To ensure that, our last promise that was unfulfilled years ago, will be guaranteed to come to fruition, in short time. Be certain of that, if of nothing else. No region is safe. Every person opposing us will be slaughtered. All Pokemon shall be annihilated.”   
The screen went gray again.  
After a moment, the Croakrah and Cray-Z interview returned on screen.  
My eyes were frozen on the screen, my heart in my throat. I felt a sudden desire for my heart to suffocate me if it were truly there. I wanted it to grow and continue beating, stopping my flow of breathing altogether and ending my life. I didn’t understand what was going on, and I no longer wanted to. The feeling of wanting to stop Team Solace, a feeling that was boiling within me, was too much to think about.  
Team Solace had ruined so much for me, and for so many other people in the world. They had pushed their thoughts of Pokemon being evil into the world, and some people even agreed with them. They had killed countless numbers of people and Pokemon to prove a twisted point.   
They killed one of my best friends.   
Aly.  
Team Solace had to be stopped, but there was nothing in the world I could do to stop them, despite how badly I wanted to be the one to do it.  
Aly…  
I closed my eyes tightly as hot tears burned behind them, pushing their way out from between my eyelids. A loud, attention grabbing tune made me open my eyes and look up at the TV.  
The news was now on, BREAKING NEWS traveling across the screen in bold, black letters, a young man no older than possibly twenty glaring out. “Hello. We interrupt your televised program for this breaking news update,” the young guy spoke sternly. “My name is Funds English. Striker’s Island, New Tork City’s main jail complex, has just come under attack by unknown attackers. It seems some form at explosives were set against the jail, and multitudes of prisoners have escaped. While a few of the prisoners have been reported as having died in the waters, many are reporting that white and black helicopters and submarines appeared and saved some of them.”  
I squinted in shock and slowly approached the screen.  
“As of right now, it’s unclear exact-” The man paused and squinted off to the side. “I’m sorry. Give me one moment, please. It would appear that there is more news that has just come in! The United States Penitentiary, Marreein, has just been attacked by unknown vigilantes, and an unknown number of prisoners are escaping despite efforts to keep them all inside! Unlike Striker’s Island, the prisoners here are far more dangerous and it is now suspected that the attacks on the jail and prison are deliberate!”  
“Oh, my gosh!” Courtney cried, taking me by surprise as she grabbed my arm, wrapping her arms around it fearfully.  
I jumped in surprise, not knowing she was going to do that, but my eyes never moved from the TV.  
“Officials are insisting that everyone remain calm,” Funds said sternly, though his voice was shaking. “They insist that everything will be under control, and that there is no-I’m sorry. Hold on! Breaking news! Falsesom State Prison has just been reported as being under immediate attack by some kind of attack aircraft! Prisoners are breaking free as we speak as officials are trying to stop them and maintain order!” Funds paused and swallowed, staring fearfully towards the screen. He didn’t speak a word.  
From the corner of my eye, I spotted something next to me, and I turned to see June, her hand over her heart, staring at the TV above us in terror.  
A list of prisons were slowly crossing the bottom of the TV screen in yellow print.  
“ABX Flourish Facility has just been listed as under attack…” Funds stated, his voice quivering. “Black and white aircrafts are being reported around the prisons listed below, though it is not clear what they signify, exactly. Officials are now certain that these attacks are not coincidental and are warning everyone to stay tuned to their local news and to stay indoors for the time being. This includes any Pokemon Trainers. All people, including Pokemon Trainers, are urged to stay indoors for the time being! I repeat! All individuals, including Pokemon Trainers, are urged to stay indoors at this very moment, until further notice! This is an emergency situation!”


	49. Letting Loose Old Gols

I stood up tall, puffing out my frail chest and staring down seriously at my six Pokemon I’d just sent out.  
Dugtrio, Elgyem, Drifloon, Excadrill, Unfezant, and Weepinbell were all looking up at me.  
“Guys, I think that right now, we have some-” I began.  
A sudden chattering noise reached my ears and stopped my sentence, and before I knew it, something flew by me, stopping near my Drifloon.  
“Rotom!” I said in surprise.  
Rotom floated in front of Drifloon, making an eager noise at her with a big smile on its face.  
“Rotom, this isn’t the time!” June insisted.  
“Floooon…” Drifloon lowered her head sadly.  
Rotom’s smile faded as it stared at her, and its body moved around as it said something to her.  
Drifloon kept her head down and didn’t say a word to Rotom.  
“Rotom, I said to stop!” June stomped over.  
Rotom always had a crush on my Drifloon, ever since it first laid eyes on her, and it always made an effort to do something kind to her.   
Drifloon always seemed to be both flattered and embarrassed by Rotom’s chivalrous behavior and would blush, but today, she didn’t seem to be in the best mood for some reason.  
“Rotom, I just said to cut it out!” June stood between the two Pokemon, glaring at Rotom. “Now get back over there!” June pointed.  
Rotom flew away quickly.  
June’s face softened as she looked up at me. “Sorry about that.” She quickly scurried away.   
I turned to my Pokemon, took a deep breath, and cleared my throat. “Right. Anyway, today, I think we need to have us all a very serious talk.”   
Most of my Pokemon stared back at me with wide-eyed innocence and interest.  
Drifloon was the only one staring at me sadly, floating close to the ground.  
“Excadrill, Dugtrio, Elgyem, Drifloon, Weepinbell.” I stopped at Unfezant and hardened my stare. “Unfezant.”  
“Fez?” Unfezant said in confusion, his eyes widening even further. The gauze that had previously been wrapped around his once injured tail was now gone.  
“Unfezant, this is regarding you,” I continued. “But this includes every single one of you guys, too.” I turned to my other five Pokemon.  
The clearing was silent, not the slightest breeze blowing through the grass and trees, the sun shining brightly above us in a clear, blue sky.  
June was leaning against a tree, her arms crossed as she watched the seven of us intently.  
Her Vaporeon sat on the ground by her legs.  
Her Galvantula was in an electrical web she had made right above June’s head, the web sparking every minute.  
Magnezone and Rotom were quietly listening to the serious discussion I was having with my Pokemon as they floated on either side of June’s head.  
June’s Electivire was sitting on the ground by a tree several feet away from June, his large fists on the ground, the Electric powerhouse breathing deeply as he snoozed.  
Courtney was standing at the opposite end of the clearing from June, watching my talk with my Pokemon with concern on her face, her Sceptile, Stoutland, Woobat, Maractus, Scraggy, and Crustle close by her.  
My eyes locked coldly onto Unfezant.  
“Unfezant…” Unfezant said softly, staring back at me.  
“Unfezant, you battled against a Krookadile sometime last week. Do you remember that?”  
“Unfezant. Unfezant,” Unfezant nodded hesitantly.  
“Yeah, and I remember it, too. The way you battled against it was unacceptable!” I scolded him.  
“Un…” Unfezant’s face fell into sadness and his head lowered.  
“Hey!” I said loudly, making all of my Pokemon jump in surprise, Unfezant lifting his head. “Are you aware of why I’m upset at you right now? Do you understand that I don’t care that you lost?”  
“Fezant… Unfezant?” Unfezant cried out to me.  
“You took things way too far in that battle, Unfezant! You were beaten in that battle, weren’t you?” I was practically screaming at him now. “You were taken down, Unfezant! You lost! You lost, but you continued putting yourself into a situation that could have gotten you severely injured! And then you did it again a couple of days ago against that Leavanny! What is wrong with you?”  
“Unfez… Un!” Unfezant’s face was full of emotional pain and confusion, my words clearly shocking my Flying type Pokemon. “Unfezant.”  
I swallowed, glaring at Unfezant as everyone else gazed at me silently.  
Even Electivire was no longer breathing heavily in his sleep.  
I couldn’t see Electivire from where I was facing, but I assumed he was probably paying attention now. “Unfezant, listen to me.” I took a step towards him.  
“Un!” Unfezant’s wings fluttered with fright and his feathers puffed out as he leaped back.  
“Unfezant, don’t do that,” I ordered him, and I bent down on one knee. I took a deep breath, keeping my eyes trained on him.  
Unfezant was shivering in place, staring at me warily.  
I took another deep breath and didn’t move.  
Unfezant continued shaking hard as he stood in place.  
Inhaling slowly, I looked into his yellow eyes. I held my breath and carefully lifted my right arm.  
“Fez!” Unfezant jumped a little bit at my movement and stumbled back a few feet, staring at my hand as it extended slowly towards him.  
I held my hand in the air towards Unfezant’s face, keeping my eyes on his. My face softened as a small smile crossed my face and I nodded at him. “There’s no need to be afraid of me, Unfezant.”  
“Unfezant…” Unfezant took another nervous step back, looking from my hand to my face repeatedly. His eyes then stopped on mine and they suddenly began to water. Tears rolled down his cheeks, immediately disappearing into his feathers. “Unfeezaaaaant!” Unfezant closed his eyes and even more tears began to run down his face, dripping onto the ground and streaming into his feathers, his body shaking with emotion.  
“Unfezant says that he’s-”  
I waved my hand silently at June, silencing her immediately. I didn’t need her help for this. I could handle this one all on my own.  
There was a snicker I ignored that almost certainly came from Courtney.  
My hand returned back towards Unfezant and I licked my lips, keeping my hand in the air patiently. “It’s okay, Unfezant. You think I’m mad at you for those battles, but I’m not, at all. I don’t care about you losing.”  
“Unfez?” Unfezant looked at me, tears running from his eyes nonstop. “Fezant! Unfezant!”  
“Unfezant, I care about how you lost,” I explained to him. “You seem to believe that I want you to win battles, which is true, but not like how you have been battling lately. There’s no shame in losing to an opponent, but there is plenty of shame in how reckless you’ve been fighting just to defeat other Pokemon in battle. It’s not the way to battle. It’s not how I’ve raised you.”  
Unfezant’s eyes shimmered behind his tears as he stared at me silently, his beak open a little. His puffed out feathers relaxed and rested against his body again.  
“I blame myself for not realizing what was wrong, sooner,” I told him. “I blame myself for not knowing when and how to handle the situation at an earlier time. The way you’ve been battling reflects my poor training and lack of experience.” I smiled wider and then chuckled a little bit. “Remember when you were just a little Pidove, and your memory was driving me insane?”  
Unfezant sniffled, his eyes closing tightly, and he nodded. “Unfezant!” he cawed loudly. His eyes opened.  
“And as a Tranquill, you battled really hard and weren’t struggling with any memory issues,” I told him. “But, now, you’re an Unfezant; and a mighty powerful one. But I can’t allow you to battle if you’re gonna push yourself this far. A loss is a loss. I raised you, and all of our friends, to be strong in battle, and to push yourselves to win, but going as far as you’ve been doing is unreasonable of any Pokemon Trainer to ask of their Pokemon.”   
Unfezant looked behind him at the rest of my Pokemon.  
“Trio,” Dugtrio smiled at my Unfezant.  
“Excadrill. Drill,” Excadrill nodded at Unfezant.  
“Bell! Bell!” Weepinbell bounced in place.  
Elgyem didn’t say anything and just kept his eyes on Unfezant in a creepy manner.  
Drifloon had her sad eyes on me, not even acknowledging Unfezant.  
“Unfezant,” Unfezant nodded at the Pokemon behind him and then turned back to me. “Unfezant!”  
I smiled at my Unfezant. “If you want to make me so happy, then I only ask that you do what I ask of all of my Pokemon.”  
“Unfezant! Unfezant!” Unfezant flapped his wings eagerly.  
“Battle hard, do your best, follow my instructions, and when it’s enough, it’s enough.” My arm was starting to hurt and began to shake, but I kept it in the air towards Unfezant’s face.  
Unfezant looked at my shaky hand and then returned his gaze to my face. He cried out gently and walked forward, placing his head against my hand.  
I smiled and relaxed my hand against his head, relieving my arm, and I rubbed his cheek. “And most importantly, let’s all grow together. As friends. As a family.” I looked towards my other Pokemon behind Unfezant, a buildup of tears starting in my eyes. “You guys are all family to me. I love you all. Forever. Your happiness is everything to me. Let’s have fun and be happy. To me, that’s what this whole journey is all about, in the end.”  
“Unfezant! Fezant! Fezant!” Unfezant flapped his wings and ascended a few inches from the ground, flying directly into my chest.  
“Whoa!” I laughed as my Pokemon knocked me over. “Hey!”   
Before I knew it, my other Pokemon had surrounded me and Unfezant, shouting out happily in the joyous moment.  
I heard a sigh and I looked over to see Courtney smiling down at us.  
“Well, if this isn’t the most heartwarming thing I’ve seen all day.” Courtney wiped at her eyes and sniffled.  
“Thank goodness,” June sighed with a smile, placing her hand over her chest. “Those battles Unfezant was having were really getting out of hand. I really hope that it’s all over now.”  
“And Gary did it all without your help, June,” Courtney said, keeping her eyes on me.  
Seriously, Courtney? I stared back at her in dismay.  
“What exactly does that-?” June turned angrily to Courtney.  
“Stout! Stout! Stout! Stout!” Stoutland barked loudly and leaped at Courtney.  
“Stoutland, no! Please! Don’t!” Courtney laughed as she was taken down by her huge dog.  
Stoutland licked her face aggressively.  
I turned to my own Pokemon and then noticed that only Excadrill, Dugtrio, and Weepinbell were around me, my Unfezant standing on top of me, and Elgyem floating to the right of my head, his red eyes on Unfezant. “Drifloon?” I looked around and saw her in the same spot she had been in when I had sent her out of her Dusk Ball, now sitting on the ground, her back to all of us.  
Rotom glided over to her slowly, looking down at her sadly. It spoke to her and smiled, and the tips of its arms sparked lightly with electricity.  
Drifloon didn’t move. “Flooooon…”  
Rotom’s smile turned to sadness and the sparks vanished from its arms.  
“So, what’s the map say?” Courtney asked as her Pokemon continued to slobber all over her face. “Where’s the closest place from here?”  
“Hello, sweetie!” June was bent over, her hands on her knees, smiling at Courtney’s Scraggy who apparently had walked over to her.  
Scraggy looked up at June’s face. “Scraggy?” It cocked its head at her.  
“It’s a pleasure to meet-yaah!” June screamed out as Scraggy leaped into the air and slammed its head into hers. She held her forehead as she fell to the ground, groaning in pain. “Hey! My head! Oooowwwwwww!!” June curled up on the ground, whimpering in pain.  
“I’m gonna assume you did that on purpose,” Courtney snickered, looking over at June, her Stoutland still on top of her, also gazing at June, panting with its tongue hanging out. “I mean, when I used my Pokedex to trade my Alomomola for Scraggy from Prof. Birch’s lab, Gary’s Pokedex data warned that Scraggy have a habit of Headbutting those who get too close to them, and not only that, but, you, of course, can read Pokemon. So, you knew that was gonna happen, right?” Courtney tried to restrain a giggle that quickly slipped out.  
June could only moan painfully in response.  
“June, are you alright?” I asked her, sitting up, Unfezant flapping his wings to fly off of me and land on the ground. I climbed to my feet and dusted off my clothes as I approached her.  
“I’ll be fine,” June moaned. “Just give me a minute.”  
As I got closer to June, Electivire turned to me, causing me to freeze, my eyes widening.  
“Vire…” Electivire turned to Scraggy, next.  
“Scragg?” Scraggy turned to Electivire.  
“Electivire?” Electivire sat still, staring at Scraggy.  
“Scraggyyyy…” Scraggy glared at Electivire, standing still.  
Electivire grunted as he got to his feet.  
Scraggy took a brave step towards Electivire. “Scraggy! Scraggy!”  
“Electiviiiirrre!” Electivire flexed his arms.  
June groaned as she lifted her head from the ground and sat up, turning to the two angry Pokemon. Her forehead was a deep red and looked like it hurt. “Huh? Hey! What’s going on?”  
“SCRAAAAAAAAG!!!” Scraggy ran towards Electivire and leaped into the air.  
“ElectiVIIIIIIRRRRE!!!” Electivire’s body sparked as he charged up an Electric attack to hit Scraggy with.  
“Electivire, don’t!” June pleaded.  
Scraggy’s body glowed red before he vanished in thin air.  
“You know, June, you really need to keep your Pokemon in check,” Courtney said angrily, now standing up next to her Stoutland, holding a Poke Ball in her hand. “I mean, it’s not fair that when we want our Pokemon to get a little fresh air for a change, we all have to worry about your crazy Electivire zapping everyone! Control that thing, will you?”  
“Your Scraggy is the danger!” June shouted. “Headbutt-”  
“Electivire!” Electivire growled.  
Courtney screamed as Electivire zapped her and she dropped to the ground.  
Stoutland growled as it glared at Electivire.  
“Electivire, that’s enough! Return, now!” June tried returning Electivire.  
Electivire leaped out of the way of the red beam from his Poke Ball and glared back at Stoutland. “Tivire!” Electivire ran towards Stoutland, one sparking fist pulled back as he prepared to use his Thunder Punch.  
Stoutland ran rapidly towards Electivire, its fangs glowing white as they spread apart.  
“VIRE!” Electivire swung his fist.  
“STOUT!” Stoutland’s jaws closed around Electivire’s fist.  
Electivire growled threateningly at Stoutland.  
Stoutland closed its eyes as it was shocked, but it sunk its teeth even further into Electivire’s fist.  
Electivire winced, trying to show no pain.  
“RETURN! NOW!” June and Courtney both shouted in unison.  
Both Pokemon glowed red and were returned back to their Poke Balls.  
June stared at Electivire’s Poke Ball sadly, rubbing it. She looked up at Courtney. “Courtney, I’m really sorry ab-”  
“Save it! I am so not in the mood right now, June!” Courtney shouted, flattening her blonde hair that was now sticking up in the air. Though she tried hard to flatten it back down, it continued to stick up. “Do you have any idea how much time I take to make my hair just right, just for one of your Pokemon to screw it all up?” She set her bag on the ground and dug through it, finally appearing with a pink brush and a pink mirror. She stood up and held the mirror in front of her, brushing down her hair, puckering out her open lips.  
Our Pokemon were looking back and forth between June and Courtney, shock on their faces.  
Dugtrio was nowhere in sight.  
I spotted a large hole in the ground and walked over to it, stopping when I saw Drifloon from out the corner of my eye.  
She was still on the ground, her back to all of the commotion behind her.  
June’s Rotom was now floating in front of her, its arms sparking as it fired designs in front of her quickly.  
One of the yellow, sparking designs resembled a heart before being replaced with another spark that took the shape of Drifloon! This spark was replaced with an image of Rotom and Drifloon with their appendages wrapped around each other as if they were holding hands. Rotom then formed an image of a Rotom, a Drifloon, and what looked like a much smaller Drifloon and Rotom between the larger Drifloon and Rotom.  
“Awwwwwww! Would you look at that?” June gushed with her hands clasped together at her heart.  
“How romantic!” Courtney squealed, still holding her mirror and brush as she bounced on her feet.  
“I don’t get it.” I crossed my arms and cocked my head in confusion.  
“Boys…” Courtney sighed, drooping her head as her arms fell to her sides.  
June just stared at me with disappointment, her arms crossed.  
Rotom’s sparks now formed a boy and a girl holding hands, the girl’s hair designed in blue electricity. The name Gary hovered above the boy, a blue arrow pointing down, and the name June was above the girl, a blue arrow also pointing down. A new shape then formed. The names and arrows remained in place, but the boy and girl now had their lips together, kissing!  
“HEY!!” I barked angrily, embarrassed as I felt my face grow hot. “What’s the deal?!”  
“ROTOOOOOM!!” June’s face was so red, it was as if she had dunked her face in a bucket of blood. Her eyes were wide and she raised her hands to her cheeks.  
Courtney was dying laughing, and she fell to her knees, her hands on the ground.  
Rotom was also laughing, and the designs went away, the electricity stopping altogether as it continued to stare at Drifloon.  
Drifloon’s head lowered further and she let out a low, mournful moan. “Floooooon…”  
“Drifloon?” I said, my anger going away as concern took over.  
Drifloon didn’t move or respond to me.  
“Hey! Drifloon, are you feeling okay? Drifloon!” I tried again.  
Drifloon didn’t make a sound. She just remained on the ground.  
“What’s going on with Drifloon?” June asked.  
I walked over to her. “Excuse me, Rotom.” I stepped in between the two Pokemon and faced Drifloon so I could see her face. “What’s wrong, Drifloon? You seem down today.”  
Drifloon floated away from me and towards one of the many trees in the woods around us. She ascended high in the air and drooped down on a tree branch.   
“Huh?” I gasped, feeling hurt, my heart beating at this rejection I was receiving from my own Pokemon. “Drifloon!” I called up to her. “Are you upset at me? Did I do something wrong? What happened?”  
“She’s depressed about something, it seems,” June commented, squinting at her.  
“Is it me?” I asked June.  
“I’m not really sure,” June admitted.  
“Drifloon, look here!” I reached in my jacket and unclipped the Flower Badge from within it. “We won this, thanks in part to you, Drifloon! Everybody, we won our seventh Badge! The Flower Badge!” I held the Badge high in the air.  
All of my Pokemon cheered in reaction, but Drifloon silenced us all as she let out a mournful wail, and then fell from the branch she was laying on.  
“Drifloon!” I ran towards her, reaching out to catch her.  
“Floooooooon!” Drifloon drifted away from me, deeper into the woods.  
“Hey! Where are you going?” I called after her.  
Rotom also called out to Drifloon and it flew after her.  
“I think it might be upset that it lost that Gym battle,” Courtney stated, still trying to keep her hair down as she brushed it, looking at Drifloon through her mirror.  
“Courtney might be right,” June nodded, her eyes on her Rotom as it floated past her. “Rotom, as sweet as it is that you’re concerned about your friend, I want you to come back, for now.” June held out her hand that contained Rotom’s Poke Ball and retrieved her Pokemon.  
“Oh? Reeeeeeally? I am? Golly! Maybe I possess powers to speak to Pokemon, too!” Courtney beamed, her eyes rolled up to the sky as she continued brushing her hair. She turned to her Woobat that was fluttering around in the air. “Woobat! Woooooooobat! Woobat!” she mimicked the Pokemon’s cry. She burst out laughing. “Did you understand that, Woobat? I said, I love you! Haaaaaaaaa ha ha ha!”  
June was shivering in fury, her face getting a deeper shade of red with every passing couple of seconds, her arms shaking as her fists tightened at her sides.  
“Drifloon, wait for me! Pleeeeease!” I shoved the Flower Badge in my pocket and ran through the woods after her, leaving Courtney and June to continue fighting if they so wished. I really didn’t care about their dumbness right now. Drifloon was my main concern. I skid to a stop as I remembered my other five Pokemon and turned back to see them all running after me.  
They all collided into me, knocking me over.   
I smiled at my group of Pokemon. “Come on, everyone! Return for now!” My Pokemon were all returned to their Poke Balls and I got to my feet, continuing my chase after Drifloon. I couldn’t see or hear her, and I started to become scared that, being that she was a Ghost type, she could just go through solid objects and escape from me easily, and being a Flying type, she could probably get away twice as fast. The trees in this area were really thin and spaced apart from one another, and I was grateful for at least that. “Drifloon! Get back here! Please!” I could hear hurried footsteps behind me.  
“Gary! Have you found her?” June called.  
“No!” I shouted back, running even faster as I tried to spot my Pokemon.  
“That poor Drifloon!” Courtney breathed tiredly. “We’ll find it, Gary!”  
“Drifloon is a she, Courtney,” June said, breathing hard.  
“June, I think the most important thing right now is to find Gary’s Pokemon, not start arguments, okay?” Courtney replied.  
June let out a growl. “Hey, wait. What’s that noise?”  
I could suddenly hear the sound of loud chattering. I couldn’t tell what it was, but it sounded like there were a lot of voices.   
“It’s a bunch of Pokemon!” June gasped. “They’re in trouble!”  
“My Drifloon?” I yelled with worry, looking back at her.  
“No! These are something else!” June shook her head.  
Courtney lowered her head and shook it, clearly not believing anything June was saying. Some of her hair had managed to stay down, but most of it was still sticking up in the air, making her look ridiculous.  
I looked ahead and suddenly spotted my floating Pokemon. “Drifloon!” I smiled with relief. Behind her, I could spot a small town several feet away. “What’s that?” I slowed down as I spotted the source of the noises June and I had heard.  
“It’s a bunch of Golbat!” Courtney exclaimed in horror.  
“What are they doing in that cage?” I demanded angrily, stopping near my Drifloon as I glared at the huge metal cage in the clearing that contained several Golbat.  
The Golbat were all crying out and flittering about in the cage, bumping against the bars and each other.  
“And who are you two?” June stared off to the side of the cage.  
I gasped as I suddenly noticed two individuals dressed in black.  
The two young men stepped forward, stopping in front of the cage. They wore black sneakers, black jeans, and thick, oversized black hoodies that came down past their knees. One guy was wearing a black beanie on his head while the other guy had his hood on.  
“What’s up?” the guy with the hood said seriously.  
The other man didn’t say a word and just stared coldly at us.  
The three of us remained silent.   
Who are these guys? I wondered, my heart beating fearfully.  
“What are you doing to those Golbat?” June asked strongly, angrily, stepping towards them bravely.  
“We just found these Golbat ourselves,” the hooded man insisted. “We were just about to set these guys free. We even found a key in the woods.” He held up a golden key and waved it in front of his face.  
The other guy remained still, not speaking at all, giving us a very unfriendly, threatening look.  
The hooded man walked towards one end of the cage, and the Golbat started chattering and flapping their wings even more frantically.  
“Stop it!” June shouted, and she ran towards the man.   
“June, what are you doing?” My eyes widened, unsure of what was going on.  
The man with the beanie suddenly moved forward, his face grimacing furiously, and he gripped June’s shoulders.  
June cried out as the man’s fingers dug into her.  
“Hey! Get off of her! What do you think you’re doing?!” I charged hard at the man.  
The man swiftly shoved June in my direction.  
June screamed as she stumbled backwards into me, the both of us falling.  
“Floooon!” I heard my Drifloon cry out.  
“Gary! June!” Courtney’s voice rang out.  
“Why so hostile, kids?” the man with the key smiled as he turned to face us. “Golbat don’t do so well in sunshine. They’re nocturnal, you know. There’s a nice town right up ahead. Hopefully they’ll find a nice place to stay safe and… heh heh… Eat.”   
The cage door swung open and the Golbat flew free in a loud chatter, flying away from us and shooting directly for the town. It wasn’t long before one of the Golbat crashed through the window of a one-story house, screeching as it went through and vanished inside.  
A few more Golbat were flying into the sides of houses and buildings, while the rest were soaring into the air or crashing into the ground, all of them flying blindly against the sunlight with their eyes closed tight, screaming out in anguish.  
“Why did you do that?” I screamed at the two men. “Huh? They’re gone!”  
The two men were nowhere in sight, and even the huge cage was gone!  
June gasped as she got off of me and turned to look where the cage had been.  
“Where did they go? How did they get away?” Courtney cried.  
“Who were they?” June questioned.  
“We have to help those Golbat!” I turned back towards the town.  
“Floooon!”  
I turned to the sound of my Drifloon to see her floating a few feet away from me, staring at me with sadness in her eyes. “Drifloon! Are you alright?”  
“Flooooon,” Drifloon nodded, gliding over to me slowly.  
The screams of an adult male made me jump and turn towards the madness going on in the town in front of us.  
What looked like four Golbat were in the air above tons of screaming people, attacking each other with a variety of moves including Swift and Poison Fang.  
A very fat man was trying to run, moving far too slow to get anywhere at the speed he was desperately wishing he was able to achieve, and another Golbat swooped at him and smacked him down from behind with one of its wings.  
“What are they doing? We have to do something!” I turned to Drifloon. “Drifloon, come back!” I returned her to her Dusk Ball and then ran towards the little town as screams from the people started to erupt and mix in with the shrieks from the Golbat.  
Groups of people were running from their houses and stores, screaming at the sight of the Golbat that were all causing chaos.  
Several Golbat started using Screech and Supersonic, the combination of which deafened me as I fell to my knees instantly, screaming and covering my ears, closing my eyes tightly as pained tears burned within them. I gasped as something shook my shoulder, and I looked up to see Courtney grabbing my shoulder and pulling on my arm, getting me to my feet. She pointed ahead and said something, terror on her face, but I couldn’t hear anything at all.  
She turned away quickly, closing her eyes at something she was unable to continue watching.  
I looked at what she had pointed at and my mouth fell open. My feet carried me backwards as I stumbled in fright and disgust. I had to swallow to keep from throwing up and I kept my mouth shut tight.  
June was by my other side, her mouth open in a silent scream.  
A group of Golbat had each grabbed an individual person, their mouths closed on the victim’s shoulder, or neck, or abdomen, or whatever else each one had latched on to. The people all had their mouths open in painful screams, but I was unable to hear anything that was going on, as if I was watching a horror movie on mute, the entire planet silenced. The victims beat strongly against the Golbat that were attacking them, but it wasn’t long before their punches, kicks, and slaps were becoming visibly weaker, their expressions less pained, and they were barely able to fight back against the Pokemon that seemed to be draining them of their life, blood running down the bodies of the victims and the killer Golbat.  
June screamed something at the Golbat, but I was completely deaf, clueless as to what she had yelled, my head throbbing painfully.  
A frantic motion to my left made me look over and see Courtney swatting at a Golbat that was trying to attack her!  
“HEY!” I screamed angrily, but I heard nothing from my own mouth. “GET AWAY FROM HER!!!” Someone ran past me, grabbing my attention, and I did a double take as I realized that it was June, also being chased by a Golbat! Her bag! I realized. She doesn’t have it with her! I looked at the ground where she had been standing and spotted it on the ground, wide open. We need our Pokemon now! I quickly grabbed a pair of Poke Balls from my waist. The hair on the back of my neck stood up and I whipped my head around. “AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!” I silently shrieked as a Golbat’s wide, gaping mouth flew at me. I ducked to the ground and crawled away, turning around as I leaped to my feet, but the Golbat turned around quickly and flew at me again, smacking my head with its wing, and I fell for a second time, dropping my Poke Balls. My already throbbing head was now beating as if a hammer were knocking against it, but despite the pain that was causing my eyes to water, I kept my eyes on the Golbat above me as I blinked out tears.  
Golbat screeched loudly, and this time, I heard it!  
I gasped. “I can hear!” I exclaimed as I looked up at the Golbat in fear.  
Golbat screeched at me again and then flew towards me.   
I screamed and grabbed a Poke Ball in my hand, shaking too hard to throw it. A shrill shriek from close by me took me by surprise and I nearly threw up from all that was happening. I swallowed hard as I felt my breakfast rise in my throat and I turned behind me to see a little girl with an even smaller little boy, both of them petrified, huddling in each other’s arms, shaking. I realized that it was the girl who had screamed when she closed her eyes and shrieked once again. “Get out of here!!” I screamed at them frantically.  
The Golbat flew past me and towards the children.  
“NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!” I pulled back my arm to throw the Poke Ball to stop the Golbat from attacking the kids. My breath was knocked out of me as another Golbat appeared and kicked me in the stomach, and my third Poke Ball flew out of my hand. I reached out for the Poke Ball, but the Golbat was now standing on my chest, crying out eagerly, and its fangs closed around my shoulder.  
I heard the children’s shrill, young screams.  
“VIRE!!”   
“AAAAAAAAAUUUUUUGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!” I bellowed as loudly as I possibly could as I was overtaken by an enormous pain throughout my entire body. Something’s… Shocking me… I thought painfully, my eyes closed tight.  
“VIRE!!”   
More electric noises were heard, along with the cries of the Golbat.  
“VIRE!!”  
More electricity sounded along with screams from the Golbat, this time accompanied by the screams of a few people.  
“VIRE!”   
Continuous electrical sparking sounds and screams from people as well as the Golbat.  
The pain going throughout my body finally started to fade and I was breathing hard on my back, trying to breathe a little easier. My eyes were opening and closing repeatedly before I finally got them to stay open, my body twitching painfully. It hurt to move, but I managed to turn my head towards the cry of the familiar sounding Pokemon. “AAAAAAAHHHHH!!!” I screamed in surprise and terror as I saw a Golbat lying right next to my head, sprawled out on its back, its body blackened in several areas.  
I heard several more screams from people, the Golbat, and Electivire.  
Gasping harshly and repeatedly, my body twitching, sparks flying from my body, I sat up on the ground, hunched over, keeping my eyes on the Golbat that lay motionless right next to me.  
Its eyes were closed, and it didn’t even seem to be breathing.  
I looked away from it and saw Electivire breathing hard, smiling, looking around.  
June’s hair was standing on end as she laid on her back with her eyes closed, her body sparking electricity.  
Courtney looked pretty much exactly like June, her eyes closed and her hair standing straight up in the air while she remained on her back, shooting off electricity from her body every few seconds.  
I gasped as I continued looking around and saw the bodies of the Golbat on the ground, none of them moving, human bodies also littered about, motionless.  
Most of the people on the ground looked severely dehydrated, their wrinkly skin looking like crumbled pieces of paper, their mouths open in silent screams of pain and fear.  
“Oh!” I said loudly as I looked to my right and spotted the two children whose screams had saved me from being attacked by the Golbat.  
The younger boy was now holding the slightly older girl in his arms.   
The girl’s neck was running fast with blood, staining her white dress almost entirely.  
I weakly crawled over to them, but then froze, unable to get any closer as my stomach began to churn and nausea made me back away a little bit.  
Neither child looked as if they were breathing.  
I swallowed the hot, sour taste of vomit back down my throat.  
A zapped Golbat was on the ground just a few inches away from the kids, not moving.  
Strong footsteps made me look up and I gasped, my eyes tearing up gratefully at what I saw.  
Three humans! And a healthy three, at that! An adult male dressed in all white, a small, white square with a pink cross on the right side of his shirt, ran into the area. Running on either side of him were a pair of Officer Jennys. Each officer was holding a gun in their hands, which they slowly lowered as they looked around them, their eyes widening. The three came to a stop and looked around in disbelief at the sight before them.  
“My goodness, is anyone still alive here? Can anyone hear me?” The man ran to a woman curled up on the ground, not moving an inch as the man bent over and gently turned her onto her back. He cried out and covered his mouth as he looked down at what was presumably a horrifying sight that I couldn’t see.  
The pair of Officer Jennys had put away their guns and split up, kneeling down to check on a body.  
“Please!” I called out weakly, and I painfully managed to wave my arm at them. “Help us!”  
The three looked up with surprise and gasped.   
“Over here!” the man shouted.  
The trio got to their feet and ran past the people and Pokemon laying still around them.

*

“Are you sure, Gary?” Courtney asked me fearfully.  
“Yeah, I’m sure,” I snapped at her. “There’s no doubt about it. This was the work of Team Solace. It’s time to just accept this. It’s undeniable.”  
“I’m sorry,” Courtney whispered shakily. She swallowed nervously, her eyes on the ground. “I’m just so shaken up by all of this. I think I could really use a hug.” She walked over to me.  
I opened my mouth to snap at her and tell her that now was not the time for a hug! That I had had enough of her always asking for them every single day!   
The pleading look in her eyes.   
The fearful expression on her face.  
I couldn’t be a jerk to her right now. Considering what had happened today, I closed my mouth.  
Courtney’s arms opened, but she froze, staring at me.  
I nodded slowly.  
Her arms slowly wrapped around me, and I hesitantly pulled her into a hug, inhaling her scent deeply and holding my breath.  
The three of us, June standing off to the side, staring at the ground and holding her second ice pack to her forehead, were silent for a long while.  
At this silence, I was unfortunately given the opportunity to dwell on what had occurred back in the town we had left.  
“The Golbat killed several people here, but luckily, not too many, if ‘luckily’ can be used for a situation like this,” the man dressed in white, one of the town’s EMTs, told me as the other EMTs arrived to check out the people and Golbat.  
The girls and I had already been checked on and were waiting with the EMT for the police to question us.  
June was holding an ice pack to her forehead.  
“I hate to say this, Miss, but your Electivire seems to have possibly caused a lot of problems here, as well. The Golbat seem to have been all malnourished. They hadn’t eaten in so long, combined with the fact that they were in the sunlight, which caused for their erratic behavior and attack on the town. They were starving. Once Golbat find a victim, they don’t stop draining their blood until the victim is sapped dry, and unfortunately, the people in this town became their food. Your Electivire’s shock was too powerful for their weak bodies and actually killed the Golbat. It is unfortunate that any of this occurred in the first place, but things may have gotten a lot worse had they not been stopped. However, stopping them didn’t exactly do much more good. Electivire’s shock not only hit the Golbat, but many people who had been drained of their energy by the Golbat. In a way, while the Golbat were stopped, we can be sure that a few people here who otherwise may have survived, were also killed by your Pokemon, and yet if not for your Pokemon, the Golbat would have likely killed them anyway. If we’d only arrived sooner, we may have been able to...” He stopped talking and stared down, shaking his head and sighing with uncertainty on what to say. “I don’t know... This was just all bad.”  
It was when another EMT worker had removed the body of a dead woman, that June had finally lost it and ran back into the woods, crying hysterically, and a moment later, I could clearly hear her throwing up.  
The woman was holding a dead, blackened baby in her arms.   
“You don’t need to tell your friend this, and, actually, perhaps you don’t want to hear this yourselves…” the EMT worker had hesitated. “This is only a guess, after all, but, it looks as if that woman, whether the actual mother of that baby or not, had been protecting the child from the Golbat. Electivire, trying to stop the Golbat, seems to have accidentally killed the baby in the process, and possibly even the woman trying to protect it. The woman did have a bite wound on her back and chest, but the baby hadn’t been attacked by the Golbat at all…”  
I released my breath from my lungs and looked up into the dark sky above, Courtney and I holding tightly onto each other as we stood on the wide, dirt road.  
There were no trees around us, and no grass beneath us. Just a huge, wide plain that we’d been traveling on for a bit.  
I had wanted to thank June for her help in saving our lives, but she had been completely silent since we left that town. I could only imagine what could be running through her head.  
There were countless things running through mine.  
The little boy and the little girl whose screams had saved my life from the Golbat were both carried away by EMTs.   
The boy was unconscious, but alive.   
The girl had actually flinched and moaned briefly when she had been lifted up before going silent as she was carried away. It was hard to know if she would survive or not.  
Team Solace.  
There was no doubt in my mind that the two guys who had set free the Golbat on that town were a part of Team Solace.  
Courtney, June, and I had informed the police of the suspicious individuals, but nothing could be found of the men or the cage they had mysteriously vanished with, which brought so much anger out of me, I was brought to tears.  
Team Solace had gotten away.  
There was no doubt in my mind that Team Solace was back to their old ways of trying to prove to the world that Pokemon were evil and should be destroyed.  
But when exactly did they return?  
Who is running Team Solace, now?  
It can’t be Isaac, I told myself. He’s dead. Could it be one of the remaining members that were still out there? Did they not completely disband? Could it be someone entirely new, with a new group of cohorts, using the same name as Team Solace? After all, Team Solace is nothing but a name for a mind state that anyone could have. It’s not limited to Isaac or the original crew from Team Solace.   
“The mindset of a group like that didn't solely belong to the leader.” Prof. Oak’s words from his interview after his lab had been attacked, spoke from my memory.  
The person who had interrupted the news to announce Team Solace’s return said that the promise Team Solace made years ago would be completed this time around.   
But, what promise?   
The promise to wipe the planet of all Pokemon?   
The promised judgment that Isaac had intended to deliver through the bomb he planned to use to blow up the Kanto region?  
I had not one answer to any of the questions I had in my head, nor the new ones that continued to pour into my mind.  
I was only sure of one thing.  
There was no doubt in my mind.  
That Team Solace and I would run into each other again.  
And it would happen.  
Really.  
Really.  
Soon.


	50. The Illusion Of Morality

The sun beamed high overhead in a cloudless sky this warm afternoon as June, Courtney, and I walked down the sidewalk of a small city that was the outskirts of our next destination where me and Courtney would be battling for our next Badges.  
I looked away from the Town Map in my hands to the buildings on the block we were currently on, which were mostly food stores, the occasional clothing or strictly shoe selling store popping up rarely. Across the street to my right, I could see similar stores.  
A teenage boy who was walking by glanced up at us before looking at the ground and walking around us quickly.  
“Where are we?” Courtney asked quietly, her eyes scanning the city.  
“Not far from the next city with a Gym,” I answered, staring firmly ahead.  
“You never did tell me where we’re headed to,” Courtney said gently.  
I could tell by the somber tone of her voice that she was still deeply troubled by what had occurred recently with Team Solace and was trying hard to hide it and move on.  
Ever since I had decided that we would continue on our journey back in Verdew Town, despite the warnings for everyone to beware of Team Solace’s return, as well as the warnings to be on the lookout for any prison escapees, the tone in our group had started to get more serious.  
Back in Kanto, when Team Solace had first emerged, I was confident that they’d be put to a stop, even by my own two hands. They were stopped, but in the process, many people and Pokemon were killed or injured, including me and my Pokemon.  
But now, Team Solace had returned, and I no longer felt any confidence in being able to stop them myself. I knew that they had to be stopped, and I was certain that someday, they would be. I just wasn’t sure how, or when. I sometimes even found myself fearing a world where Team Solace was unstoppable and had achieved their victory and vengeance on the world.  
“Gary?”  
Courtney’s voice made my heart jump and I turned to her. “Huh?”  
“Are you going to tell me at all?” she asked me, her eyes on the street ahead of her. “I’d like to know where we’re headed to.”  
“We’re just outside of Virbank City,” I answered her, looking down at the Town Map. “That’s where my eighth Badge and your tenth Badge are located at.”  
“I wonder where the Unova League Conference will be held this year,” Courtney muttered.  
“After I get this final Badge, we can figure out all that, I guess,” I said. “It’s the middle of April. We still have a few more months to go until that time arrives.”  
Courtney simply nodded.  
June rarely spoke the past couple of days, which meant no arguments with Courtney, thankfully. But her obvious sadness was weighing me down, making me feel depressed. After what had occurred during the last Team Solace attack we had encountered, I knew that June was going through a lot, mentally.  
I stared at her sadly, wondering if there was anything I could say or do, or if I should just be quiet and let her handle this on her own. If I say nothing, will I seem like I don’t care? I questioned. If I ask how she is, she may not be ready to talk and end up snapping at me. I turned my gaze to the pavement, feeling even worse as I chose not to speak.  
“Virbank City is where rock music superstar, Roxie, lives, right?” Courtney asked, looking at me.  
“That’s right. She’s also the Poison type Gym Leader,” I said, turning to her.  
“She’s the bassist and frontwoman for the band Wheezing and the Explosions,” Courtney added.  
“Yeah,” I muttered. I wasn’t a huge fan of their music. It was just too loud and hectic.  
“It’ll be cool to meet a celebrity,” Courtney said softly.  
A loud scream made me jump and I looked around, Courtney and June gasping.  
A woman was shrieking at the top of her lungs, pointing across the street at a building.  
“It’s on fire!” Courtney pointed at the building as well.  
Indeed, one of the taller buildings on the block was entirely on fire!   
“Whoa!” I looked around to see if anyone was calling the fire department.  
Several people in the area were already on their cell phones, yelling urgently for help.  
Screams called out from several of the windows near the top of the building, and I could spot people reaching out desperately from the windows, begging for help as the flames on the building burned even stronger, engulfing the building further. I watched in horror as the entire building became coated in nothing but burning, red-hot flames, and the people reaching out from the windows were no longer in sight behind the fire. My eyes were stuck on a woman with a baby in her hands, her body still hanging outside of a window near the top of the building, and with a scream, right before she vanished inside of the fire burning her, her baby fell from her arms!  
The crowd around me screamed, June and Courtney included.  
I covered my mouth and watched, taking a few shaky steps forward as I watched the child fall, shrieking all the way down.  
With a determined cry, a man ran towards the flaming building with his arms outstretched. His eyes were glued to the falling baby, his feet pounding pavement as he got closer. He was mere inches away...  
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The building suddenly exploded!!  
I covered my face with my arms and dropped to my knees instinctively, holding my body sturdy as I prepared for the oncoming force of the explosion to throw me back.  
Screams filled the air, the sound of sneakers and shoes beating against the pavement as people ran in a panic.  
I looked up and gazed around me. “OW!” I was knocked over by somebody as they ran into me.  
The man soared over me and collapsed, scrambling quickly to his feet and running away.  
June was sitting on the ground, breathing hard as she gazed where the building had stood.  
Courtney was on her knees, shivering as she turned to me, her eyes bulging with terror.  
Something overhead darkened the area quickly, and the three of us, as well as those still in the area, looked up into the sky.  
Pitch-black clouds had formed above, and they were flashing continuous, bright beams of lightning that forced me to close my eyes. What’s happening? I thought as I squinted. “AAAAAHH!!” I screamed as a beam of lightning crashed into the ground with a loud BANG! several feet away from me, and I scrambled backwards in a panic.  
Smoke rose from the hole in the cement that had been created by the bolt of lightning.  
BANG!  
ZAP!  
BANG!  
“AAAAHH!”   
“NO!”   
I turned at June and Courtney’s screams and closed my eyes against a bright flash of light that shone in front of the girls.   
When the flash faded, there were holes that were billowing smoke in front of them, as well.   
The three of us stared at each other with fright, unsure of what to do next.  
I wasn’t even sure if running was the best option right now.  
“Come on!” Courtney yelled to me, and she grabbed June’s wrist, pulled her to her feet, and ran, June crying out as she stumbled behind her.  
I looked around, not feeling safe to follow after them.  
Lightning was now striking the ground all around the city, people running and shrieking as they tried to get to safety.  
A lady ran past me, screaming her lungs out.  
One bolt of lightning landed right where she was running, zapping her in a bright flash.  
I closed my eyes tight with a gasp so deep and sudden, I choked. I tried to swallow, but my throat had closed entirely, and I couldn’t even breathe. No! I thought to myself as my body shook, scared at what I had just seen. No way! No! A loud growl froze my thoughts before they could continue, and even my body refused to move. My heart beat even harder in my chest at the noise behind me, wondering exactly what it could be as I tried once again to swallow, but my saliva remained in the back of my mouth, no room for it to fit down my tight throat. The loud series of roars that followed was almost enough to make me piss myself. I whipped my head around and didn’t move again for a moment.  
Lions?!  
Yes.   
A long row of lions stood several feet behind me, blocking the street and snarling ferociously at me.  
I racked my brain for any memory of any helpful tips I might have picked up on what to do if encountered with a large pack of lions in the middle of a city, but nothing came to mind! Don’t run, was all I could come up with. So I remained still as the lions stared back at me. Maybe, don’t look them in the eyes? I thought. My eyes lowered to their large paws. Real lions, I said to myself fearfully. How are lions all the way out here?  
“My gooooooosh!!” a lady screamed from close by.  
It was at her scream that I turned and noticed that there were several people behind me, all staring at the lions with mortified faces.  
The lions roared, causing us all to scream.  
Many people started to run away.  
The lions roared again.  
The lions ran at us.  
Every single one of us screamed as we all split up into different groups, running in different directions.  
Some people ran down alleys to the left.  
Some people took off down alleys to the right.  
The rest of us, including me, ran straight ahead.  
That was when I spotted June and Courtney near the front of this crowd I was a part of, running together, Courtney still gripping June’s wrist.  
Every group was screaming for their very lives which were in immediate danger.  
The lions followed whoever they wanted, splitting up and following those who ran down the alleys, while the remaining group of lions ran after my group.  
I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the oncoming threat, my breathing now blocked by my heart that made its new home in my throat, thumping rapidly, my throat feeling as if it was expanding from the pressure.  
A lion leaped away from its pack, towards my running, terrified group, and its paws forced down a man right next to me.  
His scream tore through the air sharply as the lion roared victoriously.  
I couldn’t bear to watch and didn’t dare look back, keeping my eyes on the street ahead as the victim’s screams intensified.  
“Can’t we use our Pokemon?” Courtney shouted out from way ahead of me.  
“I can’t reach mine!” June insisted. “They’re in my bag!”  
“Why don’t you keep those things on your belt like the rest of us?” Courtney grabbed a Poke Ball from her waist and looked behind her before turning her head to look forward.  
A large group of creatures scurried quickly out of an alleyway ahead of us, taking every one of us by immense surprise as we came to a collective stop, gasping and crying out loud.  
The sight of the beasts in front of us was the only thing that could have possibly made me, and I’m sure any of us, stop in my tracks while a pack of ravaging lions were behind me.  
Courtney’s Poke Ball dropped from her hand and she fumbled with it as she struggled not to lose it. “Bears? Bears?!”  
The black bears roared again and charged at us.  
I looked behind me and saw the lions all leap into the air towards us.  
With a determined yell, I ran towards June and Courtney. I took a strong leap at June, yanking on her arm as I ducked down, causing her to scream for I’m sure was multiple reasons.   
“Gary!” she screamed at me, dropping onto her knees with me. She swallowed, her eyes wide.  
“Courtney!” I yelled at her as I pulled June with me, crouching down low and scrambling uncomfortably on one hand and both knees.  
Courtney screamed a bloodcurdling scream before taking off on her own, running across the street to the sidewalk and opening a building door, slamming it shut behind her.  
She’s safe, I thought with great relief. At least, I think she is… What is going on here?!  
The lions leaped right over me and June’s heads and collided with the oncoming group of bears and the humans in front of them. Blood was instantly splattered as the bears and lions attacked every living thing before them, slaughtering the humans in the way, and each other, viciously.  
I staggered up to my feet as I backed away, a shocked, disgusted look on my face as I watched the massacre.  
The bears were slashing into the lions’ faces while the lions sunk their deadly jaws into the bears’ claws, ripping into the bears’ faces with their claws as well.  
Humans in the midst were torn through with ease as the fighting ensued.  
The roars made me feel as if I were in the middle of an earthquake, though my body was the only thing quaking, not the ground. I couldn’t take anymore of the visual and turned to June.  
June was gripping her bag in her arms, her face pressed against it, her eyes shut tight as tears flowed from them.  
“June, we need our Pokemon! Get all of them out of your bag! Now!” I grabbed her shoulders strongly as she continued to cry and I gave her a demanding shake. “Right now, June! We don’t have time for this! Come on!”  
June’s eyes opened and she turned to me, fresh tears still streaming down her cheeks. “Is that safe? Fighting against animals, I mean! Are our Pokemon safe doing that? Are the animals going to be alright? What about those people?? I can’t kill again, Gary! I never meant to send out Electivire against those Golbat. His Poke Ball was the first one I could grab in such short notice!” June shivered in front of me, crying harder than ever, shaking her head. “I can’t, Gary! I didn’t mean to do what I did back there to those Golbat and those people! That baby! I can’t do it again! I just can’t, Gary!”  
“June, that wasn’t your fault!! That was Team Solace’s fault!” I yelled at her impatiently. “And this isn’t the same thing! This… I don’t know what this is! But we need to stop it, June! People are-!” A shrill whistle rang through my ears, and for some reason, I felt like the sound had been ringing for several minutes, and only now had I finally acknowledged it. I stopped my words and stared at June silently, my mouth hanging open mid-sentence.  
June stared at me with a confused look on her face, tears still rolling quickly down her face.  
We both looked up into the sky, towards the sound we were hearing.  
“Huh?” I gasped in disbelief.  
Despite the deadly battle that was taking place before June and I, my eyes were taken by the blazing ball of fire that was shooting through the sky.  
My open mouth tried to say something, but I couldn’t find the words to describe what I was seeing, and I couldn’t exhale the slightest bit of air out of my mouth to speak the words, even if I had them.  
A large meteorite was flying down towards the city, billowing large clouds of black smoke behind it, the blazing rock dazzling under the dark clouds that were still covering the sky, lightning flashing their warnings within them.  
It was easily the most beautiful sight I had ever seen in my entire life. I was captivated by the beauty, as well as the horrifying sight, of the oncoming danger.  
The screams and roars around me were not for the meteorite, but from the bears and lions and humans being torn apart, unaware of the relief of death that was soon to be given to us all as the meteorite’s whistle grew louder, my ears stinging painfully from the sound.  
I grit my teeth together tightly, too petrified to even move my hands to cover my ears.  
The meteorite got closer to smashing into the planet, ready to end a lot of lives.  
I inhaled deeply and held my breath as my eardrums felt ready to explode. Contrary to how my mind works, not a single thought was in my head.  
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!  
I closed my eyes and stumbled backwards, gasping in surprise that I didn’t actually feel the force of the explosion shove me back at all. My eyes widened in shock as I tripped over my feet and fell.  
June screamed for her life and covered her head with her arms.  
I’m… okay? I thought in confusion, checking out my body to see if maybe I had lost my legs or arms or anything at all and just hadn’t felt the pain from it right away. I was completely intact. I grabbed at myself all over, not understanding what was going on. “I’m okay?” I looked at June. “June! You’re okay?”  
June lowered her arms slowly and turned to me, trembling. “Huh?” She looked down at herself. “Hey! What?” She patted her body, making sure she was alright everywhere.  
The battle between the lions, bears, and the human victims was still ongoing as if a meteorite had not just landed mere feet away from them. I couldn’t tell what was human from animal. Everything was covered in blood, and it just looked like a crowd of red, slimy creatures roaring, screaming, and swiping at each other, running blood soaking the street underneath and all around the group.  
I turned to where the meteorite had landed, and my mouth dropped open so wide, I was sure I had lost the bottom of my jaw. “COURTNEYYYYYYYY!!!” I bellowed at the remains of the building Courtney had run into.  
The building was now nothing more than a burning heap of concrete and rising debris.  
“NO! No! Courtney!” June screeched.  
My eyes teared up immediately as I managed to my feet and slowly backed away from the building.  
The huge cloud of dirt that was rising into the air from the wreckage was filling the area quickly.   
I covered my nose and mouth with my shirt, my vision distorted by water continuously building up inside of my eyes and flowing out from them.  
June was coughing loudly as the dust got to her.  
Not Courtney! I thought as I frantically blinked away the tears. Courtney’s still in that building!! I inhaled deeply and then pulled my shirt down. “COURTNEEEEEEEEEEEYYYY!!” I shouted at the top of my lungs. I inhaled and exhaled rapidly, quickly choking on the air. Patting my chest, I kept my eyes on the building, unconcerned with whatever I was breathing in. Not Courtney… I let out a weak whimper, choking and coughing hard.  
“Don’t worry! Everybody, remain calm!”   
I inhaled and choked on the filth of the air as I turned to my right and spotted three people, one woman and two men, run by me.   
They stopped a few feet away from me and turned to June and I.   
The three wore matching brown jumpsuits. Huge, funny-looking metal devices were around their heads, resembling binoculars on some level. The lens were very thin and ended in a tiny red tip.   
“They’re real!” the woman nodded before looking away with one of the men.  
The remaining man kept his face at us. “Are you kids okay?”  
“Who…?” I asked weakly, confused.  
“Don’t worry, kid. Everything’s about to be alright,” the man nodded reassuringly.  
A loud cry rang out, and the five of us turned swiftly.  
“A Dragonite!” I pointed into the sky.  
“Dragonite?” June said.  
Another loud cry made me look into the air behind me. “Whoa! What’s that Pokemon?”  
“I think that’s a Gabite! Or its evolved form!” June spoke up.  
“It’s neither!” the man who had addressed us, shouted, staring up at the Pokemon. “Neither of these monsters are real! It’s Illusion!”  
“What?” June and I gasped as we turned to the man.  
“What are those?” I stared at the objects the three people now held in their hands.   
They looked like silver toy guns. The triggers of the guns were black.  
The Dragonite roared and opened its mouth, threatening to attack.  
The other Pokemon roared as well and its body became surrounded by spiraling, orange streaks. A purple energy surrounded the Pokemon and it flew at us with incredible speed.  
June and I screamed.  
I stumbled back in fear, bumping into somebody, but too afraid to look away from the Pokemon as it got closer to us. Dragonite roared behind us, but I couldn’t look away from the deadly bullet that was the other Pokemon ready to finish us off. I closed my eyes and prepared for the impact, gritting my teeth tightly.  
“FIRE!” the woman behind us shouted.  
Several sharp noises rang out.  
I heard June gasp. “What?!” June cried. “Wait! No! Stop it! What are you doing to those Pokemon??”  
More sharp noises tore through the area.  
My eyes opened and then widened, followed by my mouth.  
The threatening Pokemon were gone.  
“Noooooo!”  
June’s scream made me turn around. “June?”  
June was running towards two dark figures on the ground.  
The three people were holding their guns at their sides.  
“Dragonite…” I squinted into the sky where the two Pokemon had been, but they were both gone. My head lowered at a small noise, and I stared at the two creatures on the ground that June was now kneeling next to.  
“What are those things?” I asked, taking a couple of steps towards them.  
“Zorua and Zoroark,” the lady from the trio answered me, removing her strange glasses.  
“Zoro…” I pulled out my Pokedex.  
Zorua. The Tricky Fox Pokemon. They are about as tricky and playful as Ditto, using a similar tactic to remain hidden from predators and Trainers, called Illusion, which allows it to duplicate anything it desires.

Zoroark. The Illusion Fox Pokemon and the evolved form of Zorua. With the Ability of Illusion, they can duplicate anything they wish, although their true move sets are only the moves they know how to use themselves. However, they can create illusions of other moves to fool others.  
“Zorua and Zoroark…” I muttered as I stared at the two Pokemon that were lying in the middle of the street.  
“These creatures were causing chaos throughout this city, and we have put an end to it, once and for all,” the women of the mysterious three spoke solemnly as the two men with her removed their glasses from their faces.  
“Illusion…?” I looked around me, and for the first time, I realized that the smoke from the collapsed building was now gone, the air completely clear! I actually gasped as I looked around me and realized that the entire area was different than it had been just moments ago!  
There were no bears anywhere!  
The lions were all gone!  
The bloodshed and death that had been taking place just feet away was replaced with confused looking people on the ground, looking around, stunned and scared.  
The sky was cloudless and blue, the sun beaming brightly overhead.  
The building that was on fire and had exploded earlier was fine, standing tall and posing no threat to anyone!  
The building that had been hit by the meteorite was now standing tall, showing no signs of having been demolished whatsoever!  
The front door to the building opened…  
“Courtney!” I shouted. “Courtney! You’re okay!!” I ran towards her immediately and hugged her extremely tightly, as if checking to make sure she was real.  
“Gary!” Courtney gasped, hugging me back. “Well, this is a nice surprise! What’s going on?”  
“You’re okay!” I squeezed her even tighter.  
A low rumble rang out in the distance, barely noticeable to my ears.  
“I am! But, I’m really not sure what’s going on here,” Courtney said.  
“Who are you creeps?” June shouted angrily.  
I released Courtney and turned around to June.  
She was glaring at the three people with the guns, fury on her face.  
The three people looked up into the sky before looking back at June.  
“We’ve stopped the terror of the Zorua and Zoroark,” the man told June.  
“No! You were terrorizing these two Pokemon!” June screamed furiously as she got to her feet.  
“We did no such thing,” the woman responded.  
“Zoroark told me!” June fumed. “She told me what you three did! Zorua and Zoroark were trying to escape from you three this entire time, using illusions to hide from you three! Now, who the hell are you three?!”  
Nobody spoke as all attention seemed to focus on June.  
The sound of sirens was heard in the distance.  
“You saved my life!” a weak voice yelled, and I spotted a tiny old lady with a wooden cane hobble over to the three individuals with guns. She stopped in front of one of the men and extended her shaky hand towards him.  
The man slipped his gun into his pocket and knelt down on one knee, grasping the old woman’s hand in both of his. He kissed her hand and spoke to her in what sounded like Spanish.  
The old lady spoke back to him in the foreign language, nodding her head at him, smiling.  
“Thank you for stopping them!” a younger woman cried out as she stumbled towards the three people. She clasped her hands in front of her face and smiled at the strangers.  
“Not a problem at all, Miss,” the female member of the trio nodded and smiled at her.  
The rumble got louder and it started to grab my attention, but I was more focused on what was happening before me.  
“I can’t believe it was those crooked Pokemon who did all of this!” A man stepped up quickly to the three people and extended a beefy palm at the last man who was still standing on his feet. “Thank you.”  
The two smiled as they shook hands strongly.   
“All in a day’s work, sir,” the man nodded with his gun still in his hand.  
“You’re all heroes!” a woman exclaimed. “You saved us all!”  
The ringing of sirens was getting a lot closer and louder.  
“To think such evil Pokemon truly do exist!” a man shook his head in disgust.  
“They’re all evil, sir,” the woman with the group who had stopped the Zorua and Zoroark told the last man who had spoken.  
My heart stopped as I squinted at the woman who just spoke. “Excuse me?” I had meant to speak louder, but my question came out in a weak whisper.  
Multitudes of police cars, fire trucks, and ambulances turned the corner at both ends of the street we were all on and roared towards us, screeching to a stop near us.  
Officer Jennys, firefighters, and EMTs piled out from their vehicles, hurrying down the street in confusion, looking around.  
“What’s going on here?” one of the Officer Jennys shouted sternly.  
The rumbling above got even louder and closer, and I looked up into the sky. At first, my eyes squinted at the familiar looking craft flying slowly through. Only seconds later, my eyes widened and my heart dropped as I recognized the helicopter as it flew above us all, the bottom half that was colored black, the top half colored a glimmering silver.  
The helicopter soared by everyone swiftly.  
I didn’t take my eyes off of it until I saw the aircraft behind it, colored in the same pattern, a long rope swinging from the open door, dragging along the ground.  
“Remember Team Solace for having saved you in your time of need!” the man who was still holding the old Spanish lady’s hand said as he got to his feet calmly.   
The rope lifted off of the ground as the aircraft soared past the helicopter and ascended quickly into the sky.  
The man who had just stood up, smiled at the old lady before him and nodded, and then startled the woman as he jumped and grabbed the rope, climbing up it with ease, and he was followed by the other man and woman wearing jumpsuits.  
“Be on the right side of the fence when Judgment Day arrives!” the woman declared, looking down at us all from the rope she clung tightly to as she and her partners rose higher into the sky.  
The aircraft flew away quickly, carrying away the three members of Team Solace, the helicopter flying away at a slower pace as it ascended as well.  
The crowd comprised of bystanders, June, me, Courtney, EMTs, firefighters, and Officer Jennys watched the skies as the aircraft and helicopter flew out of sight.  
People were just now starting to exit the buildings they had been hiding in during the attack from Zorua and Zoroark.  
June looked back down at the two dead Pokemon.  
“So-lace... So-lace... So-lace... So-lace, So-lace, So-lace, So-lace,” a man chanted firmly. “So-lace, So-lace, So-lace, So-lace, So-lace, So-lace.”  
I turned in anger and disbelief at the chant, ready to rage at the man, but I paused as more people joined in.  
“So-lace! So-lace! So-lace! So-lace! So-lace!” People were beginning to chant even louder, clapping to the beat. “So-lace! So-lace! So-lace! SO-LACE! SO-LACE! SO-LACE! SO-LACE! SO-LACE! SO-LACE!”   
I turned around in alarm as nearly everyone was now chanting the name of Solace.   
Even some of the officers and a couple of the firefighters were joining in the cheering, while everyone else watched the crowd in awe.

*

“Astilbe Town, best known for its Battle Club, had been under attack for the past week by a group of Kabutops and Armaldo,” the newscaster, Martin Space, said seriously from the TV screen, dressed in his brown suit. “The town has been evacuated entirely. After having defeated powerful Pokemon Trainers’ entire teams, as well as chasing out police officers who were sent in to shoot down the Pokemon after the situation could no longer be handled civilly, which resulted in a few officers being killed, special SWAT team forces were brought in. While a few of the Armaldo and Kabutops were stopped and killed in the process, some of the Kabutops and Armaldo had managed to escape and the hunt for them is still ongoing. Officials are demanding that anyone in the nearby areas, such as Mistralton City or Icirrus City, remain indoors until further notice, whether you are a traveling Pokemon Trainer or not. Astilbe Town is currently in ruins and has been labeled as uninhabitable for the time being.” The screen showed images of destroyed buildings and upturned earth before returning back to Martin in the newsroom. “These attacks are only one of many involving otherwise considered extinct Fossil Pokemon who once thrived millions of years ago. The appearance of multitudes of different, living Fossil Pokemon have investigators stumped. Meanwhile, these deadly creatures that have been in the news lately are continuing to attack people, cities and towns, wildlife, and also other Pokemon. We will be right back with more right after this break.”  
As the news faded away, a commercial for Pineapple laptops came on.  
The chants for Team Solace from the crowd earlier echoed in my head as I reflected back on the moment. I hadn’t forgotten it for a second, and it was undoubtedly one of the most terrifying moments of my life. I had witnessed Team Solace convincing people that what they were doing was right.   
Back when I had been traveling through Kanto on my first Pokemon journey, there was a news report proclaiming that a small amount of people did believe in Team Solace’s goal.   
On some level, my mother was one of those people.  
Team Solace was clever in their own way. They made Zorua and Zoroark out to be the bad guys when all they had been doing was defending themselves.  
I could feel a resurgence of determination inside of me telling me that I needed to be the one to help stop Team Solace the very next time I saw them. I couldn’t let them get away with this anymore. Members of Team Solace were in my grasp, and I let them get away, once again.  
Never again, I promised myself.   
“And we’re back with your daily news coverage as constant news continues to flood in,” Martin returned. The bottom left hand side of his screen had a smaller screen containing a young woman who was standing with a microphone to her lips, staring strongly at the camera. “Bealice Manta is currently in Accumula Town, and has reportedly been gaining some rather surprising information for us. What do ya have, Bealice?”  
The section of the screen that Bealice was in expanded and took over the entire screen, Bealice standing near a familiar spot in Accumula Town, dressed in black pants and a white, button up blouse. She stood next to an older man with graying hair. “Thank you very much, Martin. Recently, I was asked to conduct a survey asking about the feelings of the return of Team Solace and how people have felt about their goals and attitude regarding the species of Pokemon. This survey has been conducted multitudes of times over, even since their reign about three years ago. The public has had very mixed reviews, but the majority of people back then agreed that Team Solace needed to be stopped. It would seem, however, that this consensus is swaying strongly! We have Mr. Elian Vatay with us right now, a citizen of Accumula Town, who wishes to express his opinion. Good evening, sir!” Bealice moved her microphone over to the man next to her.  
“Hello, Miss!” the man spoke firmly, glaring at Bealice, and then turned awkwardly to the camera.  
“Sir, please, explain to us your opinions about Team Solace!” Bealice insisted.  
“Right! Well, at one point, I wasn’t sure what to think of those guys,” Elian admitted in his creaky voice. “They were slaughtering Pokemon left and right, and as the father of a Pokemon Trainer for over thirty-five years, I defended Pokemon and opposed Team Solace. But, I was secretly conflicted on the inside. What they were doing seemed wrong, but… I kind of understood what they were trying to do! I couldn’t admit it, especially to my son, who loves Pokemon with his life, so I went into denial, refusing to accept anything Team Solace was doing as reasonable, even to myself. Even when I could feel that, deep down, I did kind of get it! But, now, I can’t hold my tongue anymore, Miss! Especially after these latest events with the Zoruark and whatnot. I truly am starting to see what that group is getting at! These guys are like our guardian angels, not the terrorists they’ve been labeled as! They’re protecting us from the things they’ve been warning us about! Pokemon are indeed a threat and are the destruction of the good old-fashioned definition of ‘family!’ Allowing our children to roam the world at the tender age of ten? Our kids should be in school, learning something! Not getting killed! And the words that that that Prof. Oak said about fighting against Team Solace, or whatever it was he said, was nothing but reckless! I was shocked to hear him demand such a thing of our youth! I used to respect that man, but he’s clearly gone off the edge, if you ask me! Enough is enough, ma’am!”  
“I see,” Bealice nodded, smiling at Elian as she took back her microphone and the camera zoomed in to focus only on her. “We appreciate your perspective.”  
A little screen appeared on the bottom right hand of the screen, Martin staring out from it with focused eyes.  
“I’ve been receiving a lot of responses like this, recently, not only showing support for Team Solace, but hatred towards Prof. Oak for the now infamous speech he gave,” Bealice said. “Back to you, Martin.” Bealice’s screen vanished and Martin’s took over.  
“That’s not even what the Professor said,” I muttered, glaring at the TV.  
“I agree with that man,” someone in the Virbank City Pokemon Center burst out. “Ever since that old coot said that thing about getting ready to fight back, I felt kind of strange about it. Glad to know someone else feels the same exact way.”  
“Yeah!” another man said, turning to the first man. “Those words angered me! I have a thirteen year old kid out there and I’ve already told him he has to come back home, right away! His journey is canceled!”  
“Good luck with that,” a woman shook her head. “I let my eleven year old out, and I’m lucky if I hear from him once a month! It’s like I just don’t exist anymore! I gave birth to him, housed him, fed him, for over ten years! And this is the thanks I get? Oy!” She raised a hand to her forehead with a sharp slap! and shook her head, lowering her head in distress, her eyes closed.  
“That Prof. Oak is a nuisance,” a different woman shook her head angrily, her curly red hair bouncing. “I have twins out there that I worry about every day! The last thing I need is to worry about them fighting against a very determined, powerful group that is only out there to keep them safe. I think Prof. Oak needs to retire and the Kanto region could use a new professor.”  
“Prof. Oak is one of the most highly respected professors in his field!” another man stated.  
“Well, I think it’s time he stepped down and let someone else fill those shoes!” the redhead snapped impatiently at the man. “I’m sure another professor could do just as well, okay?”  
The man nodded and lowered his head, unwilling to get into an argument.  
“In fact, I think all of this Pokemon nonsense just needs to come to an end, already!” the woman continued ranting. “I’ve had about enough of all of this!”  
Everyone was silent now, staring at the woman as her voice broke with emotion at the end of her sentence.  
She sniffled and wiped at her right eye. Her hand lowered into her brown purse and she pulled out a small cell phone. After pressing the touch screen a few times, she stopped and stared at the screen. I couldn’t see what she was staring at, but I could see the tears streaming down the woman’s cheeks. Her finger swiped at the screen again. “Sam and Adam,” the woman cried in a low voice, swiping at the screen again. “My babies. What was I thinking letting them go off on their own like that?” Her face lowered against her phone as she wept painfully.  
My heart stung in my chest at the sight of this woman undergoing so much stress.  
One man walked up to the woman and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, staring sadly at her.  
A couple of other people in the Pokemon Center glanced over at me, June, and Courtney.  
My eyes met with the people and we stared at each other uncomfortably before they both looked away and walked over to console the crying mother.  
June and Courtney turned to me, but I didn’t move. They know, I realized. They know we’re Pokemon Trainers. This entire debate is all about us, basically. Me, a kid with little contact with his mom, traveling the world as a Pokemon Trainer. This is the stress we all put our parents through. This is what it looks like. It’s not just my mom being crazy. Any parent would lose it and probably even lock their child up in their house to keep them safe. Out of love. But does that justify the actions of Team Solace? Does that justify what occurred today with Zorua and Zoroark?  
Any other day, I’d have an immediate answer of “no.”  
Any other day, I’d have some kind of thought in the back of my mind trying to view the situation without bias, trying to understand both sides of the situation to at least be able to see things from both perspectives, even if I knew the other viewpoint was wrong.  
Any other day, I’d have stood confidently behind what I believed, regardless.  
But today was a different day.  
Today, I had parents that weren’t my own, in the same room as me, viewing the same situation I was, and reacting to it.  
Today, I had conflicting feelings about Team Solace’s main objective, and how good or bad it was.  
Back in Kanto, Team Solace often angered me. Provoked me. Instigated me. There were days when they even scared me.   
But I was never afraid to fight against what they believed. Not even once. Because I knew that they were wrong in what they were doing.  
Today.  
I was afraid to fight.


	51. Poison On The Stage 2

I stared at the blue screen as the phone rang.  
“A Trainer was found in the middle of the road near Dewkey City, mauled half to death,” a woman stated on the news from the TV behind me. “Jason Moe was raising a Luxray, a Pokemon known for being very prideful and dangerous to raise without proper care. It’s believed that the Trainer may have been unsuccessful in feeding the Pokemon’s need for praise and constant attention, and the Pokemon turned on him. Jason is in critical condition while his Pokemon, Luxray, is still on the loose. Police are warning people that this lightning fast Pokemon is dangerous and to avoid it at all costs. Please call your local police department if you believe you have spotted this Pokemon.”  
Thunder rumbled outside, and I turned to the window as lightning flashed, raindrops pounding against the window rapidly.  
“Hello?”  
I gasped as the beautiful face of Prof. Juniper suddenly appeared onscreen. “Professor Juniper!”  
There was a squeak next to me.  
“Hello!” She squinted at me. “Say…” Her eyes widened in realization. “I know you, don’t I?” A smile crossed her face. “Yes, of course! Gary, from Pallet Town! You visited my lab when the two new Trainers were on their way and then you ran off when I went to give you a Pokedex! I remember you were with your girlfriend.” She sighed as her eyes lowered, clearly reflecting on June.  
A second squeak reached my ears.  
“That wasn’t my girlfriend,” I muttered, and then I lowered my head in shame. “But aside from that, that day we met is kind of why I called. I know you know what all of that was about, now, and I called to apologize. I felt so terrible about just leaving you like that. I just-”  
“Now, now,” Prof. Juniper said sympathetically. “Relax. Prof. Oak explained everything to me. I understand. Don’t worry. I’m glad that you called me, Gary. All of your Pokemon are with me and doing just fine. I have Primeape, Porygon-Z, Butterfree, Darmanitan, Cottonee… Um… Baltoy, Seismitoad, Sawk, Noctowl, and Kingdra. You have an amazing collection of Pokemon. And, please, continue to feel free to swap your Pokemon at any time.”  
But not Charizard, I thought without meaning to, and I blinked rapidly, trying to hold back the emotions within me as tears tried to fill my eyes.  
“I also have your Archeops, who has created a tree in the area outside of my lab and is doing just fine.”  
“It created a tree? What do you mean?” I asked her.  
“Well, Archeops has a very strict diet,” Prof. Juniper explained easily. “It’s an omnivore, meaning it eats both plants and meat. It seems to be particularly picky about the plants it will eat. The kind it seems to like no longer exists. Luckily, Archeops has several seeds from ancient times on its body, and it has planted one outside in the back of my lab. It lets out a cry that triggers the seeds to grow into a tree that produces the very fruit it eats! Take a look!” Prof. Juniper shuffled through things on the table in front of her for a moment before finally holding up a tablet computer.  
“It’s Archeops!” I stared at the picture of an Archeops sitting on top of a huge tree that resembled the one I had seen so close to Verdew Town in the forest where we had been chased by the Vigoroth.   
There was another excited squeak next to me.  
“This is your Archeops, and that is the tree it created!” Prof. Juniper lowered her tablet, smiling at me. “It’s been years since I’ve had the chance to care for an Archeops. This catch is rather remarkable, Gary.”  
I smiled and lowered my eyes, embarrassed by her compliment. “Yeah, well, thanks,” I chuckled nervously.  
“Unfortunately, due to this Pokemon’s strict diet, I think it’d be best that we not transfer it or send it to you at all while you’re out traveling on your journey,” Prof. Juniper said sadly.  
“What? Why?” I cried in disappointment.  
“Well, remember, it has such a strict diet!” Prof. Juniper told me.  
“Ooooh…” I immediately knew where she was going with this.  
Another thrilled squeak cried out next to me.  
“How are you going to be able to supply it with food? And, this Pokemon was extremely difficult to get to calm down,” Prof. Juniper continued. “The amount of damage it did to my lab is enormous and extremely costly. You have no idea what I went through before that picture was possible to take! I sure do miss Bianca. She’s just a little bit clumsy, but things are a lot harder around here without her!” Prof. Juniper smiled.  
“If I may ask, where is she?”  
“She’s in the Sinnoh region right now with the previous Pokemon Champion there, Cynthia, doing some research on some ruins for me,” Prof. Juniper answered. “She should be back in about a week, but then I have to send her off again somewhere else for some more research I need her assistance with.”  
“Oh, okay,” I nodded. A thought came to my head. “Professor, you have Porygon-Z, right?”  
“That’s right, Gary,” she nodded eagerly, and her eyes seemed to light up.  
My eyes widened in surprise at her reaction to my question.  
She seemed… happy?  
“And… How has that been for you…?” I asked slowly. “I was thinking of taking it back if it’s been giving you a hard time.”  
I heard a gasp at my side.  
Prof. Juniper laughed lightly. “Prof. Oak warned me that Porygon-Z was quite the troublemaker, and to protect all of my files about a thousand times over, but, for me, Porygon-Z has been a total sweetheart!”  
“It has??” I burst out louder than I meant. “Really??”  
“Yes, of course! It’s been a delight to have! If you do want it back, you’re welcome to retrieve it, but, I’ve been learning so much about it and we’ve been having loads of fun together! Porygon-Z has been quite useful in my research.”  
“That’s… amazing!” I laughed. “If it’s not giving you any problems, then, please, keep it a while longer!”  
“Okay, that sounds perfect to me,” Prof. Juniper replied with delight.  
A sigh of relief was let out beside me.  
“Ha, I really can’t believe it! Prof. Oak was going mad taking care of Porygon-Z. I’m glad it likes you.” My smile faded as I thought of Prof Oak. “Have you heard from Prof. Oak by any chance?” I asked the female professor, interrupting her as she had started to say something to me. “Is he alright?”  
The squeak next to me returned.  
“Oh, yes, he’s doing well,” Prof. Juniper nodded. “He gives you his best regards and says not to worry about him.”  
“Tell him I’m worrying, alright? I was terrified! Even after they said he was alive, I wasn’t comforted until I saw him with my own two eyes!”  
“I was exactly the same,” Prof. Juniper nodded. “What a relief!”  
“Yeah,” I nodded back.  
Neither of us spoke, and the squeak returned.  
I sighed. “Professor Juniper, I hate to ask this of you, but, do you think you could do me one little favor?”  
Her eyes widened. “What’s that?”  
I glanced at June.  
She was standing to my right, bouncing on her feet the entire time, her hands clasped together in excitement, her eyes glistening like diamonds as she squeaked impatiently, smiling at the screen as if the answer to all of her problems was staring back at her from it.  
Sighing, I turned back to Prof. Juniper. “Would you be so kind as to speak to June? She’s been-”  
“June??” Prof. Juniper’s eyes widened and she swallowed. “June?!”  
“Well… if-yaaahh!!” A loud scream rang out and I was pushed out of the chair and I dropped to the floor.  
“Professor Juniper, do you remember me?!?! It’s me, Juuuuune!!!” June screeched with delight. “I can’t believe we’re meeting again after all this time!! I swear, it was all Gary’s idea! I had no plans of leaving you like that! Gary gets so impulsive and just doesn’t think sometimes, I swear! I’m so sorry! I tried to talk him out of it, honestly. You have nooooooo idea how hard it is to deal with him sometimes. He is so hardheaded sometimes, but then, other times, he can be really thoughtful and caring. Did you hear how, when you said that I was his girlfriend, Gary got all mean and grumpy and said, ‘she’s not my girlfriend?’” June mimicked my voice terribly. “What a grouch, huh? I mean, I’m not his girlfriend, but, like, why does he have to sound so upset over the assumption? He does that with everyone who asks. You know, I can still read Pokemon, if you need a new or extra assistant around! Who is this girl that you have, anyway? Is she pretty? Is she nice? Can she read Pokemon? Speaking of which, is Porygon-Z really behaving itself, now? I can’t believe you like Porygon-Z! I mean, that’s toooootally something we have in common! I love that Porygon-Z!”  
My face twisted in disbelief at June’s words as I stared up at her, squinting angrily, my mouth open in shock. Really, June? I thought with building rage as I recalled all the hatred and fear she had for Porygon-Z back in Kanto and when I had it with me briefly in Spart Town. REALLY???  
“Gary just let that poor, adorable Pokemon do whatever it wanted, and so when it went to Prof. Oak, it was evidently poorly trained and just simply didn’t know better,” June went on. “It was so out of control, I couldn’t even read the poor little baby! I’m glad that darling is in good hands, now. You know, when I was a little girl-”  
I quickly got to my feet and scurried backwards out of the Pokemon Center, keeping my eyes on June, shaking my head at her in anger, not believing what she had just told Prof. Juniper about Porygon-Z.  
Prof. Juniper’s mouth was hung open in shock, an already exhausted look on her face as June blabbed on about nothing.  
The rain poured down on me and I flinched, shutting my eyes tight for a second before opening them and looking up into the gray, cloudy sky. Thunder rumbled lowly as I looked away and turned to my left, and then to my right, before I spotted who I was looking for.  
Courtney stood by herself at the front of the building, a pink umbrella over her head. She turned to me and smiled. “Hey there, Sugar Lumps!”  
I nodded awkwardly and sighed as I looked up into the sky again, rain falling onto my face, and I closed my eyes. My body shivered in the cool air as a light breeze blew around me. A needed comfort was felt from both outside and inside of me as I stood in the rain, my hands dug deep into my jacket pockets. Charizard, I thought to myself. Where could you be at right now? My eyes filled with tears, pressing up against my eyelids. I inhaled deeply and then exhaled shakily, a shiver running down my spine. Just go back to Pallet Town. Find Prof. Oak. Don’t go looking for me. Don’t go out doing whatever it is you’re doing right now. I lowered my head and opened my eyes, staring at the ground. He has to be out looking for me, I told myself. What else could he possibly be out there doing? Whatever it is, it’s too dangerous for him to be out like this by himself. Especially now, with… I stopped my thought and closed my eyes even tighter, narrowing my eyebrows in anger. I couldn’t bear to continue thinking about it any further. “Hm?” My thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of a sound I had heard all night last night, which made it hard to fall asleep.  
Courtney had seemed to be enjoying the racket last night.  
June was impartial to it, not really hating it, nor enjoying it.  
It was the sound of loud rock music. It was blasting from somewhere.  
Thunder crashed loudly above, making me jump and look up into the sky.  
Lightning flashed brightly, startling me, and I nearly tripped over my own feet, just barely catching my balance. I straightened my jacket, looking around, embarrassed, but only Courtney was around, and her eyes were on the sky. My eyes scanned Virbank City, wondering where the music was coming from. Roxie? I wondered. The rock music artist lives here. Could it be her making all that noise? Hmm. Poison type Pokemon. Drifloon, Unfezant, Dugtrio, Elgyem, Weepinbell, and Excadrill. A Steel type like Excadrill will do great since Steel types are immune to Poison type moves. Elgyem is Psychic, so his Psychic moves will be strong against Poison types, and so will Dugtrio’s Ground moves. I grabbed the six Poke Balls from my belt and tossed them into the air. “Alright. Come on out, everybody!”  
“Floooon…” Drifloon drifted slowly to the ground and stayed still, looking sad.  
“Unfezant!” Unfezant landed on the ground and looked up at me proudly. He then looked up into the sky above him and rustled his wings against the falling rain.  
“Elgyem!” Elgyem’s dots blinked repeatedly at me.  
“Bell! Bell!” Weepinbell said.  
“Excadrill!” Excadrill greeted me, raising his claws into the air. “Ex?” He looked up at the sky, glaring at the falling rain.  
“Trio! Trio! Trio!” Dugtrio sang out. In an instant, he went underground, also clearly bothered by the rain.  
“Alright, everyone, listen up! Let’s have us a quick little pep talk, okay?” I told my Pokemon.  
My Pokemon all nodded except for Drifloon, who didn’t move at all, and Dugtrio, who returned to the surface to listen to me, shivering uncomfortably in the rain.  
Thunder exploded above, accompanied by flashes of lightning, and all of us, including Courtney, screamed out and looked up at the sky.  
Dugtrio disappeared underground again.  
“Elgy!” Elgyem floated over to my right shoulder and took a seat, wrapping his arms around my neck as he kept his gaze on the sky.  
“It’s alright, everyone,” I choked out against my Pokemon’s tight grip. “Just a little storm, alright? I want everyone’s attention, please!”  
Dugtrio reappeared again, his eyes on me.  
I nodded at him with a smile. “Listen, guys. We’re in Virbank City, the home of our final Gym battle.” I looked over at all of my Pokemon, my eyes stopping on Drifloon. “She’s a Poison type Gym Leader, so you guys should be on guard. I know you’re part Steel, Excadrill, but Gym Leaders always have little tricks to get around their weaknesses and stuff, so you stay ready, as well.”  
“Excadrill!” Excadrill nodded.  
The rest of my Pokemon, aside from Drifloon, nodded determinedly.  
“Drifloon?” I walked over to her and got down on my knees, wiping at the rain running down my face.  
Elgyem continued to hang on tight to my neck.  
“Drifloon, what’s wrong? You’ve been out of it for like, two weeks. Will you please tell me what’s going on? Why are you so down? Are you sick? Do you want to go with Prof. Juniper instead of traveling with me? I’m worried about you. Speak to me, Drifloon. I’m here to help you.”  
“Floooooooooooooon…”  
Drifloon’s voice made me shiver as if I were naked in the waters of Antarctica. My arms wrapped around my shoulders as I trembled in place from the disturbing, haunting, chilling sound Drifloon had just made.  
My other five Pokemon all cried out in surprise.  
Elgyem whined in my ear, wrapping his arms around his body, and he fell off of my shoulder and hit the ground, shaking badly.  
Unfezant’s wings flapped in shock before his head turned around backwards as he settled down on the ground, also shivering, and he nestled his head against his wet feathers as they puffed up around his body.  
Excadrill dropped to his knees, holding his body.  
Weepinbell bent over.  
Dugtrio disappeared underground.  
“Sh-sh-she’s tired of letting you down, G-G-G-Gary!”  
“Huh?” I whipped my head around and stared at June and Courtney, both girls holding themselves tightly, shivering and getting soaked in the rain.  
Courtney’s umbrella was lying on the ground next to her.  
“Dr-Dr-Drifloon just said that sh-sh-she-she-she’s tired of l-letting you down!” June stammered. “Gosh, I’ve never heard such a mournful sound in all my life. I’m chilled to the bone by what she just said!”  
“I-I-I-I th-th-think I’m more b-b-b-b-bothered b-b-by h-h-how it said it m-more than anything else!” Courtney stuttered.  
“J-June, what are you doing here?” I asked, rubbing my arms to try and warm myself up, with failed results. “What happened to your call with Prof. Juniper?”  
“She suddenly got an important phone call from Bianca and had to go,” June explained sadly.  
I had a feeling Bianca hadn’t made a phone call to the professor. I shook my head hard as rain dripped down from my head and got into my eyes. “Drifloon is tired of letting me down? What do you mean?” I turned to Drifloon.  
My Pokemon were all staring at Drifloon, except for Dugtrio, who never returned back from underground, Elgyem the only one who was actually glaring at her.  
Her body slid along the ground as she turned away from me, her back facing me. “Floooon…” Drifloon moaned sorrowfully, weakly.  
“Drifloon?” I called to her.  
“She said that she’s a failure for you,” June told me.  
“I don’t understand! Why would you think that, Drifloon? You’re one of my most powerful Pokemon I own! Why would you think you’re a failure for me? I can always count on you for anything!”  
Drifloon’s body swirled on the ground, ascending quickly. “Floooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooonnnn!!!”  
My eyes slammed shut as I screamed from the freezing cold that surpassed any low temperature I had ever known, my screaming drowned out by a sudden explosion of thunder above. Even with my eyes closed, I could see the bright flash from the lightning that followed. There was no place on Earth that had temperatures as freezing as what I was feeling at this very moment. I couldn’t move, my body frozen solid, my arms wrapped around me, my scream silenced from my lips, but continuing inside of my head. My body leaned forward and I dropped to my knees, still unable to move, not convinced that I was even breathing. What is this? I questioned fearfully. Is this some kind of attack? Why is she doing this? I coughed, and my throat became sore from the action. I groaned lightly, falling to my side. My breathing was shaky and weak, but it was returning to me. I could now begin to feel my body shivering, and I tightened my hands on my shoulders. My eyelids slid apart very slowly, but I couldn’t see anybody or any of my Pokemon. All I could see was the ground and several buildings in Virbank City, rain continuing to drip into my eyes. Trembling uncontrollably, I carefully rolled over onto my knees, wishing that the chilling cold feeling would go away already, wondering why it was so cold now. My coat, I thought to myself, wishing I could just pull off my backpack and dig through it. But, no. It was a struggle to move as it was. I didn’t want to remove my arms from around me, even though they weren’t providing much, if any, heat. But I was afraid I might actually freeze to death if I moved them.  
“G-G-Gary,” a voice whispered from behind me.  
“H-huh?” I responded in too low of a voice for anyone but me to hear. I turned my head slowly and stopped as I spotted my five Pokemon.  
Drifloon was in the air, looking down sadly at me.  
Elgyem was on the ground, right next to me, his body huddled up, trembling, his eyes closed tightly.  
My other Pokemon were on the ground, struggling to stand up, shaking hard.  
Dugtrio was nowhere in sight, still hiding underground.  
I swallowed and cleared my throat, feeling my body start to warm up noticeably, and I lowered my hands to the ground and tried to push myself up to my feet. My arms were too weak, and I gave up, still shivering. “Drifloon,” I managed to speak to her. I inhaled deeply and tried again to get up, pushing my hands against the ground, and I stumbled over a few steps as I stood up, hunched over slightly. “Elgyem.” I bent over, nearly falling over as my energy was still just starting to return, and I lifted my Pokemon up, cradling him in my arms.  
“El…” Elgyem turned his head towards me and his red eyes stared up at me.  
“Come here,” I smiled. “It’s alright.” I brought his body closer to mine and turned to face Drifloon. “Drifloon…”  
My other three Pokemon managed to get up, but they were all now glaring at Drifloon.  
Elgyem also turned towards Drifloon, scowling.  
“Sh-she’s thinking about the P-Po-Pokemon League,” June’s voice reached my ears.  
I turned to see her standing up.  
She looked extremely pale, her lips blue, a white frost on her face that was quickly melting away. Her hair was matted around her head from the rain, her clothes thoroughly soaked and clinging to her body.  
Courtney was still on the ground, her arms around her knees, shaking as the rain drenched her.  
“The Pokemon League?” I asked June, shaking the rain from my eyes again. “She’s thinking about the Unova League Conference? I don’t understand.”  
June shook her head. “She’s ups-s-set ab-b-bout the K-K-Kanto League competition you competed in with her.”  
“Kanto?” I squinted at June in confusion, blinking drops of rain out of my eyes. “What does that have to do with anything?”  
“Sh-she lost…” June whispered.  
My lips opened at June’s words. “Lost…” I turned to Drifloon. “You’re upset because you lost at the Pokemon League?”  
“Floooon…” Drifloon drifted to the ground sadly.  
“She feels sorry for letting you down,” June said softly. “She’s felt like a failure for all this time since she lost way back then.”  
“Drifloon, is this true?” I approached her, my body’s temperature returning back to normal, and I kneeled down by her. “You’re upset over that?”  
Drifloon refused to look me in the eyes, keeping her eyes on the ground. “Flooooon…”  
“Drifloon, don’t you remember what you did out there? You faced a Solrock and beat it!” I reminded her. “You took out a Wormadam, and a Pikachu! And after all that, you stood up to a Gliscor and helped us beat it! You have nothing to be ashamed of! You battled incredibly, Drifloon!”  
“Flooooon… Floooooon…” Drifloon’s face flushed red as she shook it sadly.  
“Drifloon, you didn’t let me down.” I shifted Elgyem into one arm and reached out my other hand to touch the top of Drifloon’s chilly body. My hand pulled back in shock from how cold she felt. She looked up at me, and I smiled back. “Drifloon, you don’t let me down by losing a battle,” I spoke gently. “Do you know how many battles me and my Pokemon have lost together? I don’t care about that. Don’t you remember the talk we had a little while ago with Unfezant?”  
Unfezant ruffled his wet, puffy feathers, looking to me.  
“As long as we get back up and try again and do our best each and every time, there are no regrets,” I told Drifloon.  
“Floooon! Floon!” Drifloon closed her eyes and shivered, shaking her head.  
“I think she’s thinking about Gramma, now,” June told me. “She’s saying that she failed you, then, too.”  
“Drifloon, stop it!” I said loudly, my body feeling back to normal again, trembling from the cold of the rain.  
“Floon!” Drifloon gasped, looking up at me tearfully.  
“No more of this! Do you want to know what really is a letdown, or a disappointment, or a failure, for me?” I asked angrily.  
Drifloon didn’t answer me, staring into my eyes.  
“It’s when my Pokemon give up on themselves,” I told her in a more gentle tone, softening my angry expression. “It’s when my Pokemon don’t try their best. We can’t succeed if we don’t give it our all. We can’t learn from our mistakes if we don’t keep trying afterwards. We have to lose to know what we did wrong, and then try again. No matter how many times we fall, we get right back up and fight twice as hard, and twice as smart. We never repeat our mistakes. That’s the growth for a Pokemon, a Pokemon Trainer, and that’s part of the relationship between the Pokemon and its Trainer. And you know what else is a part of that relationship?”  
“Floooon…” Drifloon said lightly.  
“Love,” I smiled. “Friendship. Forgiveness. I love you, Drifloon. You’re one of my best friends. I know you’re a great battler because you give it your all. You lost a couple of times, but so did I. Your loss is everyone’s. Mine, Weepinbell’s, Elgyem’s, Excadrill’s, Unfezant’s, Dugtrio’s-”  
Dugtrio suddenly popped up from underground. “Trio!” he cried out fearfully.  
Drifloon didn’t take her eyes off of me.  
I smiled at Dugtrio before looking back to Drifloon. “Cottonee, Darmanitan, Seismitoad… Our old friends, Porygon-Z, Butterfree, Kingdra, Noctowl, Baltoy, Primeape… Charizard…” I paused as I remembered my Pokemon, and a sad sigh escaped my breath.  
“Floooooon…” One of Drifloon’s appendages reached up to my face and wiped at my right cheek.  
For a moment, I wondered if maybe I was crying, and Drifloon had wiped at a tear. It was hard to tell in the rain. I smiled. “Everyone. Even our newest friends, Sawk and Archeops.” I turned to my other five Pokemon. “When one of us loses, we all lose, but a victory is a victory for us all, as well. We support one another as friends. We back each other up. We comfort one another. Right?”  
Weepinbell, Excadrill, Unfezant, and Dugtrio agreed happily.  
Drifloon twirled and ascended into the sky, crying out with pleasure.  
“Mmmm.” I turned around at the sound and saw June smiling at me with her arms crossed.  
I smiled back at her.  
“Floooooooooon!!”  
“Drifloon?” I turned towards her as she cried out.  
Drifloon’s eyes were closed tight and she was descending rapidly. She hit the ground, moaning painfully.  
“Hey!” June ran forward and stopped in front of me, glaring at Elgyem. “He just hurt Drifloon!” June accused, pointing at Elgyem. “He just gave her a headache!”  
I realized that Elgyem’s eyes were glowing red.  
“Elgy!” Elgyem looked away from Drifloon on the ground and stared directly at June.  
June screamed as she gripped the sides of her head, her eyes closed tight, and dropped to her knees.  
Elgyem’s eyes faded back to their duller red color.  
“Elgyem!!” I yelled angrily as I gripped him by his shoulders and turned him around to face me. “I’ve already told you about that! What did we just get through talking about? We’re all friends here, Elgyem! Why would you do that to them? Are you mad?!” I wanted to shake Elgyem until his huge head fell off, but I restrained the urge and just continued to grip the Pokemon furiously, my fingers digging harder into his shoulders. My teeth grinded against each other as my eyes blazed at him. They would have caused Elgyem his own headache if I had the ability to.  
“Elgy! El! El!” Elgyem squirmed in my tight grasp, crying out painfully with his eyes closed.  
I loosened my grip and lowered my hold around his middle. “Elgyem, you and I are about to have some huge problems if you attack my friends like that again!” I said strictly. “I love and will protect you with my life, just like I would for any of my friends. Friends do not attack friends! That was uncalled for, Elgyem!”  
Elgyem lowered his head sadly and raised his hands, the dots on them blinking rapidly. “Elgyem.”  
June moaned, her eyes still closed, rubbing the sides of her wet head.  
“Floooon…” Drifloon moaned, glaring up at Elgyem.  
“Elgyem.” Elgyem struggled out of my hands and floated over to Drifloon, hovering just an inch above the ground, next to her. He raised his hands and the dots on them blinked repeatedly. “Elgyem. Elgyem.” He floated over to June, floating above her.  
June looked up weakly at the Pokemon, squinting in pain.  
The dots on his hands blinked at June. “Elgy. Elgyem.”  
June shot the Pokemon a dirty look, but nodded and then lowered her head, crying out weakly.  
Elgyem floated back over to my right shoulder to take a seat. “Elgy!” He raised his hands in the air, and the dots blinked once more.  
“He said sorry, basically,” June sighed, rubbing her head.  
“Fine.” I sighed. “You’re forgiven, Elgyem. Right, everyone?” I asked.  
Weepinbell, Unfezant, Excadrill, and Dugtrio all muttered their names as answers, looking away from me, to the ground.  
Drifloon didn’t say a word, staring coldly at Elgyem.  
June grumbled something.  
Courtney was silent behind me.  
“Hey!” I called out. “What did I say about love, friendship, forgiveness, and all that stuff? Let’s forgive Elgyem. He’s a good Pokemon, and our friend. Riiiiiiight?”  
My Pokemon grumbled again, Drifloon joining in this time, not taking her hard eyes off of Elgyem.  
“Sure,” June mumbled.  
I cleared my throat angrily. “Come on, guys!” I crossed my arms.  
My Pokemon all grumbled a little bit louder, turning to Elgyem.   
Drifloon’s glare faded.  
“Okay, okay.” June climbed to her feet. “But no more of that stuff!”  
Elgyem nodded quickly, and his dots blinked again.  
I nodded with approval. “Now, let’s go get that final Badge from Roxie!”  
My Pokemon all cheered eagerly.  
“Come on back, everyone!” I returned nearly all of my Pokemon, stopping as I gripped Unfezant’s Poke Ball. “Hey!”  
“Fezant?” Unfezant looked up at me with surprise.  
“I’m not sure if I’ll use you against this Gym, but regardless of that, you better remember: no more of that crazy battling. Okay? A loss is a loss. Don’t go too far for me, because that’s not what I want from you, okay?”  
“Unfezant!” Unfezant flapped his wings.  
“Good,” I grinned. “Now, let’s go!” I returned him to his Poke Ball. “You ready to get this next Badge, Courtney?” I turned to her, and my eyes widened slightly in shock when I saw that she was just a couple of feet away from me.  
“I just don’t want to go through whatever the hell that was with the freezing cold, okay?” Courtney told me uncomfortably, her umbrella opened over her head.  
“Don’t worry. It should be all okay, now,” June smiled proudly at Courtney. “So, what did you think?”  
“Huh? What did I think about what? The cold? It was horrible! Did you not get the gist of how I felt about it?”  
“Not that,” June replied smugly. “I just proved that I can communicate with Pokemon. There’s no doubt about it, now. You just witnessed it with your own two eyes.”  
Courtney gave June a bored look. “I told you already that Drifloon was sad because she lost her battle against Gramma back in Verdew Town, June. And you even agreed with me that I was right, too. Are you really trying to act like I didn’t say it first, now?”  
“What?! I-but-you-but-but-!” June stuttered.  
“I really expected better from you than to try that, June,” Courtney laughed. “Did you think I forgot that I said that first?” She laughed and turned to me. “I think the first thing we all need to do is change out of our wet clothes. And then we can get our Badges, right, Gary?”  
I glanced at the rage on June’s face, and even though it wasn’t aimed at me, I looked away in fear, opting to go inside of the Pokemon Center and away from her.  
Courtney took me by surprise as I started to walk past her and wrapped me up in a wet hug. Her lips brushed lightly against my ear. “Congratulations on working things out with your Pokemon,” she whispered. “You really know how to work with them.”  
“Thanks…” I said hesitantly, shivering from the chills I got from Courtney’s lips moving against my ear as she spoke, her breath blowing gently into it. My arms extended on their own and wrapped gently around her waist. It felt nice holding a female like that. Manly. Fulfilling. Meant to be.  
Courtney’s embrace tightened.  
Even though I couldn’t see either girl’s face, I knew that June was fuming.

*

“So, this is where that crappy music is coming from,” I noted, staring up at the tall, purple building with one row of tinted windows at eye level, another row of dark windows near the top.  
In bold, black letters just a few inches below the top row of windows were the enormous words: VIRBANK CITY POKEMON GYM: ROXIE. At the beginning and end of the block of words was a purple guitar. Below the words, an electronic billboard flashed the words: NEW ALBUM!!!!! The words disappeared and: POISON ON THE STAGE 2 rolled across the screen. THE SEQUEL TO THE CLASSIC ALBUM rolled across next. COMING MAY 2nd were the last words to go across the screen before the sign repeated its messages.  
The storm had stopped, but the sky was still gray and flashing with bright lightening.  
“This is gonna be your last Badge, Gary,” Courtney said, her eyes on the billboard above. “How do you feel?”  
“Excited,” I answered. “Terrified, in a way, too.”  
“You have to be strong,” Courtney told me, smiling at me. “For your Pokemon.”  
“Yeah,” I nodded, smiling back at her. “Come on, let’s go!”  
“Good luck, Gary!” June smiled at me.  
Courtney turned to June expectantly.  
June turned to Courtney, her smile fading. “Courtney,” she nodded.  
“Yes?” Courtney continued to stare at June.  
I stared at June, tilting my head.  
She looked at me and sighed, and then turned to Courtney. Slowly, a forced, strange smile crept across her face. “Good luck in getting your tenth Badge,” she spoke through teeth that never separated.  
“Thanks, Juni!” Courtney beamed. “Group hug?” She opened her arms wide.  
June and I exchanged quick glances before moving forward and hugging Courtney.  
“Alright, Badge number eight is mine!” I said as I released Courtney. I walked up to the Gym door, gripped the doorknob strongly, turned it, and shoved it open.  
The music inside literally forced me right back out of the building, and the door slammed shut.  
“Whoa!” I exclaimed, my heart beating hard and rapidly. I placed my hand over my chest. “What in the world?” I turned to my companions.  
They both had the same shocked expressions on their faces that I had.  
June swallowed and shook her head. “Guess she’s practicing?”  
“Well, it’s time for her to cut the music and get ready for a battle with me and Courtney,” I said strongly, and I approached the door again. I grabbed the doorknob and turned it, pushing open the door. The music inside tried to throw me out again, but I hung on to the doorknob and stood my ground. Glaring into the building with gritted teeth, I forced my way inside. My ears were already throbbing, my eyes squinting around at the astonishing sight.  
The inside of the Gym was more like some kind of rock show! An enormous crowd of people were roaring and singing with a young woman who stood in front of a huge stage.  
The female was screaming into a microphone that was held in its stand while she held her purple, pink, and black guitar in her hands, hanging from her neck by a black strap. Her white hair was combed down on either side of her face. She was wearing dark purple short shorts and an oversized, unbuttoned black button up shirt that reached down past her shorts and stopped right below her knees. Revealed was her short, black tank top that showed off her midriff. Her feet were in black boots that stopped above her knees, wrapped tightly with buckles.  
A bald headed man was also on stage with the singer, wearing a white wife beater that showed off his muscles as he drummed spastically behind the rocker, sweating up a storm.  
Another girl with a black and white guitar was rocking out onstage as well in front of her tall microphone stand, wearing red leather boots that reached right above her ankles, a red and purple dress that stopped just an inch above her boots, and way too much purple makeup around her eyes and lips. Her black hair was in one long ponytail.  
The last girl on stage seemed to be providing backup vocals as she sung into her microphone, holding her own all black guitar. She was wearing tight, green leather pants, the end of the legs tucked into her black and white sneakers, and a tight, dark green shirt. Her purple hair was in pigtails. She was the only person onstage with a dark skin complexion.  
The wall behind the musicians was covered by an enormous painting of a Weezing. Words in graffiti above the painting read: Weezing And The Explosions.  
A structure above the crowd was flashing multiple series of bright lights all throughout the room while four enormous spotlights were focused on the stage. A pair of huge screens hung from the side walls, showing close-ups of the performance, occasionally changing to show the crowd’s happy faces. A couple of speakers hung from high up on the ceiling, near the screens, with another pair of much larger speakers sitting on the floor in front of the crowd, while two more speakers were onstage.  
“Excuse me, do you guys have tickets?” A lady sat behind a long counter, a microphone sitting in front of her. Her ears, nose, and lips held a variety of rings through them, and her eyes were heavy with dark makeup, her lips pitch-black with lipstick. Her hair was cut really short around her head. The sleeves of her black shirt had been cut off sloppily, her muscles stretched against them. She lazily chewed on something as she looked us over. “Or perhaps you’re Pokemon Trainers here to challenge Roxie for the Toxic Badge.”  
“Yes! We’re here to battle Roxie!” I declared loudly against the deafening music. “Me and Courtney!” I pointed back at her.  
“Hi!!” Courtney shouted, smiling.  
“How many Badges do you kids have? You can’t face Roxie unless you have at least five Gym Badges!” the lady yelled over the music.  
“Five? Why’s that?” I asked her.  
“Because Roxie’s a superstar, dude!” the lady screamed. “Do you know how many people come in here claiming to be Pokemon Trainers, or claiming to have a ton of Badges, but really only want her autograph and stuff? It becomes annoying for a person whose job it is to test the skills of a Pokemon Trainer and his or her Pokemon to be battling losers who don’t really care whether they win or lose and just wanna upload their battles on V-UTube and brag about meeting a celebrity! So, you better have, at the very least, five Badges if you intend on battling Roxie.”  
“I have seven Badges, actually,” I boasted.  
“I have nine…” Courtney said in a voice that was nearly taken over by the loud music.  
The woman didn’t look impressed. “We’ll see about that. Lemme see your Badges.”  
I walked up to the woman and unzipped my jacket, revealing my Badges clipped to the inside of it.  
The woman reached under her counter and pulled out a gray scanner that she gripped by the handle. She squeezed the black trigger and a red beam hit my first Badge, the Trio Badge. She moved the scanner over the other Badges as it hummed lightly.  
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!  
She froze her scanner on the Flower Badge. “Nice try, kid, but that Badge is a fake,” the lady snapped her gum. “But, you do seem to have at least five legit Badges, so you can battle her. Now, how about her?”  
“Fake? Wait a minute!” I stared at the Flower Badge in confusion. “This one?” I removed it from my jacket quickly and looked it over. “I just won this Badge not long ago! This Badge isn’t a fake!”  
“It’s either a fake or insufficient, dude. You only have six Badges, alright? Now lemme check out what Badges your girlfriend here has.”  
“No! I won this Badge fair and square!” My heart was beating in a panic. I couldn’t believe what this woman was telling me. She obviously didn’t know what she was talking about. She was clearly making a mistake! “I beat Gramma in Verdew Town for this Badge!”  
The lady laughed at me. “Did you just say, ‘Gramma’? You battled your grandmother for that Badge?”  
“No! The Gym Leader is a young lady nicknamed Gramma! I beat her Grass Gym for this Badge, lady!”  
“I’ve never heard of this ‘Gramma’ Gym Leader, but your Badge is either a fraud or that supposed ‘Gym’ is no longer operating or something. You have six Badges, dude! What’s your deal? You can battle Roxie, alright?”  
“But…” This was unbelievable. This woman had to be wrong!  
“Gary, just get the Badge from Roxie and we can verify the Flower Badge’s legitimacy with a Nurse Joy,” June whispered in my ear. “Don’t get kicked out of here or anything, alright? You’re still allowed to battle for your Badge.”  
“Excuse me,” Courtney pushed past me quickly, holding her pink Badge case with dark red hearts all around it in her hands, and she opened it in front of her body.  
I couldn’t see the contents of the case, but I heard the BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!  
“My Badge is a fake, too?” Courtney cried, slamming her Badge case shut just as I got on my tiptoes to view her case’s contents.  
“Yeah. It looks like you both got duped,” the woman nodded. “But you both have at least five Badges, so you can battle Roxie, if you’d like.”  
“Yes! Right away, please!” Courtney nodded eagerly.  
I swallowed nervously, still in disbelief over the woman’s claims that me and Courtney’s Badges were fake! Slowly, I managed to nod, staring at my Flower Badge.  
The woman snickered. “You two look like you’ve already lost.” She shook her head.   
The three of us glared her comment.  
“Just wait. This song is almost over,” the woman smiled as she closed her eyes, scrunched up her face into a nasty sneer, and rocked her head hard, mouthing the words to a song I couldn’t understand.   
In the next few seconds, everyone was cheering and hooting loudly, applauding Roxie as the song ended.   
“That was the newest single off of the album Poison On The Stage 2, entitled, Cross Poison My Heart!” the woman in front of us shouted into the microphone. “Now, before we get into the next song, we’ll be having a pair of live battles to go along with the music!! YEEEAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!”   
Roxie smiled in my direction and nodded her head.   
“Go on, dude and dudette! Y’all are up!” The woman smiled and nodded her head towards the crowd.  
“Huh?” I looked.  
The crowd began to cheer even louder as they turned towards me, June, and Courtney.  
I noticed that Courtney’s face was now on the big screen on the left, my deformed portrait on the right screen. My screen face moved with my real face as I stared in disgust and embarrassment at myself.  
“What are you guys waiting for?” The lady got to her feet and walked around the counter. “Don’t be shy, now. It’s time to go, yo!”  
I gulped as I realized just how tall and muscular the woman was as she flexed her arms, standing at least seven feet tall.  
“Wait!” Courtney cried out.  
The woman grabbed Courtney by her waist and hoisted her high in the air.  
Courtney screamed her head off.  
The crowd roared with excitement.  
Both big screens were now focused on Courtney’s panic.  
“YAAAAAH!!” The woman tossed Courtney into the crowd as if she were weightless.  
Courtney shrieked at the top of her lungs as she landed amongst the groping hands and began crowd surfing, the screens following her journey. “Garyyyyy!!!” she wailed desperately as she got closer to the stage.  
“Courtney!” I called back in shock, and I ran past the woman, pushing my way through the crowd.  
The smell of humid, filthy humans in a contained environment, screaming and wearing themselves out under bright lights was disgusting, and I knew I’d need a bath when I got out of this place.  
In a matter of seconds, Courtney screamed out as she was tossed onstage. She got to her feet and dusted her clothes off, squinting at Roxie under the bright lights. She smiled at her. “Roxie! I can’t believe I’m meeting you! This is so cool! I remember when you guys were Koffing and the Toxics!”  
“It’s always nice to meet a fan!” Roxie winked at Courtney. “But I hope you’re ready to rock out in this totally poisonous battle we’re about to have!” She strummed a loud chord on her guitar, making the crowd go into hysterics.  
“I’m totally ready for this, Roxie!” Courtney said with a broad smile.  
I continued shoving my way through the crowd, no longer trying to save Courtney, but just trying to get a good view of the upcoming battle.  
“So why don’t you tell everyone your name and where you’re from?” Roxie said as she strummed another chord, the crowd cheering like mad.  
“My name is Courtney, and I’m from LaRousse City in the Hoenn region!” Courtney shouted loudly.  
The crowd roared.   
“Alriiiiiight!! All the way from Hoenn! I’ve toured there! You guys know how to rock!”  
“Well, they’re certainly more lively than the drags from Kanto,” the guitarist with far too much makeup on her face commented into her microphone. The screens were now focused on her face.  
My heart beat sharply as my eyes squinted at this woman.  
The crowd erupted at this statement, laughing, clapping, and enjoying themselves.  
“Ha ha ha ha! Just as poisonous as ever, Billy Jo!” Roxie laughed.  
My hands grabbed at people’s sides and shoulders as I maneuvered towards the stage, my elbows nudging room around me. I didn’t see the broad, tall man until my elbow jabbed him in the side. “Oh.” I froze as I looked up at him.  
The fat man slowly turned to me, wearing no shirt, and I noticed the Weezing tattooed on his chest. His solemn face turned into a snarl and he punched his fist into his open palm, growling.  
“That’s an incredible tattoo,” I squeaked fearfully.  
With a loud roar, he swung at me.  
With a yelp, I ducked the blow, and he socked a woman who was standing behind me, in the face!  
She cried out in pain before dropping to the floor.  
“Whoa!” I was suddenly shoved to the side, and then shoved hard from behind. I groaned in pain as I was slugged in the stomach by someone I couldn’t see, and I dropped to my knees as a huge brawl broke out.  
“Looks like the moshing has begun!” Roxie cheered. “Courtney, let’s have us a totally boss battle accompanied with great music! One-on-three! My one Pokemon versus your three! No time limit! You with it?”  
“One-on-three?” I groaned in confusion and pain, holding my sore stomach as I looked up weakly to the stage.  
“One-on-three?” Courtney gasped as well. “But, that’s not fair!”  
“Don’t worry about ‘fair,’ home girl,” Roxie said, backing up a few feet. “You can swap out whenever you want, too. Do you accept or what, because the crowd is ready to GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!”  
I was on my hands and knees now, crawling closer to the stage, people tripping over me and fighting, trading blows, tossing one another, but somehow, they all seemed to be enjoying themselves!  
Amongst the angry scowls and swinging fists, there were also smiles in the crowd from those sending hits and taking them, as well! The sounds of excited screams filled the air.  
There has to be another Gym somewhere, I thought fearfully. This is a madhouse!  
“But, can’t we just battle three-on-three? Or one-on-one?” Courtney pleaded.  
“Chill out, will ya?” Roxie winked at Courtney. She grabbed a Poke Ball. “Now, let’s ROCK!! Garbodor, BANG! ZOOM!” She tossed her Poke Ball.  
“Garbodor!!” a tall mountain of garbage, filth, and sludge cried out as it appeared from its Poke Ball.  
Courtney glared at the Pokemon and pulled out her Pokedex.  
Garbodor. The Trash Heap Pokemon and Trubbish’s evolved stage. It defeats opponents by holding them still with its left hand and releasing a toxic gas from its mouth. Its right hand spews a poisonous liquid.  
“One-on-three… Fine!” Courtney grabbed her Poke Ball and backed up a few feet.  
I got up as I reached the stage and gasped as I saw the floor clearly for the first time.  
A battlefield was outlined in white chalk on the stage!  
Courtney and Roxie were both standing on opposite ends of it, ready to battle. Each girl’s face had taken up an individual screen.  
“Amoonguss! GO!” Courtney threw her Poke Ball.  
“Amooooooonguss!” Amoonguss bounced determinedly, its body now occupying the left screen as Garbodor took the right.  
“COURT-NEY! COURT-NEY! COURT-NEY! COURT-NEY! COURT-NEY! COURT-NEY! COURT-NEY!” the crowd chanted behind me.  
I turned to them, staring in disbelief.  
Nobody was fighting anymore, but instead, they were all facing the stage, everybody wearing happy faces and pumping their fists. Just about everyone had bloody noses and blackened eyes, men and women alike, but now they were all chanting for the battle taking place.  
Courtney’s mouth hung open as she stared at the crowd before her that was chanting her name. She smiled an openmouthed smile and waved shyly at everyone.  
“For this battle, I’ll be debuting a brand new song from my upcoming album, entitled, Venom Drenched In Misery!” Roxie screamed into her microphone.  
The crowd went wild!  
The drummer beat his drumsticks together in the air a few times before I was nearly deafened by the loud music that suddenly blasted against my face as if it were a solid object. My eyes closed shut, but I squinted through them to watch the battle, pressing my hands tightly against my ears.  
Courtney covered her ears, squinting at Roxie as she sang.  
Or perhaps “screamed” is the accurate word.  
Amoonguss was startled by the sudden blast of rock music.  
“Courtney, you may have the first move!” Roxie pointed at Courtney.  
Is Roxie really about to battle Courtney one-on-three? I watched in shock. That’s not fair! Is she allowed to do that? She can’t be that cocky!  
“Spore!” Courtney ordered.  
Amoonguss sprayed a sparkling yellow powder from its mouth.  
“Gar? Bodor? Gar…?” Garbodor looked extremely drowsy, and in seconds, it sat on the ground, breathing its name heavily as it snoozed.  
Roxie strummed her guitar, making an extremely loud noise come out from it.  
“Garbodor!” Garbodor’s eyes suddenly shot open and it jumped up to its feet. “Gar! Garbodor!”  
“Hey! No way!” Courtney complained, surprise on her face. “We just put it to Sleep!”  
“There won’t be any sleeping at this Gym!” Roxie winked, and played irritatingly loud music from her guitar. “Now use your Gunk Shot, Garbodor!!”  
“Bodor!” Garbodor put its hands together. A silver light sparked between them and it turned into what resembled a black garbage bag outlined in a purple light. Garbodor heaved the Gunk Shot at Amoonguss.  
“Amoooonguss!” Amoonguss howled as the bag exploded on impact, sending out glowing, purple garbage. The Pokemon bounced on the ground, skidding to a stop.  
“Amoonguss, use your Hidden Power! It’ll be Super Effective against a Poison type!” Courtney called out.   
“Garbodor, out of the way and then rock on with Toxic Spikes!” Roxie insisted.  
Amoonguss struggled up, shaking its head from the damage it took from the powerful attack. It crossed its arms and its body was outlined in a light green color. As its arms opened, several light green balls of energy surrounded it. Amoonguss leaped into the air, pointing the top of its head at Garbodor, and its body spun rapidly, firing the balls.  
Roxie continued to scream and play her guitar, her bandmates watching the match, rocking out with Roxie and the audience around me.  
The screens displayed different parts of the battle that focused on the Pokemon they were dedicated to, closing up at times.  
“Gaaaaaaar!” Garbodor shouted, and to my surprise, the Pokemon slammed its hands into the ground and leaped into the air! Its arms extended and forced its body upward, high into the air, dodging the Hidden Power! Garbodor’s arms shrunk back to their normal size as it landed heavily and opened its mouth wide. A dark purple orb formed in its mouth.   
The orb flew into the air, purple streams of energy trailing behind it, and the orb exploded in the air. Small magenta orbs coated in a dark purple aura appeared from the explosion and hit the battlefield, disappearing into the floor. As they vanished, a ring of magenta energy was left behind where the orbs sunk in, but those too went away after a couple of seconds.  
“Amoonguss, use Growth!” Courtney demanded.  
Amoonguss’ body was outlined in light green as it raised its Attack and Special Attack strength.  
“Let’s take this one home with Body Slam!” Roxie smiled before proceeding to scream her song into the microphone.  
“Gaaaaaaaarrrrbodoooorrr!!” Garbodor once again slammed its hands to the ground and its arms extended, shoving the Pokemon into the air, and it came down on top of Amoonguss.  
Amoonguss cried out as it was forced back, the front of its body flashing white where it was hit, the Critical Hit suffering the Pokemon. “Amoonguss… Amoonguss.” Amoonguss collapsed.  
Amoonguss’ screen zoomed in on its worn out face.  
“And that’s one Pokemon down!!!” a voice boomed through the speakers, competing with the blaring music. It sounded like the voice of the lady who had thrown Courtney. “Garbodor hasn’t taken a single hit, yo! Let’s see what this chick is gonna try next!”  
“RO-XIE! RO-XIE! RO-XIE! RO-XIE! RO-XIE! RO-XIE!” the crowd began chanting behind me.  
“Amoonguss, that was great work! Return!” Courtney grabbed her second Poke Ball as the screen now focused tightly on her face. “Since Toxic Spikes is on the ground, I’ll use my Woobat! Let’s go!”  
“Wooooobat!” Woobat flew from its Poke Ball, fluttering above the stage and taking over the left screen.  
“Good choice, home girl!” Roxie winked.  
“Thanks! Now, let’s get this started with Psychic attack!” Courtney said, unable to hold back a smile.  
That’s good, I nodded. That’ll hit a Poison type hard.  
“Gunk Shot!” Roxie instructed.  
Garbodor tossed its Gunk Shot at Woobat.  
Before Woobat could even move, it was hit by the move and tumbled towards the stage.  
“Woobat, stay in the air or you’ll get Poisoned!” Courtney begged her Pokemon.  
“Woooobat!” Woobat fluttered its wings, trying to stay away from the ground. “Woobat!” Woobat’s body flashed brightly, glowing with a blinding light.  
I gasped in shock, taking a step back, immediately bumping into somebody, but I didn’t take my eyes off of the evolving Pokemon, ignoring even the big screen showing off the process!  
Woobat’s body widened and expanded, changing its form, and when the light went away from its body in an even brighter flash, white sparkles sprinkling on the field, a new Pokemon fluttered in its place.  
“Sweet! Woobat just totally evolved, man!!” the lady from behind the counter shouted.  
Swoobat. The Courting Pokemon. This is Woobat’s evolved form. This Pokemon’s nose can produce a variety of different ultrasonic waves, while its tail produces sound waves that can destroy concrete. However, during courtship, it produces a sound that makes anyone who hears it feel overjoyed.  
“Wow!” I smiled at Swoobat.  
“Ha ha! Swoobat, you evolved!” Courtney laughed as she put her Pokedex away.  
The crowd behind me was roaring louder than ever before now. “COURT-NEY!!! COURT-NEY!!! COURT-NEY!!! COURT-NEY!!!”   
I looked at the sea of smiling, laughing faces behind me cheering for Courtney and their similar love of music and Pokemon battles. Watching them actually made me feel good inside, and I lowered my hands from the sides of my head as I turned back and started chanting her name, pumping my fist in the air with everyone else.   
Courtney’s mouth was hanging open, staring at the crowd as they chanted. She smiled and wiped at her eyes with one hand, her other hand over her heart, looking overwhelmed by the support she was now getting.  
“Now that’s totally killer,” Billy Jo nodded at Courtney.  
But where’s June? I suddenly wondered. My eyes widened as I looked at Swoobat. “Oh, no!”  
“Congrats on the evo, home girl!” Roxie told Courtney. “You avoided Toxic Spikes, but your Pokemon is still Poisoned from Gunk Shot!”  
“What?” Courtney gasped. “Swoobat!”  
Swoobat fluttered about weakly, dizzy from the Poison flowing through its body.  
“Now, let’s end this with Venoshock!” Roxie returned to the absurd screaming of her song.  
My head was throbbing painfully from the music, but my head was also bobbing rapidly to it for some reason.  
Garbodor’s right hand rose into the air and it pointed it at Swoobat. Streams of green liquid flew out from the pipes on Garbodor’s hand, splashing onto Swoobat.  
Swoobat screamed painfully.  
“Double the damage if your Pokemon is already Poisoned!! Pretty sweet, huh?!!” Roxie screamed into her microphone.  
Swoobat dropped.  
“And that’s two Pokemon beaten, yo!! Roxie is getting it in, no doubt about it! Courtney ain’t looking so sharp with both of her Pokemon out while Garbodor’s still standing without a single scratch!”  
Courtney can do it! I thought, getting angry, glaring at her as the left screen focused on her second Pokemon. Come on, Court!  
“RO-XIE! RO-XIE! RO-XIE!” the crowd switched up.  
Courtney glanced out at the crowd, a helpless look on her face that was now being shown off by her screen.  
I cupped my hands around my mouth. “COURTNEEEEEEY!!”  
Courtney squinted into the crowd until her eyes stopped on me, and they widened. “Gary!”  
I nodded at her determinedly. You can do it, Courtney, I thought seriously. It’s just one Pokemon!  
Courtney nodded back. “Swoobat, thanks a bunch, hon! Come back!” She grabbed her last Poke Ball. “I’m not getting swept by one Pokemon! I won’t! Scraggy, I choose you!” Courtney threw her Poke Ball with great emotion and a loud cry.  
“She’s getting all worked up over the inevitable,” Billy Jo smiled sinisterly as Scraggy was sent out of its Poke Ball.  
“Scraggy! Scragg!” Scraggy pulled up its loose skin around its legs. A small explosion occurred underneath Scraggy’s feet and a ring of purple energy rose up underneath it. “Scraaaaaggy!” On Courtney’s screen, Scraggy flew back, slamming on its back, and its face flushed purple.  
“This is already over,” the drummer chuckled as he continued to play his drums, shaking his head, staring at Scraggy with a dark smile.  
“Scraggy, we can do this! Attack right now with Zen Headbutt!” Courtney pushed on.  
Scraggy shook its head and then let out an angry cry, holding onto its hanging skin at it charged at Garbodor, and its forehead glowed blue. “Scrrrrraggyyyyyyyy!!” Scraggy leaped into the air, flying at Garbodor.  
“Totally rockin’ move, yo! Garbodor, catch the little guy with Venoshock!” Roxie said.  
“Gaaaaaarbodor!” Garbodor raised its right hand and spewed out the green liquid again.  
“Scraaaaaaaag!!!” Scraggy’s move was intercepted, and its forehead stopped glowing blue. It fell to the ground on its hands and knees, groaning, its arms shaking. Scraggy slowly got up to its feet, breathing hard as it glared up at Garbodor.  
“It’s still able to fight?” I gasped.  
“Scraggy!” Courtney covered her mouth with both hands.  
“Far out,” Roxie nodded with approval and a smile.  
“Scraggy!” Scraggy twitched, its eyes closed, suffering from the Poison, and it fell facefirst.  
Both screens now showed the beaten Scraggy.  
“Scraggy is outta here!! Garbodor and Roxie took this one all the way home without taking a single hit, man!!” the lady at the counter declared.  
“ROCK AND ROOOOOOOOOOOOLLll!!!” Roxie screamed into her microphone as she strummed a note so loud on her guitar that I screamed out in fright and covered my ears angrily.  
The two screens now showed Roxie’s thrilled reaction, and then the crowd as they screamed tremendously behind me.  
My hands slid off of my ears and dropped to my sides as my shoulders slumped in disappointment.  
Courtney had been given the chance to beat this Gym Leader while using three of her Pokemon, and Roxie only chose to use one, and Courtney still lost. Badly. She didn’t even touch Garbodor.   
Roxie’s really something, I admitted nervously.  
The music in the Gym came to a stop, and the crowd celebrated.  
“That was Venom Drenched In Misery, y’all! I hope you liked it!” Roxie winked. “And I hope you also enjoyed that totally sweet battle! Let’s hear it for our totally sick battler, Courtney, and her totally wicked little group of Pokemoooon!!”  
“RO-XIE!! COURT-NEY! ROX-IE!! COURT-NEY! ROX-IE!! COURT-NEY! ROX-IE!! COURT-NEY!” the crowd chanted, both girls’ names being chanted at the same time while the fans applauded the match and the music.  
“That was so rad, home girl!” Roxie stepped over to Courtney. “You and your Pokemon really have that punk rock spirit!” She turned to her bandmates, and the drummer tossed a squared object at Roxie. Roxie caught it with ease and held it out to Courtney. “Here, take this with you! It’s the new album, Poison On The Stage 2! About a week before it even comes out! Hope you’ll enjoy it, and you’re welcome to come back anytime and try again at my Gym. I hope I’ll see you again.” She winked at Courtney.  
Courtney sighed weakly but managed a pained smile as she gently took the CD from Roxie. “Thank you,” she bowed. She then returned Scraggy to its Poke Ball. With her head lowered, she turned away from Roxie and covered her face with the CD case, crying behind it as she ran down a short set of stairs leading offstage.  
The two screens were merciless as they showed Courtney fleeing.  
Roxie maintained her smile and waved at Courtney.  
“So, who’s up next?” Roxie’s eyes scanned the crowd, stopping on me almost instantly.  
My eyes widened and I looked back up at her. I suddenly realized that the crowd had gone completely silent.  
“It must be you, dude! What’s the deal, man?” Roxie smiled.  
I was afraid to move, disturbed by the silence of the room that was now almost louder and almost more annoying than the horrible music Roxie and her band had been playing. My head was still throbbing. I turned to the crowd behind me and gasped.  
Everyone was frozen in place, staring directly at me with threatening looks.  
I swallowed and backed up about a foot before I bumped into the stage.  
“Come on, everybody! Give this kid a little hand!” Roxie encouraged the crowd.  
“HEY!!” I screamed out as the crowd immediately charged at me with a loud roar.  
In an instant, they had grabbed me all over my body and hoisted me into the air, every hand gripping me tightly, digging into my skin.  
“AAAAAHHHH!!!!” I screamed as I was tossed onstage, landing on my back. “Hey! Come on!” I said angrily, getting to my feet, scowling at the crowd.  
The crowd cheered in response.  
“Geez,” I muttered, and looked towards Roxie and Garbodor. I then saw my eyes go wide as I realized my big, stupid, ugly, huge nosed, crooked face was on the two screens. “Uuuuugh...” I groaned and looked down.  
“So, you’re my next challenger, huh?” Roxie nodded at me.  
“I guess, yeah,” I nodded, staring up at her determinedly.   
“You guess?” Roxie asked, the excitement on her face fading. “Dude, you’ve gotta be stoked! You can’t go into a Gym battle, especially one as poisonous and rockin’ as this one, and not be completely stoked, man! Now, let’s hear some attituuuuude!!”  
The crowd went off, fired up by Roxie, and Roxie’s bandmates started playing a loud tune that made me jump, startled by the sudden noise.  
“My name is Gary, and I’m from Pallet Town!” I shouted at Roxie. “I came all the way from the Kanto region to challenge you, and I’m not leaving here without your Badge!”  
“That’s the spirit! Aaalllriiiiiiight!!” Roxie strummed her guitar loudly. “So, let’s just have us a one-on-three battle, too, okay?”  
“No, Roxie!” I shook my head defiantly. “Not with me. We’re using the same amount of Pokemon, or I’m not battling you at all.”  
“Dude, will you chill out?” Roxie laughed. “There’s no time limit, and you’re allowed to swap out your Pokemon. I’ll be just fine!”  
“I understand all of that,” I told her firmly. “You’re a rather incredible Trainer, Roxie. I can’t believe what I just saw from you today. You can hold your own, indeed. But that’s not how I battle. Whether I win or lose, if I do it at such a disadvantage, it’s no prize for me, and it shouldn’t be a prize for you, either. It’s almost as if you’re making fun of your challengers! You’re just showing off how tough you are, and even if you lose, you used less Pokemon than the challenger did. That isn’t right!”  
Roxie’s eyes widened and she crossed her arms in front of her chest, her face going blank and solemn as her head tilted sideways.  
The crowd got much quieter, their screams lessening to a normal level and murmurs.  
The music filling the building came to an abrupt stop.  
I knew that my face was on both screens again, but I refused to look at anything but Roxie.  
“Yo, man, what is your deal?” Roxie’s face turned angry for the first time today. “I am not that kind of a person! You don’t know me, yo. Don’t go around judging me like that! I don’t appreciate it!”  
“I’m sorry. It’s just how it looks.” I raised my hands defensively.  
“Well, look at it another way, dude!”  
“Look, I want this to be a Badge I can be proud of, or a loss I can be proud of,” I told Roxie. “I can’t be proud of this if you’re not gonna battle me fairly, alright?”  
“Well, too bad, man. My Gym, my rules.” Roxie huffed impatiently.  
I stared at her quietly.   
The Gym was now completely silent.  
So, this is how she’s gonna be, I realized. I sighed. Fine. I bowed before Roxie and stood up tall, looking at her seriously. “I respect your rules, Roxie.”  
“Good!” Roxie smiled slightly. “Now, let’s battle!!” She raised her hand to strum her guitar.  
“I hope you’ll respect my views, as well!” I called out to her quickly. “I will not be participating in a Gym battle with you under those rules. Have a good day.” I turned away from the shocked expression held by Roxie’s face as she let out a startled gasp that was joined with what seemed like everybody else in the building.  
Roxie’s arm was still suspended in midair, waiting to strum her guitar.  
I reached the small set of stairs and walked down them, leaving behind the opportunity to win another Badge.  
I walked down the small set of stairs, wondering exactly how many Badges I actually had at this point.  
I walked through the stunned crowd as they kept their eyes on me.  
I wondered where both June and Courtney were.  
As I got deeper into the crowd, making my way out of the Gym.  
I wondered where I would be headed to next.


	52. Poison On The Stage

Where’s Courtney? I wondered, looking around as I moved through the thick, frozen crowd. And June. We gotta get out of this place. This Gym is a madhouse full of animals.  
“That kid’s got some genuine rocker attitude!” I heard Billy Jo say through her microphone.  
“Yeah! I know what ya mean, Billy Jo,” Roxie giggled. “Hey, Gary! Wait a sec!”  
I stopped and turned to her, the serious look on my face being amplified by the two huge screens high on the wall. What do you want?  
“I don’t usually do this, but you’ve taken me by surprise by your determination,” Roxie smirked smugly, the screen on the right now on her face while the left screen stayed on mine. “I like you. I’ll battle you this one time, two-on-two, for the Toxic Badge. But, if you lose, our next battles will have to be by my rules. That clear?”  
My face lost its serious stance and turned to shock. “Really?” I called up to her.  
“Take it or leave it,” Roxie winked. “This is your only opportunity. Challengers rarely beat me. When they lose to me, they often times don’t return again. But I’ve never had a challenger so strong in their beliefs that they’re willing to pass up on a Badge like you! It’s so punk!”  
“Thanks…?” I replied uncertainly.  
“Well, get on up here!” Roxie urged excitedly.  
Instead of moving towards the stage, I jumped in surprise as the crowd around me erupted into loud cheers and chanting.  
“GA-RY! GA-RY! GA-RY! GA-RY! GA-RY! GA-RY! GA-RY!” The entire crowd then swarmed at me and gripped me tightly with their hands, hoisting me into the air.  
“Hey! Come on! I can walk!” I was crowd surfing my way to the stage, and in the next moment, I was tossed, landing on my back a few feet away from Roxie. Standing up, I dusted off my clothes and shot the cheering crowd a dirty look.  
“Garbodor, come back!” Roxie returned her Pokemon. “I’m gonna go with this one for the start of our battle, Gary! Go! BANG! ZOOM!” She threw her Poke Ball.   
“Amoooooonguss!!” The Pokemon bounced on the ground, taking up the right screen.  
“She has an Amoonguss,” I whispered. I looked up at Roxie and nodded, backing away from her to my position on the battlefield. A Grass and Poison type, I reminded myself. Excadrill would be great for this match. He can resist Poison type moves. Elgyem’s also a great pick, with his Psychic types moves, but is he strong enough to take on her Pokemon? Dugtrio’s also got a type advantage, but is he my best choice? Roxie just completely embarrassed Courtney with one Pokemon. I’m gonna need the very best Pokemon I own. The most durable. The hardest hitters.   
“Yo, dude!” Roxie called impatiently. “Are you gonna choose a Pokemon or what?”  
“Maybe the Kanto kid isn’t as punk as I thought,” Billy Jo smiled snottily at me.  
“I’m just thinking!” I yelled at them. “Geez!” I looked down at my belt. Unfezant… Or… I furrowed my eyebrows and quickly grabbed a Poke Ball and enlarged it. “Alright! Let’s get it started! Excadrill, I choose you!” I threw his Poke Ball.  
“Excadriiiiiilllll!!” Excadrill exclaimed, raising his claws into the air. “Drill? Excadrill!” Excadrill looked around in surprise at the cheering crowd before him. “Excadrill?” He turned to Amoonguss but noticed his body on the left screen and blinked at himself with a couple of wide-eyed blinks before returning to Amoonguss and giving it a serious glare, extending his claws at it threateningly. “Driiiiiiiiiill!!”  
“A Steel type, huh? Ha! You think you’re gonna beat me by using a type that’s immune to Poison moves?”  
“I expect you to be more than able to defend yourself adequately, Roxie,” I snapped, not liking her attitude.  
“Good! This is gonna be sweet!” Roxie strummed her guitar loudly, making me and Excadrill jump. “And for this battle, I’ll be playing a special song.” She winked at me. “It’s from the first Poison On The Stage LP.”   
The crowd went berserk at the mentioned album.  
“Venoshocking My Heart,” Roxie nodded at her bandmates.  
They faced each other, smiling, and then turned back to Roxie and nodded back.  
“One, two, three, four,” the bald drummer counted, tapping his drumsticks together in the air, above his head.  
I screamed and covered my ears as a blast of loud music smacked me against the side of my head.  
“Driiiiiiilll!!” Excadrill cried out, looking around, startled.  
Grrrrr! How am I supposed to focus with this damn loud music blaring in this gym? I thought irately, glaring at Roxie as she sang her heart out unintelligibly into the microphone.  
What Roxie and her band were playing now wasn’t the complete mayhem and loud screaming I had heard when she was battling Courtney. The loud instruments being played were toned down just barely and I could feel more of a rhythm to the music. There were words that Roxie was screaming into the microphone that I couldn’t quite make out, but they were there.  
I still didn’t like it.  
“Gary, go ahead!” Roxie insisted, smiling at me, and then she proceeded screaming her song.  
“Swords Dance, now!” I ordered. We shouldn’t have too much to worry about, I told myself. We should have enough time to spare to boost our strength since Excadrill is Steel. He can’t get hit by Poison, and I’m sure he’s strong enough to handle a Grass move. I focused my eyes on Amoonguss as Excadrill’s claws glowed purple and swiped at the air, boosting his Attack.  
“Body Slam!” Roxie went.  
Body Slam? Why Body Slam? Normal type moves don’t do that much to Steel types. I watched curiously as Amoonguss leaped at Excadrill.  
“Amoooooonguss!” Amoonguss slammed into Excadrill, forcing my Pokemon onto his back. Amoonguss then bounced away from Excadrill.  
“Excadrill! You okay?” I called to him.  
“Drill… Driiiiillll…” Excadrill groaned, his body sparking as he curled up.  
“Paralyzed!” I gasped. “Damn it!” I looked up at Roxie sharply. So that was her reasoning, I realized.   
She smiled back at me. “Now, use Hidden Power!”  
Amoonguss crossed its arms and its body was outlined in green. Its body became surrounded by light green orbs and it spun in place, firing the energy at Excadrill as he struggled to get back up.  
“Excadriiiiiilllll!!” Excadrill stumbled backwards on the stage, taken by surprise by the power of the attack.  
“What type of Hidden Power was that?” I cried, afraid I might have a good guess as to the answer.  
“That’s scorching hot Fire!” Roxie screamed into the microphone, and the crowd erupted into cheers.  
“He didn’t see that one coming,” the drummer snickered.  
“Trying to win with a Steel type at this Gym? I’ve never once seen a Trainer pull that off!” Billy Jo laughed.  
I’m screwing up badly! I shouted furiously in my head, gritting my teeth. I can’t focus through this damn music!  
“Amoonguss, Energy Ball!”  
A green orb of energy charged in front of Amoonguss and flew out at Excadrill.  
“Excadriiiiiiiiiill!!” Excadrill was tossed back through the air and slid to a stop. “Cadriiilll…” Excadrill moaned quietly, his eyes closed tight in pain.  
“Excadrill, get up!! Don’t give in to it!!” I shouted to him. “Just get up, will you??”  
“Driiiiiill…” Excadrill groaned, his body flinching.  
“This is over, Gary, ha ha.” Roxie strummed her guitar and proceeded to sing.  
“Like Hell!!” I screamed at her, suddenly overtaken by fury. “I’m not going down! Excadrill, get up and let’s go! Now!”  
“Driiiilllll…” Excadrill shivered again, but his body started to adjust upward.  
“Yeah! Go, Excadrill! You can do this! We can do this!”  
“That Excadrill’s still fighting?” the drummer smiled at my Pokemon. “That’s tough.”  
“It’s luck, too,” Billy Jo smirked. “It’s not gonna be around for much longer.”  
I wanted to scream at them to shut up, but I grit my teeth and focused on Excadrill instead.  
Excadrill was still getting up, struggling to stand up straight. “Drill!!” Excadrill was shaking hard, down to his last bit of energy.  
“Earthquake, right now!” I commanded.  
“Excadriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiill!!” Excadrill jumped high into the air and slammed down, quaking the entire Gym.  
The crowd was actually screaming louder than ever as the building shook dangerously.  
“Amoooooooooonguss!” Amoonguss was overcome by the powerful attack.  
“Amoonguss!” Roxie gasped, stumbling around the stage floor, holding onto her guitar.  
“At least he damaged Roxie’s Pokemon.” The drummer was on the floor, thrown out of his seat from the Earthquake.  
The volume of the music was lessened with the drummer temporarily unable to play, but not by much.  
“It won’t help him.” Billy Jo’s feet were out of control as she struggled to maintain her balance, scowling at the ground.  
“Amoonguss, use Bide!” Roxie said with a serious look, gritting her teeth as she struggled to keep her balance. She was no longer singing, but continued to play her guitar.  
Excadrill’s too weak to go on much longer, I knew. We need to take it out or I’m gonna be down one Pokemon. “Swords Dance! We need to make sure our next hit counts, Excadrill!”  
Amoonguss cried out and its body became outlined in white.  
Excadrill boosted his Attack with Swords Dance.  
“Now, Earthquake again!” I said firmly.  
Excadrill slammed into the ground, the crowd not scared in the slightest by the powerful move that threatened the very building’s standing as they roared and cheered and chanted my name.  
Amoonguss was taking a huge amount of damage, but it was still standing, its eyes closed tightly as it withstood the impact.  
“Another Earthquake! Finish it!!” I shouted desperately.  
“Eeeeeeeeeex…CADRIIIIIIIIIILLLLL!!!!” Excadrill’s next move threw me off of my feet easily and I slid on my butt, keeping my eyes on the battle.  
Even the crowd wailed out as they collapsed to the floor.  
Roxie, her band, and Amoonguss were all floored as well, and the music came to an abrupt stop.  
“YEAH!!” I cheered victoriously in the now silent Gym.  
Amoonguss suddenly let out a strong cry and its body erupted into an intense, bright white light.  
“NO!” I gasped in horror.  
A bright white beam flew out from Amoonguss and slammed into Excadrill.  
“DRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIILLL!!!” Excadrill was forced backwards and slid on the ground, stopping next to me.  
The left screen closed in on my Excadrill’s face.  
“Excadrill ain’t do too bad, but it sure ain’t pull out a victory!” the woman from the counter at the front of the building shouted over her microphone. “Amoonguss has rocked hard and showed Gary and his Pokemon who’s boss! Gary’s only got one Pokemon left! My bet is that he’s gonna have the same results as if he were having a one-on-two battle. Roxie’s gonna sweep!”  
The crowd exploded with thrilled chanting as they stood back up. “RO-XIE!!! RO-XIE!!! RO-XIE!!! RO-XIE!!! RO-XIE!!! RO-XIE!!! RO-XIE!!!”  
“Oh, you wanna bet?” I grumbled, placing a gentle hand on my Excadrill’s stomach. “Hey, that was good, Excadrill.” I smiled as I rubbed him.  
Excadrill’s eyes opened. “Excadrill…” He looked sad.  
“We aren’t out, yet,” I smiled and nodded. “I have one more Pokemon left, and you did great work on that Amoonguss. I think I know who I want to use next, too. Don’t worry. This final Badge is in the bag.” I returned Excadrill and stood up, finding myself concerned over the thought that I might not even have seven Badges right now.  
“That was hardcore, dude!” Roxie gave me a quick thumbs up as she and her bandmates got to their feet and took their positions to continue playing their music.  
“Thanks,” I nodded firmly.   
The drummer tapped his drumsticks together in the air and the music nearly shoved me off the stage as I screamed at the blast of music.  
“GA-RY! RO-XIE! GA-RY! RO-XIE! GA-RY! RO-XIE! GA-RY! RO-XIE!” The crowd’s screams were a mix of the two names at once, everybody pumped up over our battle.  
“And I see you’re digging the tunes, too!” She pointed at my feet.  
I looked down and noticed that my right foot was tapping against the floor to the beat of the song that was playing! “Oh!” I stopped it from moving and glared up at Roxie.  
“Your head’s totally been grooving during our battle, too, dude!” Roxie winked at me. “Don’t be embarrassed. I appreciate the love!”  
I sighed and shook my head, looking down. “Well, anyway, let’s continue the battle!” I looked back up at her.  
“We’re waiting on you, dude!” Roxie smiled.  
“It’s time for me to go with this Pokemon!” I grabbed my Poke Ball and pressed the middle button, enlarging the size of it. My eyes squinted at it determinedly. “I know I can count on you to pull through, for sure. Let’s go, Drifloon!!” I threw the Dusk Ball at the stage floor.  
The ball bounced twice before popping open and sending out Drifloon.  
“Floooooooon!!” Drifloon spun gently in the air, but she suddenly raised her appendages to the side of her head and closed her eyes, screaming out loudly, shocked by the loud music.  
“Drifloon, just focus! Don’t worry about the music!”  
“FLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!” Drifloon howled, her voice giving me the chills.  
“That thing is so rad!!” Roxie said, strumming her guitar even louder.  
The entire crowd got louder and the music’s volume increased.  
“Drifloon, let’s start with something a little different this time! Use Calm Mind!” I told her.  
Drifloon’s eyes tightened and she shook her head hard, unable to focus.  
“Kind of difficult to keep cool with such rockin’ music blasting, huh?” Roxie laughed.  
“Then use Thunder Wave!” I grimaced.  
Drifloon lowered her appendages and pointed them at Amoonguss as they sparked with light blue energy.  
“Amooooooooon!” Amoonguss bent over and twitched in pain as Paralysis took over.  
“Now use Hex, Drifloon!”  
Drifloon’s eyes glowed purple and light red, and Amoonguss became outlined in a similar color and started to ascend into the air, matching Drifloon’s level.  
“Amoong! Amoooooong! Amooooooooonguss!” Amoonguss squirmed.  
“Flooooooooooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnn!!!!!!” Drifloon’s eyes suddenly closed and she raised her appendages to the side of her head again, breaking her focus due to the loud music.  
Amoonguss was released from the Hex attack and it dropped.  
“Drifloon! What happened?” I glared at Roxie. “This isn’t fair! My Pokemon can’t even focus on the battle! She doesn’t like the music!”  
“Dude, how can your Pokemon not like this?! It’s ROCK AND ROOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLL!!” She closed her eyes and continued to sing into her microphone, making her guitar whine even louder.  
“Well, my Drifloon doesn’t like it!! Can’t you see that? Turn it off!! It’s annoying, anyway! I don’t even like it!”  
The cheering from the crowd went silent, and the only noise remaining was the music.  
Roxie and her band were now glaring at me coldly as they continued playing.  
I did a double take at the crowd when I realized that they too were giving me the same evil stare. “Just my opinion… No offense,” I said nervously.  
“We don’t even turn down our music for the COPS!” Roxie said angrily. “TURN IT UP, EVERYBODY!!!!”  
The music got stunningly louder, the crowd’s roars making the noise far worse, and I knew I’d be deaf before I ever got out of this Gym, if I got out of here alive. The way things were looking, I was going to be killed whether I won or lost this battle.  
“FLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNN!!!!!!!” Drifloon suddenly attacked Amoonguss with Gust, creating a purple tornado as her body glowed purple.  
“Amoooooooooooooon!!” Amoonguss was sucked inside. In the next few seconds, it was tossed out and the tornado vanished. Amoonguss tumbled on the ground and came to a stop near Roxie. “Moonguss…”   
The music went silent and the crowd got quiet, everyone’s eyes on the stage, staring at Amoonguss.  
The right screen got closer on Amoonguss.  
“Amoonguss! Get up right now!” Roxie barked at her Pokemon.  
Amoonguss moaned weakly but didn’t move.  
“I…” the female announcer said over the microphone. “No way… Impossible… It… It looks as if Amoonguss has been defeated! Drifloon has actually won!!”  
“Drifloon, you did it! We beat one! We’re just one Pokemon away from our Badge!” I was leaping in the air excitedly. “Let’s do this, Drifloon!” I beamed proudly.  
My Pokemon spun in circles, her face blushing strongly, crying her name out softly.   
“Just wait until I actually give you orders before attacking, though, okay?” I added.  
The red on Drifloon’s face darkened and she stared at me, nodding her head quickly.  
I winked at her. “Good girl.”  
Drifloon looked away from me shyly, lowering her head.  
“Amoonguss, you rocked hard! Come back!” Roxie returned Amoonguss and looked at me sharply. “I know exactly how to handle you. It’s time to turn this up to level fifteen with my best Pokemon! Garbodor, BANG! ZOOM!” She threw her Poke Ball.  
“Garboooodor!” Garbodor landed.  
“Garbodor? The same one you beat Courtney with?” I asked her.  
“That’s right,” Roxie nodded. “And to go along with this battle, I’ll be playing a classic from my album, BANG! ZOOM! called, Kiss My Poison Tail!” Roxie gave me a dirty look, and something told me that she might actually be hating me for what I said about her music.  
The crowd erupted in cheers as the music started up at a decent enough volume, and then exploded into heavy, dark, loud music that made my Drifloon start to spin around in distress, her appendages at the sides of her head, her eyes closed, crying out loud against the music.  
“But, you already used that Pokemon, Roxie!” I complained. “I want to battle your fresh Pokemon!”  
“Dude, stop being such a buzzkill, will you?” Roxie said heatedly. “I agreed to battle you two-on-two! What more do you want? Garbodor didn’t even take any damage against Courtney! It’s totally fine! Now let’s battle already!” She leaned into her microphone and her voice went really deep and dark as she sang loudly.  
The music pounding against my head forced my eyes closed, and I shook my head, making it throb even worse. “FINE!!” I shouted, opening my eyes. Anything to get out of this place! “Drifloon, use Thunder Wave again!”  
Drifloon didn’t listen to me, still screaming as she struggled against the music.  
“Garbodor, use Gunk Shot, now!” Roxie ordered.  
“Drifloon, dodge that!”  
Garbodor cupped its hands and a silver light sparked between them. The light turned into a black bag of garbage, outlined in purple light, and Garbodor flung it at Drifloon.  
“FLOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNN!!!” Drifloon was hit by the exploding bag, glowing purple trash bursting free. “Floon! Floooooonnn…” Drifloon dropped to the ground. “Flooooooonn…” She twitched on the stage, her eyes closed.  
“Drifloon! NO! You’re Poisoned!” I gasped as I saw the dark shade of purple across her face, barely visible against the purple color of her body.  
“Flooooooonnnn… Flooooooooooooooonn…” Drifloon moaned.  
“Now let’s end this with Venoshock!!” Roxie called happily, smiling as she continued her strangely grungy screaming for this song.  
“Garrrrrrrbodor!” Garbodor’s right hand pointed at Drifloon and spewed out the green liquid.  
“Drifloon, listen to me! You’ve got to get out of the way!” I pleaded with her.  
Drifloon was barely able to roll over to the side, but it wasn’t enough of a movement.  
Venoshock coated her body and she shrieked helplessly.  
“That should just about do it,” the drummer said, beating away at his drums.  
“Coming into this Gym and disrespecting our music?” Billy Jo sneered at me. “You deserved this loss.”  
“Not so fast,” Roxie said, looking down at my Drifloon in disgust. “It’s still moving!”  
“Drifloon!” I watched Drifloon, my body trembling with fear and concern, my head in intense pain. I felt worn out just from being in this Gym, listening to this exhausting music. “Drifloon, can you hear me? Are you okay??”  
Drifloon’s appendages were sliding on the ground, slowly maneuvering towards her head. They reached the sides of her head and pressed against them. She slowly began to sit up, groaning, shivering on the ground.  
“You’re hurting my Drifloon!! We can’t fight under these conditions!! This isn’t right!!” I begged Roxie. “Please! Don’t you understand? Don’t you have any compassion??”  
“Listen, man,” Roxie said strictly. “Some Gyms battle using a water field. How’s a Fire type supposed to handle that? Other Gyms have been inside of volcanoes. How can a Grass type deal with that? Other Gyms have battles inside of buildings. How can Water types who typically battle their best in the water, cope with that? Some battles take place at night! What if a Pokemon is afraid of the dark? My Gym has poison on the stage!”  
The crowd burst into laughter and cheers at Roxie’s last sentence.  
“My Gym is here, with music blaring, because me, my crowd, and my Pokemon focus better under these conditions,” Roxie continued. “If you can’t handle that, then maybe you should just leave. I’m not gonna change anything more to make you happy. This is MY GYM!!!!”   
“RO-XIE!!!! RO-XIE!!!! RO-XIE!!!! RO-XIE!!!! RO-XIE!!!!” the crowd chanted.  
“You hear that??! You hear the name they’re chanting?!!” Roxie raged at me with fierce pride. “ROXIE!! That’s ME!!! Superstar Roxie!! I don’t have to listen to you, who doesn’t even appreciate my music!! Now continue battling or beat it!!”  
The crowd went crazy as they continued chanting Roxie’s name and roaring their approval of her spoken words.  
I gritted my teeth, glaring at Roxie, furious with her attitude, but unsure of what I should do.  
Drifloon was in agony on the floor, suffering from her Poisoning.  
I watched her sadly. This isn’t fair, I knew. We can’t fight fairly like this. We can’t win. If this is how Roxie wants to play, then I’m out of here.  
“FINISH IT OFF WITH VENOSHOCK!!!” Roxie pointed her guitar at Drifloon.  
I scooped up Drifloon’s Dusk Ball quickly.  
Garbodor pointed its hand at Drifloon and fired with its attack.  
As my hand started to rise, I froze as I saw a startling sight.  
“FLOOOOON!!” Drifloon’s body erupted into a bright light and ascended into the air, dodging the oncoming damage.   
I swallowed hard. “Drifloon!! WHOA!!”  
Her body shifted and grew, increasing in size and growing rounder.  
“Drifloon…” I whispered, mesmerized.  
The light flashed and vanished from her body.  
I gasped, smiling as I took out my Pokedex.  
Drifblim. The Blimp Pokemon and Drifloon’s evolved stage. This Pokemon has the strength to carry people, though it cannot control where it goes, like a real hot-air balloon. In the daytime, wild Drifblim get drowsy as they float through the sky.  
“Bliiiiiiiiiimm!” Drifblim said. “Bliiiiiiiiiiiiiimmmmmm!!” She raised her appendages to the sides of her head again and cried out in anguish.  
“Drifblim?” I called to her.   
Her body lowered to the ground as she continued suffering from her Poisoning.  
I growled. “Enough is enough!” I raised her Dusk Ball. “Drifloon-!”  
Before I could correct what I had said and try to return my Pokemon, Drifblim let out a loud, piercing shriek that tore into my ears and made me flinch in pain, and she started spinning, flying around the stage frantically. She flew into the air and slammed into a speaker high on the wall at the ceiling, wrecking it.  
“Drifblim!!” I called out to her, watching as the speaker smashed to the floor of the stage.  
Drifblim continued shrieking and she spun into another speaker high up in the air.  
The speaker was smashed and fell to the ground near the crowd, breaking into pieces.  
Roxie and her band stopped playing their music and watched my Drifblim in awe.  
The crowd was cheering now, going crazy as Drifblim flew around recklessly. “DRIF-BLIM!!! DRIF-BLIM!!! DRIF-BLIM!!! DRIF-BLIM!!! DRIF-BLIM!!! DRIF-BLIM!!!”  
“DRIFBLIM!” I shouted as she spun to the ground, heading towards me, Roxie, and her band.  
Roxie moved back quickly as Drifblim flew right by her. “Whoa! Hey, that’s mine!” Roxie looked at her hands in shock, her guitar now in the hold of Drifblim.  
Drifblim’s appendages reached out as she flew near the member of the band with the guitar who hadn’t spoken a word since I had gotten here. “Hey!” she cried as Drifblim snatched away her instrument and flew away.  
“What do you think you’re doing?” Billy Jo yelled as Drifblim took away her guitar as well.  
“My drumsticks, man!” the drummer complained as Drifblim snatched those away, too.  
The music was silenced.  
“Give that back!” Roxie demanded as Drifblim stopped spinning and floated in the air silently.  
The crowd was now watching Drifblim quietly, anxiously, waiting to see what she was going to do next.  
Drifblim’s body became surrounded by a circle of dark, sparking orbs, and she let out another shriek. Her body spun in place and she smacked the orbs with the instruments she was holding, sending them flying throughout the Gym.  
“Shadow Ball! What are you doing, Drifblim??” I gasped, backing away as more orbs formed a circle around my Pokemon’s body, and she proceeded to bat them away from her, her body a spinning blur.  
“Drifblim, stop this! WHOA!” I ducked as a pair of Shadow Balls flew at me.  
Roxie’s band fled from the stage as Drifblim’s attacks smashed into the drummer’s instruments and crashed through the stage, leaving holes in the floor. More Shadow Balls were flung about, a couple crashing into the screens displaying the chaos, leaving the monitors hanging, but shattered. Sparks popped and fell as glass sprinkled the area.  
Only Roxie and her Garbodor remained, watching my Drifblim in disbelief.  
The crowd fled as well, screams and cries heard as people were threatened by Drifblim’s continuous onslaught of Shadow Balls.  
“This is not cool!” Roxie shouted, looking up at my Drifblim in fear. “Dude, you have to stop that thing! It’s out of control!”  
I watched helplessly, confused, as Drifblim stopped spinning and began smashing the guitars and drumsticks against the floor, completely destroying them.  
SMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
The huge light structure that was above the crowd and had been flashing a series of different colored lights all over the place when we first entered the Gym, exploded as one of the last Shadow Balls smashed into it, and huge sparks showered over the terrified crowd as they tried to leave the building.  
The crowd scrambled over each other, trying to save themselves, the sparks falling around them.  
My eyes widened and I backed up as one large spark flew towards the stage. A loud gasp escaped my throat.  
Roxie gasped as well.  
“GARBODOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!” Garbodor bellowed as the spark landed on its face. It covered its face with its hands and stumbled backwards, tripping to the floor. It rolled all over the stage in agony, roaring, crying, its body flailing in pain until it finally rolled off of the stage.  
“GARBODOR!!!!!” Roxie bellowed. She leaped off of the stage after her Pokemon. “Garbodor!! I’ll get you to the Pokemon Center! Return!!” Roxie returned her Pokemon and then glared up at me.  
I knew she wanted to kill me, and probably would have in that very second if she wasn’t going to the Pokemon Center to help her Garbodor.  
Roxie then turned to my Drifblim with an even more furious leer before running into the crowd that was still emptying out, shoving her way forcefully through everybody, making her out of the building.  
My eyes stopped on a pair of people I instantly recognized that hadn’t run away.  
They were the only ones not leaving the Gym.  
June and Courtney.  
They both were looking at the stage I stood on, petrified looks on their faces, seeming unable to move.  
I turned to Drifblim, who still hadn’t stopped slamming the broken, smashed guitars and drumsticks into the ground, crying out in exhaustion.

*

“I’ll bet Nurse Joy is in the back with Roxie right now,” June told me. “I’m sure of it. She must be taking care of her Garbodor.”  
“What the hell was Drifblim thinking?!” I exclaimed with exasperation. “Why would she do something like that?!”  
“She’s not a fan of rock music…” June said. “She couldn’t take it anymore and just lost it.”  
“Well, that’s obvious…” Courtney replied.  
June glared at Courtney.  
“I feel so bad about all of this,” I told the two girls, making them both turn to look at me. “I need to apologize and make sure that Garbodor is okay!”  
“That’s the least you could do,” Courtney stated.  
I sighed and lowered my head. “I also need my own Pokemon healed, too, though. I took care of Drifblim’s Poisoning, but she still needs some rest, along with Excadrill. I hope Nurse Joy gets back soon.” I sighed again and leaned back in my chair, looking around the lobby of the Pokemon Center.  
Two girls and two boys were sitting together at a table, chatting about something. They glanced over at me as I looked over at them, and then they looked away.  
“Yeah, well, my Pokemon are in bad shape as well,” Courtney complained.  
One girl from the group looked over at me again, and I stared back at her, my eyes widening.  
The other three young kids looked over at me as well.  
I turned to Courtney and June, who both were looking at the four kids, and they turned to me. We all looked back over at the other kids.  
The kids exchanged glances and then looked back at us. They turned back to each other and spoke amongst themselves.  
What’s with them? I wondered, squinting at them.  
They all looked back over to us, and one boy stood up.  
A girl grabbed the boy’s arm, but the boy pulled it back and walked over to me, Courtney, and June.  
His three friends stood up and followed behind him.  
“Hey,” he nodded, giving me a stern look.  
I looked him over and stood up seriously, trying to be as intimidating as he was acting. “Yeah?”  
“Well, you three have been shouting about Roxie since you got here,” he told me, brushing his long black hair out of his face and adjusting his backwards, black baseball cap.  
“Shouting?” I repeated in confusion.  
“Yeah. You’re shouting right now, even,” the kid snickered. “You three clearly came from Roxie’s Gym. Heh. The music from her Gym has your hearing a bit funky.”  
“Oh! I’m sorry about that,” I tried to say in a lower voice, though I thought my voice had been low to begin with.  
“No sweat, man,” he nodded at me. “I’m Tom. This is Bay, Wilma, and Hip.” He pointed at his friends.  
They all nodded and mumbled a greeting at me that I couldn’t hear, either because my ears weren’t hearing normally yet, or the three kids were just being weird.  
“I’m Gary. This is June, and Courtney,” I pointed at my friends.  
“Hey!” June smiled, standing up and waving at them.  
“Hi!” Courtney stood up as well and smiled.  
The kids nodded at them.  
“We all lost to Roxie a day ago,” Tom told me. “Our Pokemon should be okay by now. We’re just waiting.”  
“You all lost to her?” My eyes widened.  
“Yeah, and to just one Pokemon, at that,” Tom responded. “Her Garbodor. She was ruthless, and fast. Ended the battles in under a minute, each. Easily.”  
“How did y’all do?” Bay asked, concern in her green eyes, her blonde bangs just past her eyebrows.  
“I’m not so sure…” I answered hesitantly. “Courtney lost, but during my battle, things got a bit… out of control… I guess I lost, too. I’m just glad I’m out of that Gym. I couldn’t breathe or think or anything!”  
“Yeah,” Tom nodded. “That’s her tactic, in a way. Her music and energy distracts the challengers and their Pokemon.”  
“And that crowd, too,” Bay sighed sadly.  
The electronic doors at the back of the Pokemon Center opened, and Nurse Joy came out pushing a cart with four trays with six Poke Balls in them, an Audino behind her.  
“Roxie!” I saw her walk out behind Audino.  
Roxie looked depressed. When she looked up, she squinted directly at me. “Hey!” She bared her teeth at me and ran past Nurse Joy and Audino, startling them both. She stopped just about an inch away from me, looking ready to sink her fangs into my eyeballs. “You! This is the jerk who injured my Garbodor!”  
“Roxie, it was an accident! Please!” I pleaded. “I’m so sorry that that happened! It wasn’t intentional! My Drifblim was confused from the Poison and the music and it was just an accident! Is Garbodor okay? I’ve been really worried about it!”  
“Garbodor’s face is all kinds of burnt up, you jackass!” Roxie screamed. “Its left eye is SCREWED!! It’ll never see out of it again, you creep!!” She shoved me back strongly and I stumbled backwards.  
“Roxie, I’m so sorry! I really am!” I shook in front of her, wondering if she was going to fight me.  
“Is ‘sorry’ gonna help my Garbodor through the surgery it’s gonna have to go through?? It’s in major pain, and you think you’re gonna heal that with a ‘sorry’?!” Roxie grabbed my shirt and shook me roughly, my collar tightening around my neck. “I’ll kill you!!”  
“Roxie, please, don’t!” Nurse Joy begged, running forward and pulling Roxie back, her hands wrapped around her waist. “I’m sure this was just an accident! He seems rather sincere!”  
“You weren’t there!! You didn’t see what that freaking Drifblim of his did!!” Roxie raged.  
“Roxie!” I choked out as she continued to squeeze my shirt around my neck, my hands on her hands as I tried to loosen her fingers. “It was an accident! I’m so sorry! Please, don’t kill me!!”  
“I’ll give up my celebrity status if it means your death, you fu-!!” Roxie threatened.  
“Come, now, Roxie,” Nurse Joy insisted, Audino helping Nurse Joy to free Roxie from me and pull her back.  
I gasped repeatedly for air as I stumbled away from them, adjusting my shirt and rubbing my neck.  
Audino and Nurse Joy struggled with Roxie as she screamed and cursed at me, fighting against them to try and attack me. “YOU ROTTEN JERK!! I WILL NEVER FORGET THIS FOR AS LONG AS I LIIIIIVE!!! HERE’S YOUR STUPID BADGE!!! I NEVER WANNA SEE YOUR FACE FOR THE REST OF MY LIIIIIIIFE!!!!!”  
Something flew through the air and bounced along the ground.  
Nurse Joy and Audino pushed Roxie through the back doors of the Pokemon Center.  
“Audino, please take care of Roxie and try to get her to relax?” Nurse Joy smiled at Audino.  
“Audino,” Audino replied gently with a smile and a nod, and it struggled on its own to pull an enraged, cursing Roxie deeper into the back of the Pokemon Center.  
Nurse Joy walked out of the hallway and into the lobby, keeping her eyes on Roxie and Audino as the electronic doors closed.  
We could all still hear Roxie’s choice words clear as day.  
I walked over to the object on the floor.  
It was comprised of five circles that grew bigger from the bottom to the top, outlined in gold. The color inside the circles was purple. Four shapes around the largest circle were outlined in gold, as well, the inside of them colored white.  
Footsteps approached me from behind as I reached down and picked up the tiny object.  
“The Toxic Badge!” Tom gasped behind me. “You beat Roxie!”  
Excited murmurs came from Tom and his friends.  
“You did it, Gary,” June said softly, looking at me solemnly. “You won…”  
“I… did?” I stared back at her.  
Courtney sighed, looking at the Badge. “Congrats…” She looked up at me and smiled.  
“Did I really earn this Badge, though?” I asked my two friends. “I’m not sure if this is right. Or fair.”  
“Gary, she wanted to fight you one-on-three, and was blaring loud, crazy music, with an audience, during your battle,” June reasoned. “All things considered, I’d say things were as fair as they were gonna get in that Gym. Plus, Roxie gave you it. It’s official!”  
“And, you did beat her last Pokemon… Technically…” Courtney shrugged.  
I sighed and lowered my head. “Don’t say that, Courtney.”  
“But, you did! You did really good! If she can play the battlefield with the loud music and stuff like that, then why can’t you? Drifblim was amazing!” She extended her arms. “Now, how about a hug?”  
I rolled my eyes up to the ceiling and approached her glumly for a hug, pouting. I had hoped she’d notice and feel bad, not wanting to force me into a hug, and I could get out of it using my concern for Roxie’s Garbodor as an excuse for my attitude.  
No such luck as Courtney giggled as she wrapped her arms around me tightly, and I was forced to hug her back. “Hey, this is a group hug, June!”  
June opened her mouth, staring at me, and then she looked at Courtney, who had her back to her. She let out her breath silently and hugged Courtney from behind, giving her a weary look.  
“Congratulations, dude!” Tom patted my back. “I wish I could’ve seen that battle!”  
I turned to Tom and his friends and smiled weakly as I released Courtney. “It was certainly something…”  
“Man, you’ve gotta tell us all about it! Please!” Bay begged, bouncing in place, holding her hands together in front of her.  
“Bay, we don’t have time. We gotta get going once our Pokemon are healed,” Hip told her in a voice that was surprisingly deep and low for how old he looked, staring at her with his extremely dark blue eyes that were nearly covered by his afro that fell over his forehead. “And something tells me that those are ours.” He pointed at the cart Nurse Joy had come out with earlier, holding four trays with six Poke Balls on them.  
“Oh, yes! These are yours!” Nurse Joy approached the tray. “Hip, Bay, Wilma, and Tom!” She pushed a different tray forward as she spoke the Trainers’ names.  
Bay sighed and lowered her head.  
“Thanks, Nurse Joy,” Tom said, grabbing his Poke Balls.  
Bay, Wilma, and Hip grabbed their Poke Balls from the tray, too.  
The four friends turned to me and the girls.   
“Congratulations, again,” Tom said, smiling a little. “Good luck to you guys. We’ve gotta get going.”  
“Nice meeting you!” Bay looked directly into my eyes.  
I smiled back at her and nodded, feeling a little flustered by her.  
Bay then simply nodded at Courtney and June.  
“Bye,” Hip nodded quickly.  
“Hope to see you all at the Pokemon League!” Wilma waved at us.  
“See ya there!” I called after them as they walked to the front door.  
“Bye!” Courtney waved after them.  
“Bye-bye!” June waved as well as they exited the building.  
Nurse Joy sighed as she turned to me, June, and Courtney. “Well, I guess your Pokemon need some medical attention as well, right?”  
“Yes, if it’s not too much trouble,” I told her.  
“It’s gonna take me a while to properly address their issues, but I’ll make sure they’re okay until then,” Nurse Joy smiled.  
“Thanks,” I told her gratefully, and I placed my six Poke Balls in one of the trays.  
“Mine as well, please.” Courtney put her Poke Balls in the second tray.  
“And these guys could just use a little checkup when you get the chance.” June put her Poke Balls in the third tray.  
“Well, take it easy,” Nurse Joy said warmly, smiling caringly. “Explore Virbank City, or just rest in the lobby or in one of the rooms in the b… Um… Or just go outside and explore the city!” She laughed nervously.  
“Not a bad idea,” I agreed. I certainly didn’t want to go to the back and bump into Roxie.  
Nurse Joy pushed the cart with our Poke Balls through the back doors that opened for her and she disappeared as the doors closed behind her.  
Courtney let out an exasperated cry. “Well, I guess we should head to another town or something so I can keep going for another Badge or two.”  
“You want more Badges?” I asked Courtney, turning to her curiously.  
“What else can I do?” Courtney shrugged. “There’s still no word on where the Unova League Conference will be held, so, I might as well just keep traveling and training.”  
“Are you gonna challenge Roxie again?” I asked her.  
“Hell no!” Courtney cried angrily. “She’s totally livid at us! She’ll kill me on sight!”  
“I think she only has one bullet with my name on it, to be honest.”  
“I’m associated with you, Gary. And June. If Roxie saw either of us, she’d murder us. We’re not welcome in her Gym. And besides that, it was terrible in there! All that damn noise and fighting! I was terrified waiting for your battle to come to an end! And did you see the way Roxie embarrassed me during our battle?! I will never again challenge that woman. Ever!! That is that!”  
“Hmm. I understand,” I muttered thoughtfully.  
Courtney’s final reason for not wanting to battle Roxie again brought back a memory of Trixa. She didn’t want to battle Prof. Russell because of how he had beaten her, claiming that he had cheated.  
This wasn’t the exact same situation as Trixa’s, but it did remind of it, and I started to feel down as I remembered that it had led to Trixa leaving our group in tears.  
“So what are you gonna do now that you’ve got your eighth Badge?” Courtney asked, taking me from my thoughts.  
“Huh?” I turned to her.  
“You’ve got your eighth Badge, so I guess you’re free to go wherever you want and battle and train however you feel.” Courtney’s expression was serious. “What do you plan to do?”  
“Wait!” June shouted.  
Courtney and I turned to her.  
“The woman at Roxie’s Gym said that the Badge from Verdew Town didn’t count for some reason! She said something was wrong with it!” June reminded us.  
Courtney and I gasped as we faced each other.  
“She must have been crazy! That whole Gym was crazy! I don’t believe a word she said!!” Courtney shook her head hard, her blonde hair flying about her face.  
“We have to be sure…” My palm opened and looked down at the Toxic Badge I still held in it. I opened my jacket and removed the Flower Badge that was pinned inside. “We need to verify that this Badge is real,” I said, staring at the Badge.  
“Gramma wouldn’t have lied!” Courtney insisted. “There’s no way!” Her eyes were starting to fill with tears.  
“Unless…” June muttered, looking at the floor.  
The back doors to the Pokemon Center opened again and Nurse Joy stepped out with a sigh. “Phew! I could use a coffee!”  
“Nurse Joy!” I ran up to her, startling her.  
Her hand went over to her chest as she gasped. “Yes! What’s wrong?” she asked quickly.  
“I need your help, please! We need to know if our Badges are legit or not? Can you help us?” I begged.  
Nurse Joy’s breathe came out in the form of a relieved sigh and a smile crossed her face. “Why, yes, I can. Let me see your Badges and I’ll be able to let you know if they’re legit or not, right away.”


	53. Unresolved Mysteries

“All of the Badges you two have are one hundred percent legit…” Nurse Joy told Courtney and I as she stood behind the counter in the Pokemon Center. She slid her hands across the counter top and lifted them up as she pulled her hands back to her.  
Me and Courtney’s Flower Badges were in front of us.  
“…except for these two,” Nurse Joy finished. “The Flower Badge.”  
“No!” Courtney gasped.  
“But, how?” I cried weakly, looking into Nurse Joy’s eyes.  
“Oh, my gosh! YES!” June screamed with delight.  
I turned around and saw June sitting in a phone booth, bouncing in her seat as she spoke with somebody. I then turned back to Nurse Joy.  
“The Flower Badge was legit at one point…” Nurse Joy said slowly, staring back at me.  
“What do you mean?” I insisted.  
“Yes! Please, please, please, please, pleeeeeeeease!!” June squealed over the phone.  
Nurse Joy, Courtney, and I looked over at June before returning our gazes to each other.   
“Well, the Flower Badge was once obtained from a woman commonly referred to as Gramma,” Nurse Joy started.  
“Yeah! That’s who Gary and I battled in Verdew Town! Gramma!” Courtney exclaimed. “We defeated her and won our Badges!”  
Nurse Joy raised her hands as she gazed at Courtney sadly. “Please, allow me to explain.”  
Courtney’s breath came out in a sigh and she stayed quiet as Nurse Joy spoke.  
“Gramma, as I’m sure you are aware, if you really did battle her, is quite forgetful,” Nurse Joy continued. “She forgets the Pokemon she owns, forgets their moves, and even forgets how many Pokemon she’s allowed to send out in battle. As you can imagine, this can create quite the… unique atmosphere for her challengers.”  
I remembered when Gramma had battled me and ended up switching out her Leavanny for her Whimsicott, forgetting that Leavanny was her final Pokemon, and that cost her the match.  
June squealed with pleasure over the phone about something I wasn’t made aware of yet, and at the moment, I really didn’t care. I couldn’t believe the news I was receiving from Nurse Joy right now.  
“A lot of mistakes on Gramma’s part were occurring, such as her sending out too many Pokemon, or forgetting that she still had Pokemon left to use, or even accusing the challengers of using more Pokemon than was agreed upon,” Nurse Joy told us. “Eventually, the Pokemon Inspection Agency looked into all the reports about her Gym and shut it down.”  
Rain pounded heavily against the windows.  
“Nooooooo!” Courtney wailed. “This can’t be! There must be a mistake! Why would she lie to us like that?”  
“Courtney.” I turned to her, and she looked to me, her eyes filled with sadness. “I don’t think Gramma lied…”  
“What? But, Nurse Joy said…” She turned to Nurse Joy desperately.  
“I have a feeling that what Gary is trying to say is that, Gramma may have…” Nurse Joy hesitated.  
“I can’t believe this! Thank you so much, mommy! Daddy! I love you both so so much! Yaaaaaaayyyy!! Muah!!” June was ecstatic on the phone, the receiver at her ear. “I’ll speak to you real soon, okay? Tell everyone I said hi! Bye!” She hung up the phone, slamming it loudly, and wrapped her arms around her bag, squeezing it and giggling wildly. She got to her feet and smiled at Courtney, Nurse Joy, and I. “Hey, you guys! You won’t believe the good news!” She ran up to us, overjoyed by whatever she had to say. “My Pokemon are all doing better! Manectric, Pikachu, Lanturn, Blitzle, and Ampharos are all okay!” She shoved me and Courtney out of her way and dropped her bag on the counter. Giggling nonstop, she pulled out five of her Poke Balls from the bag and tossed them to the floor, causing them all to send out the Pokemon inside.  
“Galvantulaaaaa!” Galvantula hissed.  
Rotom spun around in circles in the air, smiling wide.  
“Magnezoooooooone!” Magnezone said strongly.  
“Vaporeon!” Vaporeon cried.  
“Vire…” Electivire growled.  
June grabbed five more Poke Balls from her bag and tossed them quickly. “Come on out!”  
“Manec?” Manectric was sent out, and she looked at the five Pokemon before her in shock before she turned to June. “Manectric!” she shouted happily.  
A Lanturn appeared from another Poke Ball, and she cried out softly at the other Pokemon around her before looking over at June in surprise.  
Ampharos let out gurgle as she spotted the Pokemon around her, and let out a louder cry as she spotted June.  
“Pi? Pikachu?” Pikachu turned around at the sight of his companions. “Pika!” he exclaimed happily. “Chu?” His eyes widened as he spotted June. “Chuuuuuu!”  
“Blllllllliiitz!” Blitzle looked at the Pokemon surrounding him. “Bllllitzle! Blitzle!” He started jumping for joy as he saw June, his hooves clacking against the floor.  
Pikachu, Ampharos, Blitzle, Manectric, and Lanturn all charged at their Trainer.  
“Wait wait wait wait wait!” June pleaded with a smile, holding out her hands and waving them at her stampeding Pokemon as she was taken down by them. She burst out laughing as the Pokemon licked her face continuously. “Oh, who am I kidding? Get over here my little sweeties! I missed you guys so much!”  
June’s other Pokemon are back, I smiled. Finally. It’s been so long since I’ve seen them. Since they’ve seen June. Since they’ve all been together… My eyes started to tear up at the sight. Charizard’s roar rang clear as water in my head. I sighed as I watched June laugh, gasping to catch her breath and breathe, and I wiped at my eyes with my hand. Everyone’s okay. Everyone’s back where they belong. Except for my Charizard… My eyes were leaking, and I held back any more tears from falling as my smile broadened.  
Galvantula, Rotom, Magnezone, and Vaporeon were all smiling as they watched June and the other five Pokemon enjoy their reunion.  
Electivire stood tall, squinting at the scene.  
“These are June’s Pokemon?” Courtney asked in a low voice. “I don’t have a Blitzle…” Courtney held out her Pokedex.  
Blitzle. The Electrified Pokemon. This Pokemon is known to appear when thunderclouds form, running around to catch lightning and store it in its mane.  
“Hmmm…” Courtney frowned at June as she put away her Pokedex.  
“Come here, you guys! It’s been too long since we’ve all been together like this to be shy, now!” June urged her other Pokemon.  
Magnezone, Vaporeon, Galvantula, and Rotom moved towards the Pokemon on top of June with excited cheers.  
The Pokemon on June turned around and hurried towards their old friends.  
Vaporeon and Magnezone got loads of attention from Pikachu and the other four Pokemon that had been unable to travel with June for so long, no longer the Eevee and Magneton they had been previously known as.  
Before long, Pikachu, Vaporeon, Ampharos, Manectric, Lanturn, and Galvantula were rolling around on the floor, wrestling and trading licks.  
Blitzle, Magnezone, and Rotom shared electrical charges between each other as they chased one another around the lobby, Blitzle’s Speed increasing with each jolt due to his Motor Drive Ability.  
June got to her feet and her smile faded with a sigh. “Electivire…”  
Electivire was the only one uninterested in the celebration. He was sitting on the floor, leaning against the side of the counter with his eyes closed, breathing softly.  
“Electivire, honey.” June slowly walked past her other Pokemon and they all stopped playing and looked at June, the smiles on their faces fading quickly.  
Electivire opened one eye and turned to June, his face a scowl.  
“All of our friends are back with us,” June said softly as she came to a stop next to Electivire. “It’s been years since we’ve all been together like this. Don’t you want to say hi? To your friends? The members of our family?” She smiled at Electivire and waved her hand behind her, at the remaining nine Pokemon who were all looking at them with worry.  
“Pi? Pi Pi Ka!” Pikachu ran on all fours towards Electivire and looked up at the muscular Pokemon. “Chu Pikachu! Pi! Pi! Pika!” Pikachu smiled and stood up on his back legs. “Pikachu! Pika! Kachu! Pika Pi!”  
“Vire…” Electivire glared at Pikachu with both eyes and then turned to June.  
June’s eyes widened and her eyebrows rose hopefully as her smile vanished from her face. “Electivire?”  
Electivire slowly climbed to his feet and faced June.  
“Pi!” Pikachu backed away from Electivire and watched him expectantly.  
“Electivire, are you okay?” June asked her Pokemon. Her eyes were now watering and she started to smile. “Are… we okay, now? Please?” She extended her hand to her Pokemon and sniffled as a pair of tears fell from her eyes. “Can we try one more time? Can we be the friends we once were so long ago?”  
Electivire didn’t say a word, but his fists did tighten at his sides, and his scowl never faded.  
“Pika?” Pikachu looked at the intimidating Pokemon’s fists before looking up at Electivire’s face. One of his ears was down, the other one pointed straight up into the air.  
“Can we at least start with a handshake?” June pleaded, maintaining her smile. “One step at a time. Please, Electivire. I’ll never be able to apologize enough for what happened, or take it back, but if I could, I hope you know that I would without hesitation. It kills me inside everyday having to live with what I did to you. But I do love you, Electivire. I always have. I should have spent more time showing it.” Her eyes lowered to the floor. “Instead, my mind was in the wrong place.” She looked up at Electivire, and more tears fell. “But my heart was always with you, Electivire! I ignored your feelings, neglected my own true feelings, and pushed away who I truly was, and that was wrong, but I was always there for you!” She paused, her shoulders slumping, and she sighed. “But what does that really mean? I knew I should have been better to you, but I had convinced myself that others’ had expectations of me, and I allowed that belief to turn me into something I wasn’t. In the end, the expectations I had thought others wanted from me, weren’t even real. All my family and friends ever wanted was for me to be happy. All I ended up doing was hurt the ones I loved the most.” June looked over to her other Pokemon.  
The rest of June’s Pokemon looked on the verge of tears as they listened to their Trainer open up.  
Even my own eyes were stinging behind tears I was holding back.   
Courtney brushed aside her blonde hair and crossed her arms, staring at June with a tilted head.  
Nurse Joy was dabbing at her eyes with a napkin, sniffling with a smile on her face while listening to June.  
June looked back to Electivire, her hand still in the air, waiting for Electivire to accept it. “Electivire, I love you. And I believe that, when you’re ready, we can put all of this behind us, once and for all. Do you believe that? Can you feel my sincerity? You don’t have to take my hand, but, I have to know if you know I’m sorry. I can’t take knowing you hate me and don’t feel I’m truly hurting for what I did to you. Please, just tell me that you know I’m sorry, even if you still can’t stand me for what I did to you.”  
Courtney sighed loudly and rolled her eyes.  
In that moment, rage flew throughout my body, and I easily could have shoved Courtney to the floor.  
Whether she wanted to believe that June could communicate with Pokemon or not, what was happening before her was undeniable. There was some kind of connection happening right before her eyes. She couldn’t possibly disregard this. And to be so rude as to sigh so noticeably was just out of line.  
I balled my fists and crossed my arms, my face now glaring as I stared at June and Electivire, though my thoughts were now on Courtney, who I refused to look at.  
June and Electivire kept their eyes on each other.  
Electivire lifted his arms and held his fists close to his body.  
“Electivire?” June gasped.  
Electivire’s antennae sparked with electricity.  
“Electivire!” June cried out as she took a step back.  
“VIRE!!” Electivire’s body was coated with electricity and a beam flew from him and zapped June.  
June’s Pokemon shouted out and backed up a couple of feet, except for her Blitzle.  
June was screaming in pain as her Pokemon zapped her.  
“Bliiiiitzle!” The zebra-like Pokemon stomped on the ground furiously, repeatedly. His body was coated in flames and he charged at Electivire before leaping into the air.  
Electivire stopped his Thunder attack and turned to Blitzle. “Vire…” His large hands extended out and he caught Blitzle with his bare hands! “Vire, Vire, Vire,” Electivire chuckled as the flames around Blitzle died out instantly.  
“Bliiiitzle! Bliiiiiiiiitzle!” Blitzle struggled to get out of Electivire’s hold.  
“No! Stop! Leave him alone!” June pleaded from the floor, her body sparking off electricity. Her hair was reaching for the ceiling.  
“Galvantulaaaa!” Galvantula shot out string from her mouth and it wrapped around Blitzle’s body. “Gal!” Galvantula pulled against the grip Electivire had on Blitzle, but Electivire was hardly struggling as he maintained his grasp on the scared Blitzle.  
“Let go of my baby!” June screamed angrily as she got to her feet.  
Ampharos let out an angry yell and released a yellow beam of lightning from her body, shocking Electivire and Blitzle.  
Electivire turned eagerly to Ampharos.  
Blitzle struggled even harder and faster in Electivire’s grip, but he still couldn’t free himself.  
“No, Ampharos! Stop!” June begged. “Don’t attack him! Please! This isn’t what I wanted!” June was openly crying at this point, tears flowing down her cheeks. “Besides, he has Motor Drive! Electric moves will only boost his Speed!”  
Rotom flew forward with a smile on its face and its eyes glowed light green.  
Blitzle was outlined in the same color as Rotom’s Telekinesis grabbed a hold of him.  
Both Galvantula and Rotom struggled to free Blitzle from Electivire’s hands, but Electivire hung on tight, pulling back against them.  
“Blitzle, return!” June demanded.  
Blitzle’s body glowed red before vanishing from in between the three Pokemon and he was returned to his Poke Ball.  
“And that goes for you, too!” June said determinedly.  
Electivire was returned to his Poke Ball.  
June sighed and looked down at Electivire’s Poke Ball. “What am I going to do with you?”  
A white beam fired out from Electivire’s Poke Ball, making June gasp in surprise, and the angry Electric type freed himself from his Poke Ball. “ELECTIVIIIIIIIIIIRE!!!!” Electivire roared.  
“Oh, gosh!” Courtney cried out in fright, stumbling backwards. “June, what the hell?”  
“Electivire, stay in your Poke Ball!” June held out his Poke Ball.  
Electivire leaped on top of the counter, dodging the red beam from his Poke Ball, and terrifying Nurse Joy.  
Nurse Joy shrieked and backed away.  
Courtney screamed and ran for the front door.  
June tried again to recall her Pokemon, but Electivire leaped off of the counter and right into me, knocking me to the floor.  
“Whoa!” I exclaimed as I fell. “Hey!” I said angrily, looking up at Electivire.  
He turned to me with a grimace.  
My eyes widened.  
The horns on Electivire’s head sparked.  
I grit my teeth and tensed up my body in anticipation for the shock that was sure to come.  
A loud voice rang out and I turned my head as I saw a figure leap at Electivire from the corner of my eye.  
Lanturn appeared in front of the Thunderbolt and her body was outlined by the attack for a moment. She landed on the ground between us and cried out happily.  
Electivire growled down at Lanturn and punched his fists together. “Electivire!!” he snarled at Lanturn, and advanced upon her.  
“Vaporeooooooooonn!!”  
“Vire? Viiiiire…!” Electivire was hit by a beam of ice. His arm was frozen inside of a block of ice that spread quickly around his body. He struggled to move his arm, but in seconds, most of his body was covered in ice.  
I breathed a sigh of relief.  
Suddenly, Electivire’s arm that was still not frozen, flexed, and the fist burst into flames. The fist slammed into the ice around him and the ice exploded. “Electiviirrre!!”  
“Vaporeon!” Vaporeon gasped.  
“Oh, no!” June moaned. “Electivire, just stop!” she screamed desperately. “Why do you have to be this way? I’m trying so hard!”  
“VIRE!!!” Electivire shocked Vaporeon with Thunder, and then he turned to Lanturn.  
Vaporeon collapsed on the floor.  
Lanturn squealed out in fright.  
Electivire’s body was surrounded by a red aura. He flexed his arms and reached out for Lanturn.  
“Chaaaaaa!” Pikachu flew at Electivire with Quick Attack, tackling his stomach.  
Electivire didn’t even flinch. He swung his arm out and smacked Pikachu to the side.  
“Pikaaaaaaaa!” Pikachu flew over the counter and into the wall, sliding to the floor.  
“Oh, no!” Nurse Joy ducked behind the counter to get Pikachu.  
Electivire pulled back a fist and swung at Lanturn.  
“Magnezooone!!” Magnezone flew in front of Electivire’s Strength attack and took the blow easily.  
“Lecti?” Electivire glared at Magnezone. He inhaled deeply, puffing out his chest broadly. “VIIIIIIIIIIIRRRRRE!!” Electivire opened his mouth wide and released a Flamethrower!  
Lanturn hopped away and I rolled to the side as the flame overtook Magnezone and forced it to the floor.  
I could feel the heat from the burning flames as I gaped at the user of the move, the fire just a few feet away from me. “You taught that thing Flamethrower?!” I shouted at June.  
June didn’t respond, her terrified eyes glued to her Electivire.  
“Manectric!” Manectric leaped at Electivire with her jaws wide open, fire coating her fangs.  
Electivire raised a fist in the air and pointed it at Manectric.  
Manectric sunk her fangs into Electivire’s fist and growled.  
Electivire smiled devilishly at Manectric, unfazed by the Fire Fang around his fist.  
Manectric kept growling and sunk her teeth even deeper into Electivire’s fist, but he didn’t seem bothered.  
Electivire raised his fist that Manectic was biting, high into the air, and then brought it down on the counter top, slamming Manectric onto it strongly.  
Manectric whined in pain as the fire in her mouth went out, and she released Electivire’s fist from her jaws. She rolled off of the counter and hit the floor.  
Electivire lifted his head to the ceiling, flexing his arms. “Vire!” He looked around, daring anyone to come and challenge him next.  
Not a single body in the building moved.  
“Elec…” Electivire turned around and pointed. “Vire! Electivire!”  
Courtney gasped. “Huh? Me? What did I do?”  
“He wants to battle you!” June said shakily.  
“I don’t wanna battle!” Courtney shook her head wildly.  
“VIRE!” Electivire sent a blast of Thunder at Courtney.  
Courtney shrieked and hit the floor, her hair now standing up straight. “Help…” she whimpered weakly, her body sparking and flinching.  
“Electivire!” June screamed, raising his Poke Ball.  
Electivire turned his head around and his eyes glowed blue.  
June was frozen in place, outlined in blue, and she was lifted into the air by Electivire’s Psychic. “Electivire! NO! Put me down! Put me doooown!”  
Poor choice of words.  
June’s body was turned around so that she was now facing the wall behind her, and she screamed in terror as she flew towards it, the blue around her body now gone. Just as she was about to hit the wall, her body was outlined in green and she froze in mid-air. A gasp of shock escaped her throat as she hovered in the air, her face less than an inch away from the wall. “Oh! What?”  
Rotom let out an excited chatter, his eyes glowing green.  
“Rotom!” June said gratefully.  
Electivire growled and then shocked Rotom with Thunder.  
Rotom screamed and released June.  
June was dropped to the ground and she moaned. “Oooowwww…”  
Electivire turned away from Rotom and started walking towards Courtney.  
“Hey, come on! What did I ever do to you?” Courtney pleaded from the floor as she scrambled backwards. “Leave me alone! I don’t even know you that well! Please, go away! June, stop this crazy thiiiiing!”  
“Vire?” Electivire’s eyes widened, and he fell forward and dropped onto his face!  
I couldn’t believe my eyes.  
All of us stared at the fallen Pokemon.  
He pressed his hands against the floor to push himself up, but froze as his body became outlined in green.  
Rotom flew closer to Electivire, holding him down with Telekinesis, no longer smiling as it gazed down at the Pokemon sternly.  
Galvantula crawled closer to Electivire, and I could see the thin string in her mouth that extended out. I followed the line of string and suddenly realized that the other end of the string was stuck to the counter, directly in front of Electivire’s path.  
Electivire had tripped over Galvantula’s String Shot!  
“Oh, thank you, guys!” June said happily as she climbed to her feet. “Thank you so much!” She walked over to her Electivire.  
Electivire grunted as he struggled against the Telekinesis.  
“Electivire…” June said sadly, stopping a few feet away from him.  
“Tiv… Tiv… TiiiiivvvvvIRE!!!!” Electivire’s horns sparked, and then the rest of his body followed, and he shocked Rotom with Thunder!  
Rotom fell to the ground and groaned wearily.  
Electivire, no longer held down by Rotom, got to his feet and roared like mad at the ceiling as his body sparked. Several beams of electricity flew out from his body continuously and hit the floor of the Pokemon Center, threatening all of us.  
We all shouted out and backed away from the bolts, trying to avoid getting hit.  
A determined cry was heard and several golden orbs appeared, flying for Electivire.  
“Vire?” Electivire stopped attacking and looked around as the balls surrounded him.  
The orbs latched onto his body and grew larger, forming one ball, and then it exploded.  
Electivire groaned and stumbled backwards into the counter. His eyes were now red.  
“Confuse Ray?” I looked around in my own perplexed state and saw Ampharos with a satisfied smile on her face.  
“Vire… Vire…” Electivire stumbled about for a moment before stopping. His eyes furrowed at Ampharos.  
Ampharos let out a surprised cry and took a step back.  
Electivire screamed out in rage and charged at Ampharos.  
Ampharos screamed, waving her hands in front of her, shaking her head desperately, begging for Electivire to stop.  
Electivire pulled back his right arm and his body became outlined in a red aura. With an enraged shout, he forced his fist forward for his Strength attack.  
A united yell came out of the throats of all of us in the building as Electivire attacked.  
Electivire stumbled over absolutely nothing in his Confusion and his fist missed Ampharos, but it came back around. He slugged himself in the stomach with his own powerful attack and his breath came out loudly with pain. Electivire dropped to his knees, a pained expression frozen on his face. “Vire…” he groaned as he fell to his face. His body glowed red and then he vanished.  
“Good work, Ampharos!” June sighed happily, holding Electivire’s Poke Ball out. She turned to her Pokemon. “Thank you, everyone. Is everyone okay?”  
June’s Pokemon all called out, some sounding weaker than others.  
Pikachu struggled out of Nurse Joy’s arms and leaped onto the counter, and then into June’s arms. “Chuuu!”  
“Pikachu!” June laughed.  
Pikachu licked June’s face eagerly.  
Soon after, all of June’s Pokemon tackled her to the ground and showed their affection to her.  
“MagneZOOOOOOOOOOOONE!!!” Magnezone hit the group with an Electric zap.  
Courtney, June, and Nurse Joy gasped.  
I simply smiled as I watched.  
June laughed excitedly as she and her Pokemon were shocked. “I love you, too! I love all of you!” She continued to laugh as the rest of her Pokemon joined in and electrocuted her, all of them caught up in one big bright flash of lightning.

*

“Hi, Mrs. Butters!” I greeted Robin’s mother.  
“Gary, goodness gracious, I can’t believe it!” Mrs. Butters stared at me in disbelief. “It’s been…”  
“Years, really,” I answered. “Going on two years, I think.”  
“Gary, what happened to you? Is it true that you’re in the Unova region now??” Mrs. Butters eyes were mournful.  
I nodded. “Yeah. A lot has happened, but I’m sure you know the story.”  
“Prof. Oak told me that you ran away from your mother’s house!” Mrs. Butters’ eyes lowered momentarily before she lifted them back to me. “I love your mother. She’s a very dear friend and everything, but…” Mrs. Butters lowered her voice to a whisper. “Just between you and I, me and my husband don’t exactly blame you for escaping how you did.”  
I laughed lightly. “Yeah… Ha ha. Um, I actually called because I-”  
“Well, well! If it isn’t the little prison escapee! HA HA HA HA!” I heard a familiar voice laugh, and Mr. Butters appeared onscreen next to his wife, beaming widely.  
“Heh, hey, Mr. Butters.” I managed a smile back.  
“You know, when Robin told me about how he came over to visit you a while back, and your mother slammed the door in his face…” Mr. Butters shook his head, frowning now. “I mean, I always knew your mom was a little…” He tilted his head and nodded it as he swirled one finger in circles by the side of his head.   
Mrs. Butters gasped and she pushed her husband.  
“What?” he shrugged at his wife.   
She just glared at him and shook her head.   
Mr. Butters turned back to me. “But, anyway, to think she would slam the door in the face of a crippled child like that! I had quite the mind to go over there and have quite a few words with her, myself. He also told me that he heard screams and shouts from inside of the house, afterwards. I’ll tell you now, Gary, I was considering finding out exactly why nobody was allowed to see you and getting you out of there on my own!”  
“Honey…” Mrs. Butters whispered, keeping her glare on Mr. Butters.  
Mr. Butters ignored his wife. “I’m just glad you got out of there, kid. I heard you not only handled your mom, but you had your Pokemon attack Prof. Oak, as well! Kicking ass and taking names, eh? That’s my boy!”  
Mrs. Butters angrily shoved Mr. Butters offscreen with an angry grunt.   
Mr. Butters cried out and something smashed loudly in the background.  
Mrs. Butters smiled as she turned back to me. “We’re both just happy you’re safe, honey.”  
“Thanks,” I smiled nervously. “Um, but as I said, I did call for a reason.”  
“Oh, right, of course! What is it?” Her smile faded.  
“Well, I wanted to speak to Robin, too, if you don’t mind!” I told them. “The last I heard, he’s been doing well and recovering! Is it alright if I speak to him?”  
Mr. Butters appeared onscreen, his eyes wide, and both he and his wife exchanged quick glances before turning back to me sadly.   
“That would be really nice, except, right now, he isn’t living with us,” Mr. Butters spoke in a low voice.  
“What? Why? What happened?!” I shouted.  
Mrs. Butters shot Mr. Butters an angry look. “Can’t you just say our son is away visiting his uncle for a couple of weeks? You know, like a normal person would? This poor child hasn’t seen his friend in how long, and what do you do? Scare him even worse with a stupid choice of words. I mean, think, honey. Think before you speak!”  
Mr. Butters smiled, his eyes to the floor, and he rubbed the back of his head, an uncomfortable look on his face. “Marriage has its ups, too, Gary,” he joked.  
The look that came over Mrs. Butters face nearly made me wanna run away, but Mr. Butters had to face it head-on, and he vanished like a magic act.  
Mrs. Butters took a deep breath before turning back to me and smiling warmly. “We’ll be sure to tell Robin that you asked about him. He really is doing quite well. I’m sure you’ll speak to him soon enough.”  
“I hope so. Thanks, Mrs. Butters. And tell Robin that June says hello, too.”  
“June?” Mrs. Butters questioned. “Oh! The red haired young lady I met during…” She pursed her lips together tightly and pressed one finger against them, her eyes widening.  
“Yes,” I nodded quickly, knowing she was talking about the time she met June at the Kanto League.  
The Kanto League was obviously still a sensitive subject.  
“No problem, then,” Mrs. Butters smiled, lowering her finger. “June. I’ve got it.”  
I smiled as I remembered how much Robin liked June, and how goofy he got around her. Although his weird behavior around her really only started after the day he saw June in a two piece bikini.   
My mind suddenly dwelled on Robin’s Pokemon, Catherine.   
Robin’s Blastoise, nicknamed Catherine, had given him a lot of frustration back when she was just the little Squirtle Robin had chosen at Prof. Oak’s lab. When I had chosen Charmander instead of Squirtle, she was emotionally crushed, and refused to fight against me whenever me and Robin would battle. She preferred to just run up to me for hugs. It took a lot of time and a lot of matches that Robin had to forfeit against me, but eventually, she evolved into a Blastoise and beat my Charizard at the Pokemon League, although that loss was partly due to Charizard’s pride getting in the way during the fight, which resulted in him completely disobeying me.  
“Thanks a lot, Mrs. Butters. I’ll call you again, okay?” I told her.  
Mrs. Butters nodded. “Keep in touch, love.”  
“Tell Mr. Butters I said bye.”  
“Oh, I’ll definitely have plenty of words for him tonight,” Mrs. Butters said, her smile remaining, but I knew it was nothing more than a mask.  
Mr. Butters was definitely about to get it tonight.  
I hung up the phone and the screen went black.  
“Everything alright?” June called out to me from the other side of the Pokemon Center.  
Courtney had her mirror in front of her, brushing her hair.  
“Yeah. Everybody’s okay, I guess.” I walked past a man and woman sitting at a table, talking.  
The man looked up at me before looking back to the blonde in front of him.  
Two young boys sat by another table, talking excitedly.  
A girl with long, red hair sat in a corner near the back of the Pokemon Center, opposite of June and Courtney, talking loudly on her cell phone.  
“Robin’s doing okay, but I didn’t get to speak to him. He’s visiting family.” I stopped in front of the girls.  
“Oh, that’s good,” June smiled, but it faded in the next second. “How about your mom?”  
“I’ll call her up later,” I said shortly. “After our last conversation, I don’t think I have anything to say to her that she’d want to hear.”  
“She’d be happy to know you’re alive,” June smiled at me.  
“I’ll call her,” I told June, staring her in the eyes.  
She nodded, but her smile faded as concern took over. “You probably didn’t catch the news,” June said, brushing aside her hair from her face.  
My heart’s beat started to pick up its pace. “What happened? Is it…?”  
June nodded. “It’s the ancient Pokemon again. This time, it’s three Omastar. Apparently, they were in Undella Bay, attacking Shellder and Cloyster and devouring their insides. Nobody knew about them until a swimmer went missing and his body was found the next day. They said it looked slaughtered; stabbed at, with the insides eaten away. Before the bay could be closed down, more swimmers started getting dragged underwater by the Omastar. Even the police couldn’t stop them with their guns because the Omaster kept on using Protect. They did manage to stop them once Protect stopped working, but Undella Bay is closed down for now. They said that by the time they stopped the Omastar, the ocean was a bloodbath, and it was drawing in sharks and carnivorous Water Pokemon.”   
I looked up at the TV and saw a commercial for some action movie. My eyes reverted back to June.  
She stared back at me with a scared look.  
“Took me, like, five hours, but I finally got my hair perfect.” Courtney stopped brushing her hair and smiled at herself in the mirror before she blew herself a kiss. She placed her mirror and brush into her backpack and then turned to June and I with a smile. “How do I look?”  
Neither June nor I responded.  
Courtney frowned at June. “The least you could do is answer me. This is your Pokemon’s fault, after all. What the hell did you do to that thing to make it so mad at you, anyway?”  
“Mind your business,” June snapped.  
“Oh, come on! You got your own Pokemon beaten up, Gary nearly got attacked, and I was zapped!” Courtney crossed her arms. “You owe us an explanation!”  
“Gary has the explanation. You are getting absolutely nothing!”  
“Oh, why do you have to be so difficult, June!” Courtney whined.  
“Excuse me, but I do not have to tell you anything about my life that I do not feel comfortable talking about!” June crossed her arms.  
“No! It’s me!” Courtney insisted. “You just don’t want to tell me!”  
“Even if that is true, I’m entitled to it! Back off!”  
“We’re supposed to be friends! We’re supposed to be getting along!”  
“We’ll get along just fine once you learn your place and stop prying into my personal life!”  
“Courtney, please, just drop it!” I said loudly.   
“But, that’s not fair!” Courtney cried to me, grabbing my arm with both hands.  
I shook her off of me and backed up a step. “Listen, it took June forever to tell me what the issue with Electivire was, too. Now that I know it, I can definitely understand why she isn’t comfortable telling just anyone about what happened between them. Leave her alone! She’ll tell you if and when she feels ready. Until then, just let her work on this on her own.”  
“Well, maybe if she spoke about the problem, I could help! I mean, it looks like she thinks she knows what the problem with her Electivire is, but clearly, she doesn’t have a clue. She’s convinced she can read Pokemon so well, and yet, obviously, she cannot. This is causing a rift between her and her Electivire! I think she needs to-”  
June got to her feet quickly, glaring at Courtney.  
Courtney was silenced and she looked up at June as if June had a gun pointed at her face.  
June turned away and stormed out of the Pokemon Center.  
I had a feeling that June had wanted to yell at Courtney, or maybe was even considering hitting her, but she instead opted to go outside and blow off some steam.  
A loud, high-pitched, raging shriek from outside confirmed my suspicion, making the people in the building with me and Courtney turn towards the front door.  
Even the girl on the phone had stopped talking, staring after June. She then looked over at Courtney and I before smirking and whispering excitedly into her phone, covering her mouth and lowering her head, but keeping her eyes on us.  
“Man, what a mental case,” Courtney muttered, shaking her head. She turned back to me. “Okay, she’s gone,” she whispered, and she stood up and grabbed my arm, pulling me close to her. She was smirking now, her eyes lit up. “Come on. Tell me what’s the story on Electivire. And why does June think she can read Pokemon? You don’t really believe in that junk, do you?”   
The scent of her perfume this close created a pleasing feeling throughout my body. I looked into her pleading eyes. It’s not even a big deal… I considered. She just evolved her Electabuzz before he was ready because she wanted a stronger Pokemon.  
Courtney got even closer to me and rested her cheek against my shoulder, staring deeply into my eyes with her wide, pleading eyes. “Pleeeeeease?”  
I could feel myself giving in to her pleas.  
Her wide eyes… Her sweet scent…   
June…   
I remembered the times back in Kanto when June would disappear and leave me and my Pokemon alone together while we were eating so she could feed her Pokemon and work on their problems privately, leaving me and my Pokemon confused.  
I remembered the moment when June had finally told me what was going on with her and her Electivire, and the shock I had felt that she had decided to let me into her past life.  
“I… No!” I pulled away from Courtney and backed up. “I’m not telling you a thing if June isn’t ready!”  
“Gary,” Courtney whispered, motioning with her hands to lower my voice and calm down. “Easy, Sugar. It’s just you and me. I just wanna know what the big deal is. It’ll be our little secret.”  
“I said no!” I shouted at her even louder, and I knew everyone was staring at us now. “Drop it, Courtney! That’s it!”  
Courtney stared at me solemnly, but then her face broke into a smile. “Okay. That’s very commendable, Gary. I’m sorry. It’s great that you’re so loyal to your friend. I honestly was just worried about June and her Pokemon.” She spread open her arms. “Can you forgive me for being so nosy? Hug?”  
I squinted at her for a moment, but with a sigh, I walked closer to her and accepted her hug, hugging her back.  
Her cheek pressed against mine, and before I knew it, my cheek pressed back against hers.  
The doors to the back of the Pokemon Center opened, and Courtney and I turned to see Nurse Joy and her Audino exit from the back with a cart containing three trays.  
One tray had ten Poke Balls in it, with grooves for even more balls, while the other two trays on either side of it had only six.  
“Gary, June, and Courtney, your Pokemon are all perfectly fine!” Nurse Joy smiled.  
“Audino,” Audino nodded.  
Courtney and I broke our hug and ran to a tray, retrieving our Poke Balls.  
“June will be back in a bit to get hers,” I told Nurse Joy.  
“Okay. I’ll just keep them in the back until she’s ready to get them,” Nurse Joy replied.  
“Thanks, Nurse Joy,” I told her.  
“Yes. Thank you,” Courtney added.  
“Not a problem.” Nurse Joy and Audino walked back through the back doors with the cart holding June’s Poke Balls.  
Courtney and I faced each other. Neither of us spoke a word.  
“So, now what?” Courtney asked.  
“There’s only one thing left to do,” I answered her.  
Courtney just stared at me.  
I looked around the building until I spotted what I was looking for. “Hm.” I nodded and walked away from Courtney.  
Courtney followed after me.  
Together, we approached the Town Map plastered on the wall.


	54. Sweatin' The Dol Stuff

“Ghyst Town is the closest location with a Gym from here, without a doubt,” June said from behind Courtney and I.  
I scanned the Town Map plastered to the wall, trying to find another Gym that was closer as I swallowed nervously.  
“We should be there in a few days or less,” June added.  
“Sounds fine by me,” Courtney stated. “Alright, let’s get your eighth Badge for real this time, Gary! And I can get my ninth!”  
Courtney and June turned away from the Town Map and started to walk away.  
“Wait!” I said loudly, stopping the girls. “Are you sure that’s the closest Gym?” I could easily see for myself that Ghyst Town was indeed the closest Gym from Virbank City. “I mean, what about Opelucid City? It’s not even far from Ghyst Town at all! I don’t mind the extra day’s walk.”  
“Gary, why would you waste another day to earn your last Badge?” Courtney questioned.   
“There’s no rush to get this final Badge,” I answered quickly. “Let’s explore Unova a little bit. Let’s take one more little day to see what else is out there! And, look! Opelucid has a Dragon type Gym Leader! That sounds a lot better than a boring old Ghost type Gym, if you ask me. Let’s go to Opelucid City.” I turned to Courtney and June with a big smile.  
June had a concerned look on her face.  
Courtney was staring at me in confusion. “Ghosts are cool…” she said. “They’re full of surprises and fun and certainly are not boring.”  
“But Dragon types are better!” I insisted. “I wanna test my strength against one of the toughest types out there! Dragon types are built from the stuff of legend! When it comes to Dragon types, they have amazing variety, power, and are just so cool! It’s settled. We’ll head to Opelucid City and earn our next Badges there. Let’s go, girls!” I walked past them cheerfully and headed to the front door.  
“Gary, that doesn’t make any sense!” Courtney called after me. “The Unova League Conference is going to take place before you know it! Depending on where it’s going to be held this year, we might not have a day to waste finding another Gym! Is something wrong?”  
I heard footsteps move quickly towards me and a hand gripped my shoulder and stopped me. I turned around with a grimace and stared into June’s eyes.  
“Gary,” she said in a low voice, staring back at me sadly.  
My face softened and I lowered my eyes to the floor. I immediately knew that June knew exactly what I was thinking and feeling. She knew about my past with a Ghost type Gym, and our history with a certain Ghost type Pokemon.   
I remembered when I had battled for a Badge in Obsidian City back in Kanto. I had thought I had defeated the Gym Leader, Shane, and won my first Badge, the Dimensia Badge. Several months later, after winning seven more Badges and thinking I had all eight Badges, it turned out that my first Badge was a Gastly in disguise the whole time, and I had to run back to Viridian City to battle for my eighth Badge with only a week left before the Pokemon League began.  
I sighed and reflected on my horrific time in Saffron City when a Haunter had taken over the entire city and left many people dead or under his hypnotic spell. He also used his powers to create illusions that made the buildings appear to be in perfect condition, even though they were completely destroyed, including the Silph Co. company that manufactured Poke Balls and other Pokemon products. Haunter had even gone so far as to make the city’s Gym Leader, Sabrina, who he had possessed and ended up killing after befriending her years ago, appear alive and well. Haunter was eventually stopped and his illusions were removed, revealing the city and the citizens for what they really were. This became worldwide news, of course, the revelation of Silph Co.’s destruction causing panic throughout parts of the world as supplies for Pokemon became low. Over time, the company rebuilt itself and everything returned back to normal for the most part.  
Long story short, my history with Ghost type Pokemon had left me with a slightly bitter taste towards the type of Pokemon. I still loved my Drifblim, of course, and I had no real issues with Ghost type Pokemon, but to this day, I remain shaken over my bad experiences with them.  
“What’s going on here?” Courtney asked from close behind me.  
I turned to her and stared into her worried eyes.  
“Gary, won’t you tell me what’s wrong? Why don’t you want to go to Ghyst Town?”  
I grit my teeth tightly, and before I knew it, my eyebrows furrowed. “Why the hell didn’t you know Gramma’s Gym was a load of crap, Courtney?” I yelled.  
“Huh?” Courtney gasped, her eyes wide with surprise.  
“You were so damn excited to see Gramma and battle against your beloved Grass types!” I shouted at her. “What the hell, huh? You love this Gramma lady so much, but you didn’t even know her Gym was shut down? Damn it, Courtney! I don’t wanna battle against a freaking Ghost Gym!!”  
Courtney’s lips quivered and she looked like she was ready to cry.  
“Okay, okay,” June spoke softly. “Let’s all just calm d-”  
“Hell out of here, June!” I barked at her. “You know why I don’t want to go to this Gym, or any Ghost gym!”  
June kept her fearful eyes on me and nodded quickly.  
I turned my flaming eyes back to Courtney, but I didn’t have any more words for her.  
Courtney sniffled and a pair of tears rolled down her cheeks. “I’m sorry, Gary,” she whispered. She sniffled harder. “I really didn’t know. I’m so sorry about that.”  
My expression gave way to her tears and I sighed, letting my anger out of my body through my mouth. “I guess you’re right. We don’t have time to waste. Let’s just go to this damn Ghost Gym.”  
“Gary, I’m really sorry about this,” Courtney sniffled again as she wiped at her eyes. “This was all just an accident. Can you forgive me? Please?” She extended her arms nervously, lowering her head but keeping her eyes on me. “Hug?”  
I grit my teeth in annoyance at Courtney’s question, and I didn’t move nor answer.  
“Hmmm,” June said lowly.  
Courtney lowered her arms and we both turned away from each other and looked at June, who had her arms crossed in front of her.  
She eyed Courtney suspiciously. “It’s mighty interesting that you knew of Verdew Town, and Gramma…”  
“What?” Courtney squinted tearfully at June.  
“You knew about this Verdew Town, and about the Gym there, but you didn’t know that the Gym was no longer active,” June continued.  
“Well, how was I supposed to know? I didn’t follow up on Gramma. Gyms change all the time. A mistake like this could have happened to anyone.”  
June nodded. “Absolutely. But, it didn’t. It happened to you. Courtney.”  
“What are you saying…?” Courtney’s eyebrows started to furrow.  
“New City? Cloud City? Any of these places sound familiar?”  
Courtney sighed. “June, just stop right there. Are you trying to say what I think you’re trying to say?” Courtney’s voice was getting angry.  
“Depends on what you think I’m trying to say.” June placed her hands on her hips.  
“How dare you!” Courtney exclaimed. “You think I would lead Gary to a shut down Gym on purpose like that? Are you serious?”  
“I didn’t say that, but it’s interesting that you thought that up all on your own,” June said nonchalantly, looking up at the ceiling.  
“How… dare you!” Courtney repeated.  
“Well, you have your eight Badges, right?” June shrugged. “You don’t need any more Badges. You’ve got nothing to worry about.”  
“You are just despicable! You just won’t ever let things go, will you?” Courtney screamed with a hurt voice, her eyes watering. “I am at a loss for words right now! I…” Courtney inhaled deeply, shakily. “I…” She covered her face and burst into tears. Turning away from us, Courtney ran out of the Pokemon Center.  
I glared at June.  
“What? I didn’t say it! She did!” June shrugged again. June had a point. Not only with the fact that Courtney had assumed what June was accusing her of on her own, but also that what June had clearly implied about Courtney sounded logical, though I didn’t admit that out loud.   
It was that acknowledgement that kept me from blowing up at June, and with a sigh, I grudgingly said, “Come on,” and ran after Courtney, exiting the Pokemon Center.  
The pavement was wet from rain that had recently stopped falling, the moist smell thick in the air. The sun was beaming overhead through gray clouds that covered the sky on this very warm day that was bordering on hot.   
My feet came to a stop a few feet from the front door of the Pokemon Center and I looked around, spotting Courtney several feet away, running down the block. With an exasperated growl, I took off after her, hearing footsteps that belonged to June chasing after me.  
Courtney was no longer covering her face as she ran past people who looked after her with concern before they turned to me and June who were catching up to her quickly. She turned a corner, but I was only a few feet behind her and I made the turn right after her.  
“Courtney, stop it!” I shouted.  
A woman pulled a small child by his shoulders to move him out of Courtney’s path as Courtney moved to the other side to avoid them.   
With a cry, Courtney stumbled and tripped to the ground, falling on her knees. “Ooowwwwww,” she whined, placing her hands on her knees and rubbing them.  
“Courtney, are you okay?” I stopped next to her and knelt down.  
“No!” Courtney whimpered, keeping her eyes down on her hands that held her knees. “You guys still don’t trust me, do you? I don’t deserve your trust as it is. I’ve earned your suspicions of me. I’ve brought all of this on myself.”  
“Courtney, please. We aren’t suspicious of you, okay? June just feels like being a pain.” I avoided June’s face as I said those words. “Don’t take her serious. She’s just playing. Come on. Don’t take what she said to heart. You two are always going at each other’s throats, but it’s not serious, right? I mean, isn’t it great that, after all we’ve been through, we can just joke around with each other like this?” I forced out loud laughter, trying to lighten the mood.  
“Yeah…?” Courtney looked up at June. “Just jokes?”  
I looked up at June.  
June stared at Courtney. She looked to me for an instant before looking back at Courtney. “Of course… Jokes, Courtney. Just jokes…”  
“Oh! Aha ha ha ha ha ha!” Courtney laughed loudly. “Awww, Juni!” She climbed to her feet and dusted off her jeans. Her arms spread wide. “No hard feelings, then? Hug?”  
For crying out loud! I thought, staring at Courtney as if there was something severely wrong with her. Was she not hugged as a child? Ever?  
June dragged her feet over to Courtney and accepted her hug, returning the favor.  
“Come here, Sugar Lumps. Hugs for you, too!” Courtney squealed, not letting go of June as she turned to me delightfully.  
“Goodie…” I muttered, and I walked up to the two girls.  
Courtney released one arm from June and pulled me into the group.  
I wrapped my arms around both girls and sighed, June hugging me lightly with one arm, Courtney squeezing me with her arm. Quite a few sweet aromas wafted over to me from both girls, and I could feel a smile creeping over my face as my eyes closed. “Um, so!” I shook my head hard and freed myself from the trance I was falling into as I backed out of the hug. “Ghyst Town, then?”  
“Oh, yeah! You never did explain what the big deal is, Gary,” Courtney remembered. “Tell us!”  
“It’s nothing, Courtney. Please,” I told her seriously, and I looked past her and walked away. “Let’s just find this Gym so I can compete in the Unova League.” I pulled my Town Map from my pocket and opened it in front of me.  
“Oh, don’t pull a June on me by not telling me what’s going on with you, too!” Courtney complained, following me.  
“Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?” June snapped.  
“Jokes, Juni. Jokes!” Courtney laughed.  
June laughed weakly, and if my eyes weren’t glued to my Town Map, I knew I would have caught a rather aggravated look on her face.  
“You know, now that I think about it, I’m not the only one who didn’t seem to know that Gramma was no longer operating as a Gym Leader! Nurse Joy didn’t mention it to you, either!” Courtney pointed out as the three of us turned another corner.  
I saw the opening to a huge park across the street in the middle of the sidewalk. “Huh?” I stopped and turned to Courtney.  
“Remember when you brought in Unfezant to Nurse Joy?” Courtney reminded me. “You told her about your battle with Gramma. She didn’t say a single word about that Gym being out of service. She must have forgotten, too.”  
My eyes widened as I remembered when Nurse Joy and her Audino had slapped me repeatedly before I had been able to explain to them what had happened to my Unfezant in my battle against Gramma. I had clearly told them that I had battled Gramma, the Gym Leader, and they both exchanged glances.  
And… smirked?  
I remembered that I had thought I’d seen them both crack a tiny smile for just a second in time, but I dismissed it as me seeing things. My breathing picked up. “Wait… Forgot?” I shook my head at Courtney. “Or…?”  
“Or?” Courtney repeated.  
June gasped. “No way! Do you think so?”  
“Think what?” Courtney cried, turning to June. When June didn’t answer her, Courtney looked back to me. “Will somebody answer me about something?” She looked back and forth between me and June.  
“Nurse Joy… knew that her Gym was shut down?” I asked June slowly.  
June didn’t answer me, looking at me with a face of disbelief.  
“Wwwhhaaaaaat?!” Courtney gasped loudly. “No way! She’s a Nurse Joy! She wouldn’t do that to a Pokemon Trainer!”  
I turned to Courtney, but I didn’t say anything.  
June kept her eyes on me.  
Courtney shook her head in confusion.  
“Your Unfezant…” June murmured.  
I turned to June and nodded. “She must have… like…” I paused. I kind of knew what I wanted to say, but I didn’t know how to phrase it. I gave up trying and my shoulders slumped. “I don’t get it,” I shrugged.  
June’s face fell. “She probably didn’t want you battling like that again. She must have blamed you for Unfezant’s condition. In fact, she probably wanted you to get a Badge from Gramma, and then, when you’d arrive at the Pokemon League, you’d be unable to participate because one of your Badges would have been a fake!”  
Courtney gasped and covered her mouth. “No! No! No!” She shook her head hard. “That doesn’t make any sense!”  
June continued to stare at me. “Maybe she didn’t want you to compete in the Unova League with the way she thought you were raising your Pokemon.” June lowered her eyes to the ground. “If that’s true, then, for however nonchalant she was about her job, at least she truly does care about Pokemon.” She looked up and away from me.  
“I can’t believe it,” I said, shaking my head with a little laugh. “That crazy-”  
“Is that Trixa?” June interrupted me, her eyes off to the side.  
My heart stopped. “What?!” I looked around frantically.  
“And Ella…?”   
“WHAAAAT?!?!” I screamed, my heart kicking like a madman.  
“Who are they?” Courtney asked.  
I followed June’s gaze and spotted the group of people inside of the park.  
There was a wide circle of people surrounding some sort of scene in the middle.  
A Pokemon battle! I realized as I took a step forward, spotting a familiar Pokemon that was battling an unfamiliar Pokemon. Oh, no.   
It was undeniable who the two Trainers were that were giving orders to their Pokemon.  
The familiar, pig-like Pokemon standing on its hind legs repeatedly forced its open palms into the face of a dark Pokemon that stood on all four legs.  
The dark Pokemon was knocked to the ground, but its Trainer encouraged it to get back to its feet.  
I ran past June and Courtney and across the street, not bothering to look both ways before I crossed, and flew through the black gate that reached several feet above me, into the park.   
The walkway was cement, surrounded by grass that seemed to cover most of the ground of the entire park, and several trees decorated the area as well. Not far away was a giant concrete structure that stood several feet taller that I was, and was almost as tall as the gate to the park. The circular, dome-shaped bottom filled with water that continuously flowed from the top of a high reaching beam, but it never seemed to overflow. A concrete Pikachu and Teddiursa were smiling near the water while a concrete Magnemite was attached to the beam, looking outward. A concrete Mawile peeked out from behind the beam, watching Pikachu and Teddiursa with a smile.  
“Excuse me! Excuse me!” I made my way through the crowd, scooting around some people, nudging others aside as they cried out at me. I ignored them and kept my eyes on her determined, almond-shaped eyes as I got closer.  
She ordered, “Crunch Attack!” in that sweet voice of hers, and I nearly hit the ground as my legs turned to Jell-O.  
The little black and blue Pokemon opened its mouth and charged forward, sinking its glowing teeth into its opponent.  
The Trainer of the dark Pokemon smiled as the opposing Pokemon cried out in pain, and I came to a stop as I appeared in front of the crowd, my eyes glued to her lips.  
One kiss was all I wanted at that moment. Nothing else on Earth mattered at all. I’d have stopped my Pokemon journey right that second if me puckering my lips would have meant meeting hers with my own, for just one second. I would have even settled for kissing that adorable nose that sat between her cheeks that glowed from the excitement on her face.  
Her teeth gleamed wonderfully and, strangely, very attractively. “Looks like I win, Trixa!”  
“That’s impossible! Fighting type Pokemon are supposed to resist Dark types moves!” Trixa complained, holding an ice cream cone topped with two scoops of white ice cream in her left hand.  
Ella looked at Trixa with disappointment. “Fighting types do resist Dark type moves, Trixa.”  
“But, you just beat my Pignite with a Dark type move!” Trixa scowled. “It did damage!”  
Ella raised a hand to her forehead and shook her head. Her hand slid down her face and pulled down her bottom lip for a second.  
It was the single sexiest moment in the entire history of sexiest moments. Ever.  
“Trixa, there’s a difference between resisting moves, and being immune to them,” Ella smiled sympathetically. “Pokemon who resist move types receive less damage from them. Pokemon who are immune to move types do not receive any damage from them at all.”  
“Ooooooooh,” Trixa smiled, and her eyes twinkled as she smiled. “Cool!” She licked her ice cream a couple of times before holding out a Poke Ball. “Come on back, Pignite!”  
“Heeeey! I remember you two!” Courtney called out, pointing her Pokedex at Ella’s Pokemon.  
Deino. The Irate Pokemon. They are found in caves with plenty of access to water. This blind Pokemon bites everything to discover what it is, and is commonly found covered in bruises from constantly ramming into things.  
Ella turned at the sound of Courtney’s voice. Her eyes turned to me before going back to Courtney. Those eyes that could hold the Universe in place widened wider than I’d ever seen another human’s eyes widen as they looked back at me, and her mouth dropped open.  
My own mouth dropped open as I looked back at her.  
“Oh, golly, geeeeeeeeee!!” Trixa screamed happily. She ran towards me but then came to a stop. “Are you gonna yell at me and hit me again like the last time we met?”  
I didn’t answer her stupid question. I didn’t even turn to her. I could only stare silently at Ella.  
Ella didn’t even blink.  
“Hellooooo.” Trixa waved her hands in front of my face.  
I blinked a couple of times and looked down at her, but my eyes immediately returned back to Ella.  
“Oh, so now he’s just gonna ignore me!” Trixa fumed. “You are just so, ruuuuuuude! JUNE!!”   
“Trixa! Hey, girlfriend!” June cried happily.  
They both embraced in a hug, but Trixa took June by surprise by jumping up and down repeatedly.  
“Hi, again,” Courtney said to Trixa.  
“Heeeeeeeeey…who are you?” Trixa released June and squinted at Courtney.  
“Ha, we did only meet once,” Courtney stated. “My name is Courtney. We met at Vancteck Mansion.”  
“What’s that?” Trixa asked.  
“Um, it’s the mansion located in Vancteck City?” Courtney said.  
“Where’s-OH! Oh, oh, oh.” Trixa’s face got serious. “Oh. Oh ho ho. Ho ho ho. Oh. Oh, I remember that, now.” She turned to me, pouting with anger. “The place with that cheating Gym Leader and his stupid battling rules.”  
“Cheating Gym Leader?” Courtney questioned. “He cheats?”  
“Trixa’s rather upset that she lost to him,” June explained.  
“He timed the battle and had a stupid field that rotated!” Trixa shouted. “What a loser! He should be fired! I’m gonna file a complaint!”  
“I beat him…” Courtney muttered, lowering her head.  
“Gary did, too. And, speaking of which, Fancy Tech Mansion is also where Gary made me cry.” Trixa continued to glare at me.  
My eyes were still stuck on Ella, but they widened at Trixa’s words. The first time I had reacted to anything she had said today.  
“He did what?” Courtney asked in shock.  
“Ella!” I said loudly, trying to shut up Trixa. “What are you doing here?” A smile crossed her face, and the beauty from it made me smile and my eyes watered. Don’t you dare cry, I demanded of myself, pulling the tears back.  
Ella returned her Deino to its Poke Ball and walked over to me slowly. “Gary! I can’t believe you’re here! This is such a surprise!”  
I walked over to her, and before I knew it, we had both come to a stop just a few inches away from each other.  
Ella wore a flowing blue dress with yellow lines throughout it. It ended right above her ankles, her feet sitting in matching, all blue shoes. Her black bow was now gone from her hair.  
You look incredible, is what I wanted to say, but my mouth refused to allow those words to come out.  
“I’m here to battle Roxie and earn my final Badge,” Ella told me. “On my way to the Gym, I saw Trixa trying to climb a tree…” She turned to Trixa.  
“I never learned how to climb a tree,” Trixa smiled at me. “My mommy and dad said it was too dangerous for me.”  
I’m sure they thought getting out of bed was too dangerous for you, as well, I thought.  
“But, I used to see my brother doing it all the time, but mommy and daddy would always yell at me when I tried it!” Trixa told us. “They even told me that girls don’t climb trees. It’s supposed to be a boy thing. But, it looked so fun!”  
“Well, I saw her land on her back twice before I reached her, and then a third time after that,” Ella sighed, keeping her eyes on Trixa.  
Her back, or her head? I wondered.  
“She was so worried and tried to stop me from climbing again,” Trixa giggled at Ella. “She thought I’d get hurt really bad. Silly Ella. Don’t sweat the small stuff. I’m fiiiiiine!” She twirled in place.  
Yeah, for a total loon, I commented.  
“Yeah… So then, we decided to have us a Pokemon battle, and you guys showed up,” Ella smiled at me and then turned to June. “My Juni! Aaahhhhh!!”  
“My Ella! Come here, girl!” June responded.  
They both embraced in a hug and rocked each other back and forth before exchanging a kiss on each cheek.  
“Hey!” Ella let go of June and pointed at Courtney. “Didn’t we meet a few months ago or something?”  
“In Nimbasa, yes,” Courtney smiled. “Courtney. It’s a genuine pleasure.” She held out her hand.  
“Ella. It’s nice to meet you again.” Ella shook Courtney’s hand.  
“Gary! June! I just remembered! You two changed out of your super cool mummy gear!” Trixa burst out. “What happened to it? You two were totally stylin’.” She bounced on her toes, staring at us with admiration.  
Courtney turned to June and I, confused.  
Ella stared at Trixa with pity, awkwardness and embarrassment.  
I covered my face with my hands and growled. Easy, Gary, I told myself, thinking of Ella. Easy… I inhaled deeply and then exhaled, lowering my hands. “That wasn’t a fashion statement.” You idiot! is how I had wanted to finish the sentence. “June and I were in-”  
“Hey, did you know I have all eight Badges?” Trixa interrupted.  
I cleared my throat. “No you don’t,” I responded calmly.  
“Yes I do,” Trixa said gleefully.  
“No, you don’t,” I said simply.  
“Yes, I do,” Trixa said happily.  
“You don’t.”  
“I do.”  
“Nope.”  
“Yup.”  
“There’s no way in the world you have eight Badges, Trixa.” I knew for a fact that she didn’t have eight Badges.   
Not this bonehead. She only had two Badges just a few months ago and didn’t seem to give a damn. There was no way this little crybaby who thinks that timed Rotation Battles are cheating, obtained all eight of her Badges, let alone before me.  
“She does, Gary…” Ella lowered her head. “Trixa got ‘em all.”  
My eyes nearly shot out of my head like bullets at Ella. I shook my head. “Wha-ho-wh-nooo?” I stammered.  
“See for yourself!” Trixa removed her red backpack, opened it, and pulled out her white, glittery Badge case.  
I gasped at the contents of her case.  
Inside sat eight sparkling Badges.  
I didn’t recognize any of the Badges other the Toxin Badge and the Trio Badge, which she had obtained when traveling with me and June. I looked up at Trixa as I tried to find the words to express my feelings.  
“Pretty sweet, huh?” Trixa said. “I told you.”  
“But-” I started.  
A loud noise behind me rang out and I heard a loud explosion.  
The five of us gasped and turned around.  
Trixa’s ice cream cone fell from her hand and hit the ground.  
BOOM!!!!BOOM!!!!BOOM!!!!BOOM!!!!BOOM!!!!BOOM!!!!BOOM!!!!BOOOOOOOOM!!!!  
From outside of the park, building after building exploded as several familiar, multicolored beams from out of nowhere collided with them.  
People were screaming and running throughout the park and the city, trying to get to safety.  
“What is that?” Ella cried out.  
“Let’s run!” Courtney screamed.  
“My Bearticone!” Trixa whined.  
Something floated through the cloud of smoke and destruction.  
“Is that a Pokemon?” I pointed.  
Claydol. The Clay Doll Pokemon and Baltoy’s evolved form.  
I couldn’t understand what else was said about this Pokemon since Courtney, Ella, and Trixa all had a Pokedex in their hands and were using them at the same time.  
The Claydol fired more Psybeams from its two arms that were floating right next to its body, completely unattached to it.  
“So it’s a Claydol,” Ella said as she put her Pokedex away. “What is its problem? Why is it destroying everything?”  
Claydol let out a strong noise and its body was outlined in gold.  
The ground suddenly began to quake.  
“Whoa! What’s going on, now?” Ella spoke.  
The pavement outside of the park displayed cracks that became drawn out further along the ground, glowing a golden color. The grassy ground of the park started to crack apart as well, also glowing gold, and the cracks stretched out as the park emptied, people running in all directions.  
“It’s using Earth Power! Get out of the way!!” June screamed frantically. She turned and ran.  
The cracks in the ground tore past the group I was a part of and traveled through the park, the ground rocking hard, making it difficult to remain on our feet as we stumbled about, trying not to land on the cracks.  
June kept running and reached the front gate. She stopped and stared at glowing cracks that were a few feet in front of her.   
The golden glow in the cracks faded away after a moment and the ground stopped shaking.  
My legs were still trembling as if the ground was still moving, my heart throbbing in fear.  
Ella had her arms stretched out at her sides, trying to keep her balance.  
Courtney stared at the ground, unsure of what to do.  
Trixa stumbled and landed on her rear, holding her Badge case close to her.  
June ran across the cracks and after the Claydol.  
“June! Wait, what do you think you’re doing?” I called after her.  
“Is she freaking mad??” Courtney screamed. “What is she doing?”  
“June!! Don’t do it!!” Ella called after June.  
“Say! June can talk to Pokemon!” Trixa said suddenly. She sat her Badge case in her lap, cupped her hands around her mouth, and bellowed, “JUNE!! YELL AT THAT THING FOR SCARING ME AND MAKING ME DROP MY BEARTICONE!!” She crossed her arms angrily. “I was really enjoying that, too.”  
Ella, Courtney, and I turned to Trixa.  
I turned angrily.  
Ella turned impatiently.  
Courtney turned in confusion.  
Still the same idiot she always was, I thought, and I ran after June.  
“Gary! Where are you going?!” Ella’s voice called.  
“Gary! Stop! Don’t!” Courtney pleaded.  
I ignored both voices for only one reason.  
June.  
I knew that if she was chasing after Claydol, she must have a good reason.   
June was definitely trying to find out why Claydol was on a rampage, or she already understood what was going on and was trying to help it.  
I wanted to know the answer to this, too.  
Crowds were coming at June and I as we ran down the sidewalk, clouds of debris filling the air quickly. Everyone was in terror, screaming and shoving those who were moving too slow out of the way. Many people who either tripped or were tossed to the ground were getting trampled on in the rush.  
June ran off of the sidewalk and into the street, out of the way of the crowd of people on the sidewalk, but into the more dangerous crowd of people and vehicles on the street.  
Cars were honking, drivers angrily screaming out their windows as they tried not to run over anybody, coming to a complete stop or simply not moving to begin with. Some drivers were even abandoning their cars and just taking off on foot.  
I started to choke on the debris in the air and I raised my shirt up to cover my face.  
June was a good distance ahead of me, covering her mouth and nose with her hands as she ran into the blackening air, chasing after Claydol.  
Claydol floated straight ahead, firing Psybeams from its arms, the street blowing up as the attack landed.  
The last thing I saw was June dropping to her knees, coughing hard, before the smoke from the explosions blinded me. I covered my entire head with my shirt and I went down to my knees, screams surrounding me from everywhere. The air around me was tainted, but my body forced me to inhale and seek fresh air, causing me to keep choking on the contaminated air. At this point, I was hacking my lungs, saliva flowing from my mouth as my lungs begged for oxygen. My hands and knees moved forward, trying to find a place for me to be able to breath, but it was pointless. There was no escape. No way out. This is how I die, I knew, hacking constantly. This is it. From some damn Claydol that decided to blow up Virbank City for no reason. It was at that thought that I inhaled strongly and held my breath. My lungs tried to force the toxic air out of my lungs, but I fought against the feeling and held it in. No, I told myself. This isn’t right. This doesn’t even make sense. I can’t give in like this. I have to know what’s happening here. The air I was holding burst free from my mouth and I choked hard, coughing up spit against my will.   
People ran around me, and somebody kicked my right shoulder and I collapsed.  
“Claydol!” I heard June choke out.  
June! I thought as I coughed hoarsely.   
“Why are you doing this, Claydol?” June’s voice asked pleadingly as she coughed badly.  
I heard Claydol shout and more explosions rang out as more people ran past me.  
June gasped.  
“June!” I choked out, and I yanked my shirt from my face. I couldn’t see anything. There was just a thick, black cloud wherever I looked. I got on my hands and knees and crawled forward, coughing endlessly, not sure where I was going, but confident that it was in the direction of June’s voice. Groaning and grunting as the occasional person either tripped over me or ran on top of me, I pushed myself forth.  
Claydol cried out again, and I heard a loud BANG!!!!!  
June, was all I could think. She’s with Claydol. She’s trying to help it, or stop it, or something! I need to reach her.   
“GARYYYYY!!” I heard a voice shriek. “JUUUUUNE!!”  
Ella? I stopped for a moment. I can’t stop, I knew. I have to get out of this smoke. I need to get to June. She needs my help. I blindly struggled forward, grateful that nobody else was running on top of me as I heard more pounding footsteps, but I was feeling ready to collapse now. My body was getting weaker with each suffocating cough I breathed out.  
“Claydol, just listen to me! I can help you!” I could hear June beg of the Pokemon. “Please, calm down! You don’t have to do this!!”  
BOOOOOOOOM!!! BOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!   
More explosions informed me that June’s words weren’t getting through to the violent Pokemon.  
Where are they? I wondered. I have to reach them. I need to use my Pokemon. What type of Pokemon is Claydol? We may just have to battle against it to get it to listen to us.   
BANG!! BANG!! BANGBANGBANGBANG!! These noises were further away than the last explosions had been.  
I had to squint hard, but I could just barely make out the end of the street I was on. I gagged in disgust from the taste of dirt and dust on my tongue, inside my mouth, and down my throat as I moved forward. There was more chaos that I had yet to see ahead of me, but I could hear the damage clearly. Almost there, I urged myself on. My body suddenly stopped and I coughed again, stronger than before, and my throat started to burn. Groaning, my body gave up and I fell, my face on the pavement. I remained silent on the ground and closed my eyes, waiting for the end to come. All energy inside of me had faded away, and I could do no more.  
“GAAAAARYYYYYYY!!!!”  
“Ella,” I choked out, my eyes shooting open. Was that her? I was sure it was her, from somewhere behind me. She’s in trouble, I told myself. I have to help her. I looked ahead of me and noticed that the air was clearing up a little more, and I could now see several people on the ground around me, moaning and struggling to move. I have to move, I thought determinedly. This isn’t over. I have to find June. It’s the only way to save Ella. I need June! Gritting my teeth, my eyes narrowed, I clenched my teeth together and pressed my palms against the sharp ground. My legs bent and pushed me up to my feet, and I stumbled towards the danger I could hear. Ella needs me! I shouted in my head. Every breath I took was sand against my lungs. These people around me need me, I pushed on. I need me! I’m coming, Ella. I have to save you! No matter what! I looked ahead and coughed a few times before I took off, reaching the end of the street in seconds.  
Ahead of me were screaming people running towards me and away from me in a panic. Down the street to my left was further destruction. Buildings were burning, collapsed, or severely damaged, the air clouded with the debris from the wreckage. Many people on this block were running around, terrified, while some were just on their knees, crying. Other people were on their knees, praying helplessly. Further down the block, I could spot Claydol flying into something, but backing up after colliding into an object I couldn’t see.  
With an angry cry, I pulled my shirt over my mouth and nose, inhaled as deeply as I could, and held my breath as I ran down the street, past crying children and adults, past the havoc and motionless bodies littering the street. Running down the first block would have normally forced me to slow down to a walk, at least, if not made me make a complete stop to catch my breath, but two more blocks down was Claydol. I had to keep going. I could hear familiar screams from behind me that sounded like they may have been from Ella, or even Courtney, if not both girls, but it was hard to tell over the noises of the flames and terror around me. I squinted as I tried to avoid running into anyone running by or laying on the ground, and that was when I spotted the figure near Claydol, looking up at it.  
June!  
Seeing her standing there inspired me to keep running, despite the fact that I was still choking on the air, and I crossed another block of people running past me, away from what I was crazily running towards. As I crossed the street, a car honked at me, but I didn’t stop, my only concern being June and that Claydol.  
Claydol was ramming into something, but I couldn’t see what it was. It looked as if the Pokemon was flying forward and being forced backwards by something, and I could swear there was something in front of it; yet, when I thought I saw what was holding Claydol back, it was suddenly gone!  
I squinted as I got closer to Claydol and June, just seconds away from the two. “June!” I gasped as I reached her and pulled my shirt from over my face. I bent over, gripping my knees and inhaling desperately for air, my throat killing me as I choked out the poison I had been inhaling, but still inhaling more foul air. I hawked loudly and spit out phlegm from my throat. Swallowing hurt me much more than I thought it would have, but I did it three times before I could no longer take it anymore, and I stood up straight, still gasping for air in a toxic location. “June,” I croaked painfully.  
June kept her eyes on the ferocious Pokemon a distance away from us.  
Only a few feet away from the Claydol, on the opposite side of the Pokemon from where June and I were standing, stood a large group of people, looking up at the Pokemon in confusion and horror.  
Claydol was screaming with rage. Its forehead glowed blue, and it used Zen Headbutt to ram forward.  
In front of Claydol was nothing. Only invisible air.   
Claydol flew forward with Zen Headbutt, and a wall suddenly appeared between it and the crowd of people!  
I gasped and backed up a few feet, not believing what I was seeing.  
The wall was transparent, but it was coated in electricity.  
Claydol backed away, and the wall vanished right before my eyes.  
“What is that?” I asked in confusion.  
The people on the other side of the now invisible wall were speaking in excited, frightened tones, the looks on their faces showing curiosity, but at the same time, caution.  
Two light blue orbs appeared at the ends of Claydol’s arms. It then spun in place and slammed into the invisible, sparking wall repeatedly.   
The people cried out and backed away, watching Claydol try and force itself through the blockade.  
Claydol backed away from it and the wall disappeared again.  
My eyes widened with realization as a memory surfaced in my head.  
Claydol’s body was outlined in white light as it let out a low growl. It spun in place, and the white light removed itself from Claydol and took the shape of pointed orbs, forming two spinning rings around its body before the white glow faded away and revealed themselves to be sharp, gray stones. Claydol’s voice rose to a roar and it fired the Stone Edge attack at the currently invisible wall.  
The wall appeared and sparked, the rocks colliding into the wall and exploding on contact, but the wall quickly went invisible again.  
Claydol’s body was outlined in white again, and the Pokemon spun in place. The white outline came off of its body and formed a shiny, silver orb in front of it which fired out and slammed into the wall, with no results aside from the wall appearing again and sparking sharply before vanishing shortly after.  
That wall… My eyes narrowed and my eyes started to water. Slowly, I shook my head, squinting at the wall.  
“Oh, my gosh! Gary! June!” I heard the unmistakably soothing voice of Ella from behind me. She ran up to us, coughing loudly, trying to catch her breath.  
“Ella!” Though I wanted to keep my eyes on Claydol, my body turned quickly and I saw Ella bent over, coughing strongly. It looked like she was in a lot of pain.  
Trixa and Courtney were behind her, looking up at Claydol in fear.  
I ran to Ella and wrapped my arm around her back, holding her close to me, and I lifted my eyes back to Claydol.  
Claydol raised its arms and its body was outlined in a different kind of light this time. This light shined brighter than lightning and sparkled like glitter. With a loud shout, Claydol’s body was blinded by a flash that forced my eyes closed.  
I pulled Ella closer to me as she let out a gasp, blinded by the dazzling sight.  
June cried out, startled.  
Courtney and Trixa also let out cries.  
Even with my eyes closed, it was as if I was looking directly into the sun with my eyes wide open, only less intense, and with less of a sting to my eyes, and it was far more beautiful. What move was that? I wondered with amazement as I slowly opened my eyes and squinted at the beautiful sight.  
The wall was there, sparking, but there were also large pieces of sparkles, falling all around June, me, Ella, Trixa, Courtney, and Claydol, vanishing as they hit the ground.  
“What is that?” Courtney asked, gazing at the electric barrier before it disappeared again.  
“It’s snowiiiiiing!” Trixa sang out, and she ran forward, stretching her arms out as she spun around in circles.  
“Trixa, get back here!” Ella begged, still choking.  
I patted her back gently, watching the remaining sparkles hit the ground and disappear. What kind of attack was that? I pondered again.  
Claydol shouted as it raised its arms again and pointed them at the wall. An orange ball of energy charged in front of its arms, and in the next couple of seconds, a huge orange beam fired from the orange ball and slammed with great power into the wall.   
The wall sparked from the powerful beam, showing itself once more. When Claydol’s attack ended, the wall sparked for a few seconds, and then disappeared.  
I grit my teeth. No, I thought with fury. Not this crap again.  
Ella had finally stopped choking, but she was still breathing hard as she stood up, and I quickly removed my hand from her.  
BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZTTTTTTTT!!!  
The wall that separated my group from the other group, sparked out of nowhere, making those on the other side gasp and scream and stumble backwards.  
Claydol even floated backwards a couple of feet, staring at the wall.  
Courtney, June, Ella, Trixa, and I also looked at the wall in surprise.  
The wall continued to let off electricity into the air, lighting up brightly, and then, it vanished.  
Silence filled the area, other than the sounds of screams from far away and the raging fires.  
Everyone was staring at the spot where the wall was. Waiting.  
I heard sirens in the distance from that of fire trucks, ambulances, and police cars.  
A man on the other side of the wall took a couple of cautious steps forward, squinting in front of him.  
What is he doing? I wondered, my eyes widening.  
Voices on the man’s side of wall called out to him, urging him to stay away, while others whispered amongst themselves, watching him warily.  
The man ignored those behind him and he took a few more steps forward.  
He wouldn’t, I thought. My eyes widened further as the man took another step and lifted his hand towards the wall. “NOOOOOOO!!”  
Claydol let out a low noise, grabbing my attention. It raised its arms and an orange ball of energy appeared again, charging up for another attack.  
Everyone was now staring at Claydol.  
It let out another, much louder noise, and the ball fired an orange beam.   
This time, the beam didn’t collide with an invisible wall.   
This time, the beam continued forward, past the point where the wall would have stopped it.  
And it collided with the crowd in front of Claydol.  
The screams were terrifying.  
I couldn’t even hear my own scream as I was tossed back by the explosion.

*

“The rogue Claydol later left after all of the massive destructive it caused and is believed to have gone into Burrow Cave, located not far from Virbank City. Police, ambulances, and firefighters arrived shortly after the Pokemon’s escape,” Helga Thane said from the TV screen, a microphone in front of her mouth. She was standing outside in Virbank City, police, EMTs, and firefighters running around in a panic against the background of destruction.  
Next to her stood an arguably young woman who looked terribly shaken up, her clothes completely filthy as she shivered in place, looking into the camera.  
“It’s unclear exactly what triggered this Pokemon to launch such a violent assault against the city of Virbank, nor how it even got there in the first place,” Helga proceeded to speak. “We have one of the survivors of this attack with us right now. Can you tell us exactly what happened here, ma’am?” Helga held out the microphone towards the woman beside her.  
The shaky woman leaned towards the microphone held by the newscaster, her long black hair in her face. “It just… just came out of nowhere!” she exclaimed in an unstable, shaky voice. She breathed in and out rapidly, loudly. “I didn’t even see it coming! There was just all of this noise, and then I saw blackness and I was inhaling in all this smoke! It was… it was… I just can’t even think! I don’t understand why this happened!”  
“I can only imagine what you’ve witnessed,” Helga said into the microphone before returning it back to the other woman.  
“Death. Blood, everywhere!” The woman gripped her hair and tugged it, her face seeming to say that she was ready to yank her hair out without any hesitation. “They were torn apart! Right in front of my eyes!” Tears ran down her cheeks as she shut her eyes tight and shook her head.  
Helga nodded as she stared at the woman nervously. She looked so uncomfortable being so close to somebody who was losing their mind right in front of her. “Ma’am, do you remember what exactly stopped this thing? Did you see what put an end to the attacks?”  
The woman released her hair, to my relief, because I honestly believed she was about to rip it out if she hung on to it for another second. She wrapped her arms around her shoulders and looked at Helga with a maniacal look. Slowly, the woman shook her head. “It just… kept on attacking the buildings. I swear it was chasing me! It kept using all of these scary attacks! And then, out of nowhere, it just drifted away and left the city…”  
“Just like that? One minute it was attacking, and then it suddenly flew off?” Helga asked curiously.  
The lady nodded and closed her eyes, trembling hard.  
“And there you have it,” Helga nodded as she looked at the camera. “An eyewitness describing exactly what occurred during this attack on Virbank City. We’ll report back to you as we learn more. Back to you, Lionel.”  
Behind Helga and the woman, a young girl was wheeled by in a wheelchair by a very tall man, half of the girl’s face soaked in blood, before the screen that Helga was in shrunk until it vanished, and the newsroom with a seemingly young man with a bald head was shown on-screen.  
“Thank you very much, Helga,” the man in his dark brown suit said. “In related news, Prof. Oak is under fire for his comments made a few weeks back regarding fighting against Team Solace. Many people are taking his words differently than others, and are demanding that the world famous professor retire, while others are going as far as demanding he be arrested for the words he spoke.”  
A picture of a stern-faced Prof. Oak appeared in a small square in the upper left hand corner of the screen. In oozing black letters, right underneath the picture, were the words: Prof. Foe-k.  
“The beloved professor has become an opponent to parents recently who have taken his words to be inspiration for young Pokemon Trainers to fight against the terrorist organization known as Team Solace. Other reports are finding that more and more people are finding it an offense to refer to Team Solace as a terrorist organization what with the statistically rising attacks on places and people that have been directly related to Pokemon.”  
The TV went black.  
I turned around quickly, surprised that the TV was now off.  
“Hey!”   
“What’s up?”  
“Who cut off the damn TV?”  
Angry cries erupted from inside of the Pokemon Center.  
“This is a bunch of junk!” June screamed as she slammed the remote onto the counter in front of Nurse Joy, making the young nurse jump. “I can’t believe what they’re saying! I was there! I saw exactly what happened when that Claydol attacked! It was scared! It was trying to escape! There was a wall blocking it from getting out and it was just trying to get out of the city!”  
“You cut off the TV?” a very muscular man raged, and he stomped towards June.  
“You’re damn right!” June shouted back, and she approached the man bravely, holding onto the remote.  
“June!” Ella gasped, grabbing her shoulders. “Please!”  
“NO!” June screamed at Ella, and she shook her off of her. “I can’t just allow that crap on the news to be said and let it go! We were there! You, me, Gary, Trixa, and Courtney! We saw that wall that stopped that Claydol from getting out! That woman couldn’t possibly have seen the whole thing! Her story is crap! Or maybe she’s just traumatized and-”  
“Give me that damn remote!” The man swiped at June’s hand.  
June lifted it high, keeping the remote in her grasp.  
“June!” I moved quickly to her side, glaring at the man, ready to protect her.  
“Gary!” Courtney joined my side.  
“Please! Can we not fight?” Trixa ran to June’s other side.  
“You guys don’t understand what happened there!” June shouted to everyone. “Claydol attacked the city, yes, but it was just trying to find a way out! It’s innocent! I know it’s hard to understand, but I promise you, it’s not a bad Pokemon! Please, just hear me out!”  
“GIVE ME THE DAMN REMOTE CONTROL!!!” the man bellowed, and he reached out and grabbed June’s arm.  
June gasped and tried to free her arm.  
“GET OFF OF HER!” I gripped the man’s thick arm.  
“What do you think you’re doing?” Ella shrieked at the man, and she gripped the same arm and tried to pull him off of June.  
“June!” Courtney jumped at the man and tried to shove him back, pushing against his shoulders, but she actually ended up tossing herself back in the attempt and she dropped to the floor.  
Trixa fell to her knees and covered her face as she started to cry.  
The man used his other hand to rip the remote from June’s hand and he let go of her, shaking off me and Ella easily.  
We both hit the floor.  
The man turned to the TV and raised the remote.  
“After Prof. Oak’s words, I gave up on being a Pokemon Trainer,” a young kid on TV spoke into a microphone held by another man in a suit, both of them standing outside in an unfamiliar location. “I looked up to him for years. After he told me to fight against Team Solace like that, I was let down by my hero. All of my friends hate him, now.”  
June’s shriek tore my eyes away from the screen.  
She leaped at the man with the remote, wrapping her arms around his throat.  
The man let out an angry growl and turned his head to her. “GET OFF OF ME!!” he barked at her.  
Ella and I both got to our feet immediately and we ran to June.  
I wrapped my arms around her waist while Ella pulled back on her shoulders.  
The man shook himself hard.  
It took about a minute, and I could tell that the man was restraining himself from simply smacking June off of him, but Ella and I managed to pull her off.  
The man glared furiously at the three of us before turning back to the TV.  
June was screaming and cursing up a storm as she struggled to get to the remote, shrieking out her pleas for people to listen to her side of Claydol’s story.  
Trixa lifted her tear-soaked face and saw Ella and I carrying away June.   
Courtney was standing up, staring down at Trixa. She walked over to her and knelt down in front of her.  
Trixa turned to Courtney, but she covered her face again and continued to cry.  
Courtney wrapped her arms around Trixa and pulled her in close.  
Ella and I dragged June through the front door.  
“I’m grateful for people like Team Solace in this world, who were right all along about Pokemon,” the child spoke on the news.  
The nods and loud talks of agreement with the kid from the crowd watching the TV were the last things I heard and saw from inside of the building before I felt as if ice water was flowing throughout my body.  
The door to the Pokemon Center closed shut in front of me.


	55. Slicing The Hand That Feeds

“I can’t believe you let me fight against those people on my own,” June said angrily. “You knew I was right, and you believed that Team Solace was behind that attack, but you didn’t say a word. You just dragged me out of the building as if I was out of my mind!”  
“June, you didn’t fight with anybody,” I told her.  
“That guy grabbed my arm,” June glared at me. “Are you trying to justify that?”  
“Not at all. I tried to free you, didn’t I?”   
“Yeah, but that’s about the only defense I got from you. Other than that, you just stayed quiet and let me do all the talking. You’ve seen that kind of wall before. You know exactly what it is! You know who was responsible for trapping Claydol in Virbank City! Why didn’t you say something?!” June screamed at me.  
“Because things aren’t that easy anymore, June!” I shouted back. “In case you haven’t noticed, everything is getting a lot worse than it was last time they were in action! Things aren’t the same! They’re…” I closed my mouth and stopped walking, staring angrily at June.  
June also stopped and stared back at me seriously.  
Courtney, Ella, and Trixa stopped as well, listening to us argue silently.  
“What, Gary? They’re what? Huh?” June demanded.  
I swallowed and looked away from her, down the block the five of us had been walking down together.  
We had just crossed 30th Street, having left Virbank City about an hour ago, the attack from Claydol that happened a few days ago still fresh on our minds.  
“They’re winning, June,” I said softly. “They’re spreading their influence.” I turned to her as I started to feel even more fired up. “For you, I would have fought that guy. You know I’d stand up for you if you ever got into some kind of danger. That’s not a question. But that wasn’t worth getting beat up over! You don’t seem to understand what’s taking place around us!”  
“Then explain it to me, Gary.” June crossed her arms.  
“They’re convincing people Pokemon are evil!” I tossed my arms into the air. “People are siding with Team Solace! It’s getting dangerous to even be a Pokemon Trainer, June!”  
June’s hardened face softened as she listened to me.  
“Team Solace is worse than ever before,” I continued, reflecting on their many actions so far, including shooting down Zorua and Zoroark, releasing the ancient Pokemon from Twist Mountain, attacking the peaceful Tranquill in their home, and the recent attack with Claydol in Virbank. “This doesn’t even feel like they’re trying to prove Pokemon are evil anymore…” I shook my head and my body started to shake.  
“Could we talk about something else, please?” Ella whispered.   
I closed my eyes tight and shook my head hard, squeezing my fists at my sides. My eyebrows furrowed as I opened my mouth to speak. “No! We can’t! We have to be strong enough, now more than ever, to address these issues and not back away from them. Things for us, especially as Pokemon Trainers, are going to get increasingly difficult from here on, and we need to stand together and make the best decisions to overcome them. That means we can’t be afraid of the name of Team Solace. We need to be open about this situation we’re in. They’re back, but they never really left, if you think about it. Prof. Oak said that Team Solace is much more than just the leader running it. It can be anyone. That belief system can start in anyone, and it can spread quickly. I-”  
“Gary, just stop it!!” Ella burst out angrily.  
I opened my eyes and turned to her in shock. “Ella…” That was when I saw Trixa.  
Her hands were covering her face as she shivered in Ella’s arms, crying quietly.  
“Trixa. What happened?” I took a step towards her.  
“Please! Please! I really, really, hate fighting…” Trixa whimpered, lowering her hands and looking at me with her shimmering, tearful eyes. “If there’s one thing I’m grateful for during my Pokemon journey, it’s, above all else, being away from my mommy and daddy. I hated when they argued, and being away from the noise is the best thing about this journey I’m on with my Pokemon. And, for the first time in my life, I have friends. Don’t ruin that for me! I can’t take it!” Trixa wept and covered her face again.  
My shoulders slumped as I watched her crying. I felt really bad, now. “Trixa, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I’m sorry for fighting. Trixa, please don’t cry.” I walked over to her and placed my hand on her shoulder.  
Courtney walked over to us, smiling. “Yeah, let’s all just calm down. We’re all just a little stressed out after what happened in Virbank. Let’s all just hug and make up, okay?” She opened her arms wide.  
Trixa sniffled and smiled at Courtney. “Okay! A hug sounds nice.”   
Courtney nodded and wrapped her arms around Trixa and Ella.  
“Awww! Hugs sound great!” Ella closed her eyes in Courtney’s hold.  
June and I exchanged glances before also joining in the hug.  
We all separated after a moment, Courtney beaming happily. “See? All better now, right?”  
Trixa wiped at her nose and nodded happily at Courtney. She looked at Ella, and then June, and finally looked up at me. Her eyes twinkled as they stayed on mine.  
My heart began to beat harder as I smiled back. “I’m sorry about that, Trixa.”  
“I just don’t want my friends to-HEY!”  
“Whoa!” I cried out in shock as several small creatures ran in between me and Trixa and shoved us apart.  
Ella, Courtney, and June cried out with us and backed away.  
“What are-yikes!” Trixa squealed in fright, backing up a few more feet.  
“Damn!” I backed away as well as something larger ran through. “Wait! That’s a Bisharp! And those smaller things are…”  
Pawniard. The Sharp Blade Pokemon. Their entire bodies are made up of sharp blades, making this Pokemon dangerous to come into contact with for anyone. They know where to stab their prey to immobilize them.

Bisharp. The Sword Blade Pokemon. This is Pawniard’s evolved form. Bisharp lead packs of Pawniard, and when the groups encounter one another, the Bisharp battle for control over both packs of Pawniard. The loser of these fights is cast out and travels alone until it finds a pack of Pawniard to rule over.  
“Freaking cool!” Courtney put her Pokedex away. “I don’t have any of those things!”  
“They look dangerous,” Trixa said with worry as the group of Pokemon turned a corner and disappeared.  
“They are,” Ella told her, rubbing her back. “But they’re really good Pokemon if you can catch one. I own a Bisharp, myself.”  
“Well, I need one!” Courtney took off down the block.  
“Be careful!” Trixa called after her.  
“I want one of those, too!” I ran after Courtney.  
“Gary, wait! Trixa, come on!” Ella said.  
“Oh, I don’t know if I wanna be a part of this!” Trixa replied nervously.  
I could hear several footsteps running behind me.  
Courtney turned the corner, me right behind her, and she came to a stop. “No way!”  
I slowed down to a stop and looked down the block. From this corner, the sun beamed directly onto me, heating me up immediately. I squinted through the sun at several people walking towards us.  
The block I stood on, as well as the one across the street, was lined with houses. The front lawns held a lot of flowers amongst the grass.  
“How’d they get away from us?” Courtney complained. “They were right here!”  
Trixa, Ella, and June turned the corner and stopped near us.   
“What happened?” June asked.  
“The stupid Pawniard and Bisharp got away from us!” Courtney fumed.  
“Phew! Thank goodness.” Trixa brushed her hair out of her face. “Now, I suggest we all go back to Virbank City and get us all a Bearticone.” She beamed at us all.  
The four of us looked down at Trixa seriously.  
Trixa’s smile faded away slowly as she stared back at us. “What? It’s hot outside today!”  
“We are not going back to-” I cut myself short and the anger on my face vanished as my eyes turned to Ella.  
She was already staring at me.  
I cleared my throat and turned back to Trixa. Air was pulled in by my nose and came out through my mouth. “Trixa, we are not going back to Virbank,” I spoke slowly, carefully, and with forced gentleness.  
“Why?” she asked me.  
I inhaled as I gritted my teeth angrily.  
“Trixa, there was a major attack there! Don’t you remember the Claydol?” Ella cried. “It destroyed a section of the city! We’re lucky we weren’t badly injured in the midst of all of that! That the hospital released us the next day!”  
“Yeah, I remember, silly,” Trixa smiled at Ella. “But I’m sure the ice cream man is out there today.”  
“I don’t think we should be bothering people for ice cream considering what they’re going through over there right now,” Ella tried to convince Trixa.  
“Why?” Trixa asked.  
Ella was trying to keep herself calm, but I could see her patience wearing thin.  
As people were walking by us, my eye was caught by a young lady with short, black hair. I turned my head, my attention stolen by what was walking alongside her, and my heart beat even quicker as my eyes widened.  
“Trixa, please, Virbank is about ten blocks from here. I am not going back there for some ice cream,” Ella said shortly.  
“Have you ever had a Bearticone? You would walk a lot more than just ten blocks if you knew how those things tasted,” Trixa said happily. “Trust me. Come on!”  
“Trixaaaaa! I just want my Badge!” Ella whined, stomping her foot. “Pleeeeeeease!! It’s bad enough that bad luck has once again struck me at the hands of Gary.”  
“Huh?” I pulled my eyes away from the woman and the Pokemon walking next to her and turned to Ella.  
She was smiling at me, her head tilted to the side, and her eyes fluttered at me a few times.  
I was speechless at her adorable act, unsure of what I should say or how I should react.  
“Once again, on my way to getting another Badge, you prevent me from getting it!” she laughed.   
“What do you mean…?” I asked uncertainly, smiling slightly, wanting to laugh along with this definition of perfection, but not understanding what was so funny.  
“I’m just kidding, Gary,” Ella continued to smile, placing a hand on my shoulder.  
Her touch made my heart go berserk.  
“I was just joking about how I never got my Badge in Nimbasa, Driftveil, and now, I can’t even battle in Virbank with all that’s going on over there right now. It’s like, every time I run into you, I’m prevented from getting anywhere on my journey.”  
“Oh! Ha ha ha!” I laughed uncomfortably. “Sorry about that…” I lowered my head sadly.  
“I wasn’t serious, Gary! Don’t be sorry. None of that was your fault. I know that.”  
I looked up at her, smiling, and I nodded. “I know. I didn’t take it any kind of bad way or anything.”  
“Okay, good,” Ella said with relief. “But, seriously, if we’re all going to Ghyst Town together, I damn well better get my Badge!” Her teeth glowed brightly at me as she smiled broadly.   
How beautiful she appeared to me almost brought me to tears as I basked in her glow that made the sun nonexistent. I took a deep breath as I blinked back the tears from forming and I smiled more shyly, intimidated by every part of her face that fit together so perfectly to create such a goddess I was unworthy to lay my imperfect eyes on, let alone speak to with my undeserving mouth. “Ella, if you don’t win your Badge there, I’m not getting mine from there, either,” I promised. “We both need only one Badge. We can totally do this.”  
“And I already have all eight of mine!” Trixa said proudly. “I’m awesome, huh?”  
Ella and I turned to Trixa with a pair of sharp leers.  
I heard a cry and turned behind me.  
The sound came from the lady I had been watching walk down the sidewalk. She was kneeling down on the ground next to her companion.  
A Pawniard. The little creature was sitting on the ground. It seemed to be really weak, its legs quaking as the woman helped it to its feet.   
She held on to the Pokemon’s sharp hand and guided it forward, walking slowly.  
“What’s wrong with that lady and her Pokemon?” Ella asked.  
“Come on. We should help them out,” I suggested, and I jogged towards them.  
“I don’t wanna go near one of those things! What’s with all the scary Pokemon today?” Trixa complained in a scared voice.  
I ran a little faster to catch up with the woman as she walked towards a fence in front of a house.  
She opened it and stepped inside, carefully pulling in the hobbling Pawniard after her. They both walked slowly across the lawn towards the front door.  
Pawniard suddenly stopped and turned around as I neared the house. “Pawniard!” The sharp Pokemon took a threatening position, pointing its bladed hands towards me.  
“Huh?” the woman gasped, and she looked in my direction.  
My eyes widened as I came to a stop a few feet from the fence to her house.  
Courtney, Ella, June, and Trixa all came to a stop a few feet behind me.  
“Oh, gosh! It’s going to kill Gary! Gary, run!” Trixa shouted.  
“Trixa!” Ella said loudly, angrily.  
“It’s okay,” the lady smiled, looking at my friends behind me. “This Pokemon won’t attack you. It’s in far too much pain to engage in any battling. Go on. Feel free to run along.”  
I kept my eyes warily on the Pawniard. “Thank you, but, actually, I ran down here to sort of ask you about that Pawniard.”  
“You… did?” She looked very surprised.  
“Yes,” I nodded. “Me and my friends saw a little group of Pawniard and a Bisharp run past, and then-”  
The woman gasped loudly. “What did you say?”  
“Pawniard…” Pawniard groaned and collapsed.   
“Pawniard!” The woman knelt down next to the Pokemon.  
I moved quickly to the white fence, but I stopped once I reached it, afraid to get any closer.  
The lady gently scooped up her Pokemon in her arms. “Ouch!” she whispered, wincing as she stood up.  
“Miss, are you okay?” I asked her.  
“Yes, I just think I may have cut my arm a little while picking up Pawniard just now. I’m okay, though,” she smiled at me. “Um, please, you and your friends should come inside. We can talk more there.”  
“Really? Are you sure that’s okay?” I asked her.  
“Yes. I insist.” She carried Pawniard to the front door and shifted the Pokemon to one arm. Her other hand reached into her blue jeans and came out with a set of keys.   
I opened the fence and held it for Ella.  
Ella grabbed it, holding Trixa by the hand like a little child, and she gently pulled her towards her.  
Trixa hesitantly got closer to Ella, keeping her fearful eyes on the Pawniard.  
Courtney grabbed the fence and followed Trixa, June right behind them.  
I ran towards the front door, past the grass and small collection of flowers that didn’t look very well taken care of, and I jumped the three steps of the stoop to the front door and held it open for the woman.  
“Thank you,” she said gratefully, and quickly stepped inside her house with Pawniard in her arms.  
I waited for the girls to catch up to where I was before I entered this stranger’s house.  
There was certainly a lot of brown inside. The floor was wooden and painted brown like the walls and ceiling of the rest of the brick house. Two brown, wooden chairs sat a few feet away from a large, brown couch that sat in front of a brown, wooden table. A brown shelf against the wall by the table held a small, brown radio on top of it, brown candles on either side of the box. Books sat on the bottom shelf, while the shelf above it contained little brown statues of an Eevee, Vaporeon, Jolteon, Leafeon, Glaceon, Flareon, Umbreon, and Espeon. The windows were covered by brown curtains, sunlight barely able to get through. A brown door was halfway open, and I could see a metal sink behind it, so I thought that may be the kitchen. The floor and wall inside of that room seemed to be made of porcelain, and was, of course, brown. A wooden staircase just feet away from me, covered in, yes, brown, carpeting, led upstairs.  
Kinda weird, I thought.  
The lady walked over to her couch and laid Pawniard on it.  
As Pawniard stretched out and got comfortable, moaning happily, I noticed that the couch held a lot of cuts and tears, revealed by Pawniard’s movements.  
“I’ll just wash this off, but I’ll be back in a second, okay?” The lady held up her right arm, which I now saw was coated in a thin layer of blood. She walked through the brown door, opening it wide. I could now see the brown refrigerator and brown stove in that room, confirming that was the kitchen.   
I couldn’t help but snicker as I looked at the fridge and remembered June’s Rotom had possessed one to attack my mom. It was barely amusing when it had happened, and the furthest thing from funny when I was panicking about the incident when I first arrived in Unova, but now, having spoken to my mom and sort of sorted everything out, the entire incident was rather hilarious.  
Water ran from the faucet as the woman washed her hands and arms with liquid soap.  
“Wow, there’s a lot of brown in here,” Ella said as she looked around the house.  
“It’s nice,” Courtney said simply with a smile.  
“That Pawniard is… kind of cute when it’s sleeping…” Trixa commented, peeking from behind Ella. “I hope it stays there until we leave…”  
Pawniard stirred, and Trixa cried out, ducking behind Ella.  
June closed the front door gently behind her and locked it.  
“Everything okay in here?” the lady asked, returning from the kitchen, her arm wrapped in gauze.  
“Yes. Are you okay?” I asked her.  
“I’m just fine. I’m just sorry there aren’t any more seats. The floor was mopped just last night and should be fine to sit on, though, ha ha.” The woman sat on the floor and crossed her legs. “Please, grab a seat and tell me about the Bisharp and Pawniard you saw.”  
The five of us looked at each other, and then turned to the two chairs. We all moved fast.  
“I win!” Trixa cheered as she got one of the chairs.  
“I’m not so sure Marc would be happy with this,” Ella giggled. “Or maybe he would be.” She burst out laughing.  
“You’re quick, Ella,” June winked, sitting in Ella’s lap. She got to her feet. “Who’s Marc?”   
“My boyfriend!” Ella’s eyes shot towards me faster than the speed of light before staying on June.  
June’s mouth opened, but it closed again quickly, and she just nodded, not saying a word.  
Courtney stared at Ella before squinting at me.  
I swallowed hard and looked to the floor. Oh… I thought. So, Marc is his name.  
“I guess you three will be joining me, then, huh? Ha ha,” the lady said, nodding.  
Courtney, June, and I turned to each other before taking our seats on the floor.  
“So, welcome to my little abode, ha! My name is Samantha. Who are you guys?” the woman introduced herself.  
“I’m Gary.”  
“Courtney. It’s kind of you to allow us in your house.”  
“I’m Ella. It’s really nice to meet you.”  
“My name’s June. Very nice to meet you.”  
“I’m Trixa. All I wanna do is get some ice cream.” Trixa sighed sadly.  
“Ice cream? I have some ice cream in the freezer if you guys would like some.” Samantha started to climb to her feet.  
“No!” I insisted. “This isn’t about ice cream!” I turned to Trixa. “Will you please stop it?”  
“Is it a Bearticone?” Trixa completely ignored me, her hopeful eyes on Samantha.  
“No… It’s Hoggin’-Dooz,” Samantha said, looking from me to Trixa, repeatedly.  
“Nobody’s getting any ice cream,” I snapped. “Samantha, not long ago, we-”  
“Hoggin’-Dooz sucks. I wanted a Bearticone!” Trixa crossed her arms and pouted.  
“Sorry… I don’t have any Bearticones…” Samantha said slowly.  
“Samantha, please, just ignore-” I tried to speak.  
“Bearticones are amazing! Have you ever even tried one? Obviously not. If you had, you wouldn’t be eating stinky-”  
“Trixa!” I shouted angrily.   
Pawniard cried out and sat up straight, staring at us all.  
“Oh, great. Now you woke up that scary Pokemon!” Trixa scrunched up in her chair.  
“Speaking of Pawniard…” I growled, turning back to Samantha, trying to relax. “I was trying to explain that we ran into a group of Pawniard and a Bisharp a short while ago. So, when I saw your Pawniard, it kind of grabbed my attention.”  
“I see,” Samantha nodded solemnly. “It seems you found what we’ve been looking for for the past few days. This one’s pack.”  
“Did we really?” I asked her, leaning forward.  
Samantha smiled and turned to Pawniard.  
Pawniard was listening to us silently, and it turned to Samantha.  
“You see, I found this little one around Route 20, when I was taking a really nice walk the other day. The weather was rather tame, and I got lost in the moment of a beautiful enough day while nearing Floccesy Ranch, and then, I came across this little Pawniard. It was beaten up and unable to move. Even when I touched it, it could only scream to try to defend itself. It couldn’t even attack me. I carried it back home with me, the poor Pokemon screaming the entire way home as I did my best to keep it calm and quiet. I think that maybe it was separated from its pack during some kind of scuffle. It’s been okay ever since I’ve been taking care of it, and I’ve gained its trust, but, we both are kind of hoping for the same thing. To find its pack so it can go back home. We were trying to find its friends today, as well, but something terrible seems to be going on in Virbank City, so we just decided to head back home, and that was when we met you kids.”  
“I see,” June said quietly. She smiled, turning to Pawniard.  
Pawniard now had its gaze on June.  
“She seems like a really kind Pokemon,” June said. “I’m glad you found her and took good care of her.”  
“Her?” Samantha turned to June in confusion.  
“Oh, boy…” Courtney sighed, smiling as she looked up at the ceiling.  
June didn’t speak, keeping a pair of furious eyes on Courtney, and her lips pressed together angrily.  
Courtney lowered her eyes to the floor as her smile faded, refusing to look at June.  
Ella was now watching June and Courtney.  
“Oh, yeah! June can talk to Pokemon and stuff!” Trixa exclaimed.  
“Talk to Pokemon? What do you mean?” Samantha turned to Trixa.  
“June can, like, control Pokemon with her voice, or something. I dunno. I kinda forgot.” Trixa’s eyes seemed to sparkle as she smiled at Samantha.  
“Wha…?” Samantha looked very perplexed.  
“I cannot control Pokemon,” June sighed. “I can communicate with Pokemon and understand their language. I’m also able to spot genders at a glance, usually. That Pawniard is definitely a female.”  
“Really?” Samantha turned to Pawniard. “Is that true?”  
Pawniard got to her feet and leaped from the couch. She ran towards Samantha and jumped in the air. “Pawniard!” She nodded her head eagerly.  
“Well, that’s quite interesting!” Samantha said to June. “If this power of yours is legit, can you even fully understand what happened to Pawniard in the first place?”  
“I absolutely can,” June said to Samantha. She looked at Pawniard. “Pawniard, hello! My name is June.” She held out her hand.  
“June! Don’t! It’ll slice your hand off!” Trixa warned.  
“Trixa, honey, please. Shush. I know what I’m doing.” June kept her hand reaching for Pawniard, her eyes on the Pokemon.  
Pawniard was focusing on June now, not moving.  
Trixa kept her nervous eyes on Pawniard.  
“You’ve been through a lot of pain and have had quite the journey recently, haven’t you?” June told Pawniard. “But, you were saved by this wonderful woman named Samantha. Won’t you please tell me what happened that made this fateful meeting occur? Samantha wants to know what happened to you. We might even be able to return you back to your pack.”  
“Pawniard?” Pawniard cocked her head at June.  
“Mhm.” June’s mouth formed a smile as she nodded at Pawniard. “Please, tell me how you got so hurt, Pawniard. What’s your story?”  
Courtney was shaking her head behind June, her hand covering her face as she smiled, her body shaking as she silently laughed.  
Ella was watching Courtney.  
Courtney’s behavior was truly irritating me. I would have preferred it if she just stepped outside rather than be so rude.  
“Pawniard! Pawn! Pawniard! Pawniard! Pawniard!” Pawniard spoke to June.  
All of us had our eyes on Pawniard as she told June whatever it was she was telling her.  
“Pawniard!” Pawniard didn’t say anything else.  
June kept her focused eyes on Pawniard, lowering her hand to the floor.  
“Well, June? What did it say?” Courtney asked lazily, her eyes on the floor.  
June turned to Courtney, the look on her face showing that she was clearly contemplating doing something bad to her. She looked away to Samantha.  
“Did you understand her?” Samantha’s face showed deep concern.  
June nodded. “Of course. Pawniard told me that she was hunting with the other Pawniard in her pack. The Pokemon they were after attacked back and she was the one who took the hit. She said it was a Fire type move. The leader Bisharp urged her to keep up the chase, and she tried to, but she was too weak and she fell behind and got lost. She collapsed from exhaustion, and a long time after that, you appeared.”  
“Is that true, Pawniard?” Samantha asked the Pokemon.  
Pawniard turned to Samantha.  
BANG!!!  
We all turned to the front door with short screams as it flew open with a loud noise.  
“Who’s that?” Courtney leaped to her feet.  
She was the only one who got to speak before several tiny figures ran into the house.  
The next thing I knew, I was lying on my back, struggling in pain against something that was digging into my body. “Oooowwww! What’s going on?” I wailed and turned my head and saw Courtney and June tied up from their feet to their shoulders with thick rope, squirming on the floor like worms, screaming in surprise, looking around frantically.  
Ella and Trixa were also tied up, but they were wrapped up in the chairs they were sitting in, trying to break free.  
“Hey! What is this?” Ella struggled against the rope.  
“Who did this?” Courtney screamed with panic.  
“This really hurts!” Trixa groaned.  
I looked down at my own body and realized that I was also wrapped up with rope around my entire body except for my head, the material cutting into my skin, even through my clothes.  
“Pawniard!” Samantha shouted.  
I looked towards her and gasped.  
Samantha was also wrapped with rope, but not like how June, Courtney, Trixa, Ella, and I were tied up. Samantha’s hands were tied tightly behind her back and her legs were wrapped together. She was also surrounded by a few Pawniard!  
“Samantha! How many Pawniard do you have here?” I called out to her.  
“None of these are mine!” Samantha called back. “I don’t understand what they’re doing here at all!”  
Groaning in pain from the extreme tightness of the ropes around me, I rolled painfully onto my side and stared at the front door that was now wide open. “Gaaaahh! This hurts!!” My teeth were gritted as I shut my eyes tight, rolling back to face Samantha. Once I was able to see her, I knew I wouldn’t be able to move again. The rope was just too tight on my body. Moving was adding far too much pain for me.  
“Wait a minute!” Trixa said excitedly. “Are we playing cops and robbers?”  
“Pawniard!” One of the Pawniard raised one of its hands that were just sharp blades, and it brought the blade down and sliced at Samantha’s face.  
Blood splattered on the floor at the same time Samantha screamed from the merciless slash.  
Not even a second had passed since the first attack before the other five Pawniard stabbed at her chest, slashed at her arms, and cut into her face without hesitation.  
I closed my eyes tightly after the first couple of seconds, at the same time that the screams from the girls came out as blood spurted out everywhere. I swallowed hard, trying to keep my breakfast down, my throat stinging from the flavor that was forcing its way up from my stomach. No. I can’t vomit, I told myself. Keep it down. I swallowed again, but the screams around me made it hard for me to concentrate on not feeling nauseous. June, Ella, Courtney, Trixa, Samantha, and even the yells from the Pawniard as they attacked Samantha, made me wish I had been born deaf. My body gave a strong shake, and something rose up from my throat. I tried to swallow it down, but I failed to swallow a thing. My mind was all I had left. I tried to just will away the urge to puke my brains out.  
The cries of the girls were the only sounds I heard from the house now, accompanied by some heavy breathing from the Pawniard.  
If none of these are her Pawniard, then where is her Pawniard? I wondered, afraid to open my eyes. My eyes tried to open, but I couldn’t bear to view the results of what had been done to Samantha, and I couldn’t take the pain to roll to my other side so I didn’t have to see it.  
“Pawniard…” Samantha groaned weakly.  
“Pawniard!”  
“Pawniaaaaaard!”  
Several more shouts from the Pawniard were heard, and Samantha shrieked loudly, which triggered more screams from the other girls.  
The cries finally lessened, and soon, all I heard were the whimpers and cries from the girls.  
A low noise by the door made my eyes open against my will. “AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!” I shut my eyes from the sight I had just seen, and my body trembled in terror. Oh, no! No! NO! My scream was joined by Trixa’s scream, and I heard June, Courtney, and Ella gasp.  
Footsteps entered the house.  
What is that? I wondered in a panic, afraid to open my eyes. Screams from the girls around me made my eyes open, and I screamed again as I saw the bloody sight in front of me.  
Samantha was mostly drenched in her own blood, shivering on her back in the middle of a surrounding puddle of it.  
The Pawniard around her were spotted in her blood, standing in the slowly widening puddle, breathing heavily over their victim, keeping their eyes on her.  
That was when I spotted the lone Pawniard on the floor, away from the group, laying on its back.  
The footsteps got closer.  
“Samantha!” I said loudly. “Can you hear me?”  
Her face was running blood nonstop. She didn’t answer me. She didn’t move.  
The Pawniard on its back slowly rolled over onto its front, and shakily pushed its hands into the floor to push itself upward.  
What’s with that Pawniard? I questioned, staring at it. Why isn’t it with the others? My eyes widened in realization.   
The single Pawniard shakily got up, but then collapsed to the floor.  
“Samantha’s!” I whispered. “Aahh!” I screamed as something landed on the floor right in front of my face.   
Trixa screamed once again at my scream.  
My eyes trailed up the metallic, hoof-like foot of what had appeared before me.   
The creature had shiny, red thighs that expanded greatly at the knees and shrunk considerably as they reached the torso. Encircling the torso were two blades that gave the appearance of a ribcage. Its red shoulders expanded out slightly over its arms, its white, metallic hands pointing out at Samantha. Its round, red and black head was topped with a golden, double-headed axe blade.   
“Bisharp…” I whispered.  
Samantha’s body shook once.  
Sharp blades appeared from Bisharp’s arms, and it stepped towards Samantha. “Bisharp… Bishaaaarp!”  
Ella, Courtney, and Trixa joined in a long shriek of bloody murder.  
Samantha shook again.  
“Bisharp, don’t!!” I heard June scream over the high-pitched voices of the other girls. “Please! Don’t kill her! She saved that Pawniard! Samantha has kept her safe all this time!”  
“Pawniard!” One of the Pawniard surrounding Samantha turned to June and raised one of its blades into the air threateningly. It took a step towards June.  
The girls got quiet at the deadly motion made by the Pawniard.  
“Pawniard!” The weakened Pawniard ran forward and stood in front of Samantha, holding out her arms as she looked up at Bisharp, breathing hard. She shook her head. “Pawniard! Pawn! Pawniard! Pawniard!”  
Samantha stirred once again.  
“Bisharp…” The Bisharp that looked ready to attack, stood still.  
“Pawniard! Pawniard… Pawniard!” Samantha’s Pawniard said. “Pawn! Pawn! Pawn!”  
“Pawniard!” The Pawniard that was pointing its blade at June cried out angrily, looking up at Bisharp while pointing strongly at Samantha’s Pawniard with its other blade.  
Bisharp stared at Samantha, but it didn’t speak a word.  
“They’ve been trying to return your Pawniard back to you for the past couple of days!” June explained. “Please, just go! Everything’s alright! You don’t have to hurt her! She’s done nothing wrong!!”  
The one Pawniard that had spoken to Bisharp, turned to June, its blades still in the air. It then looked at the female Pawniard that belonged to Samantha.  
“Pawniard! Pawniard!” Samantha’s Pawniard nodded quickly.  
“Pawn!” The solo Pawniard suddenly leaped at the female Pawniard and swiped at her, knocking her back!  
The Pawniard that was swung at stumbled back from the hit and dropped to her side.  
Me and the girls in my group gasped, but I couldn’t tell if Samantha had said anything.   
Samantha didn’t even look like she was alive other than the infrequent shake her body would give every minute or so.  
“Bisharp…” Bisharp stepped closer to Samantha.  
“Bisharp! Please!!” June begged.  
“Pawniard!” The Pawniard who had attacked Samantha’s Pawniard suddenly ran forward and pressed its blade against June’s throat. From how hard it was shoving that deadly blade into June’s neck, I was surprised her neck hadn’t already started bleeding.  
June’s eyes were as wide as plates as she was silenced, her eyes on the Pawniard.  
Bisharp raised both arms and crossed them in front of it, looking down at Samantha. “Bisharp…”  
It’s really going to kill her… I thought in disbelief. This dying woman, who did nothing but save an injured Pawniard, is now going to pay for her good deed. And her Pawniard isn’t even able to convince the others to stop.  
I heard horrified whimpers from the girls around me, June turning her eyes to Bisharp as the Pawniard challenging her life watched its leader deliver the final blow, the other five Pawniard that had attacked Samantha, also watching.  
Samantha’s Pawniard looked up as she tried to stand up straight.  
Samantha suddenly coughed hard. Blood flew from her mouth, and to my surprise, her eyes opened! “Please.” She sputtered out blood as she spoke, and I could see the trail of a pair of tears roll down her cheeks from her blue eyes, splitting the blood on her face where it ran down, but the constantly running blood quickly covered the cleaned trail on her face. More tears maneuvered down her face, mixing quickly with the blood. “I… love her… That’s… All I ever… did… I loved her…” Samantha coughed again, choking on blood.  
“Bisharp!” Bisharp’s blades glowed light blue, and it leaned in quickly at Samantha.  
Samantha’s eyes closed.  
I couldn’t believe my eyes. BISHARP WOULDN’T! I roared in my head.  
“Pawniard!” The weakened Pawniard leaped in front of Samantha’s body. Her eyes closed as she prepared for the Guillotine attack to hit.  
“Biiiish!!” Bisharp slammed right into Pawniard with the loud, sharp CLANG! of metal against metal, and sent the tiny Pokemon flying back, tumbling over Samantha’s bloody body and collapsing behind her.  
“Pawniaaaaaard…” Pawniard moaned with her eyes closed.  
“Bisharp!” Bisharp stood up straight and looked down at the Pawniard it had attacked, a stunned look on its face.  
The Pawniard flinched and then shook her head. Her eyes fluttered open, and she gazed up at Bisharp, seemingly barely able to keep her eyes open.  
“Bisharp! Bisharp!” Bisharp screamed angrily at Pawniard.  
Pawniard shoved one blade into the floor and pushed herself up, holding herself up by her arm. She shook her head, and as she looked up at the leader Bisharp, tears dripped to the floor from her eyes. “Pawniard… Pawniard. Pawn. Pawniard.”  
Bisharp kept its gaze on Pawniard.  
Pawniard groaned in pain as she shoved her other blade into the floor to balance herself. She then yanked her blades up and quivered weakly in front of the Bisharp.   
Bisharp continued staring silently at Pawniard.  
The other Pawniard had their eyes on Bisharp, waiting to see what their leader would say or do.  
“Bisharp.” Bisharp’s blades retracted back into its arms, and it pointed to the front door.  
All of the Pawniard, except for the weakened, female Pawniard, all cried out at Bisharp’s order.  
“Bisharp!” Bisharp pointed sharply at the door again.  
Five of the Pawniard that had attacked Samantha went silent and they turned and walked towards the front door.  
Only one Pawniard refused to follow. The one who had been at June’s throat with its blade. The one who had attacked Samantha’s Pawniard. It moved away from June and ran towards Samantha. “Pawniard! Pawniard!” It shook its head and pointed at the woman, stopping just a foot away from her, its blade urging to stab her throat. “Pawn! Pawn! Paaaaaaawn!!”  
“BISHARP! BISHARP!” Bisharp took a step towards Pawniard that nearly made me try and run away!  
“Pawn!” Pawniard backed up, its frightened eyes on Bisharp, and then it glanced at Samantha before running after the other Pawniard headed for the front door.  
Bisharp turned to the female Pawniard. “Bish… Bisharp!”  
Pawniard simply nodded and stumbled weakly, but quickly, away from Samantha.   
Five of the Pawniard marched out of the house.  
The female Pawniard was walking alongside the Pawniard that the Bisharp had to yell at last, and she looked back at Samantha.   
As Samantha’s Pawniard came to a stop, the other Pawniard also stopped and turned to look at Samantha. “Pawniard!” The roughneck Pawniard slammed a blade against the back of the hurt Pawniard’s head and she fell to the ground.  
Bisharp walked towards the two, and the Pawniard that had attacked Samantha’s Pawniard cried out in fear and ran out the door.  
The last Pawniard got to her feet slowly and started to look at Samantha again, but Bisharp pulled back its foot and kicked her out the door.  
The Pawniard shouted out helplessly.  
“Bish.” Bisharp vanished from sight.  
Samantha startled me with a strong cough. “Thank you!” she choked out, crying openly. “Pawniard! Thank you! Don’t… forget me! I love you!” She continued to cough and cry at the same time, struggling to breath. She continued this mixture of noise until her words were no longer audible, and it sounded as if she was mumbling underwater. It was only seconds after that before she went completely still.  
And silent.

*

My eyes were stuck to my paper Town Map, making sure we were all headed in the right direction on our way to Ghyst Town. The sun was setting, but I could still see the map just fine.  
Courtney was the closest to me, walking behind me.   
Ella was behind Courtney, holding Trixa’s hand.  
June was behind Ella and Trixa.  
Nobody was in the mood to talk.  
The only thing on my mind was exactly what I knew nobody wanted to think about for the rest of their lives, but that we’d all be haunted by, forever.  
After all the screams that had come from Samantha’s house, it was a surprise the police hadn’t arrived sooner. When they did arrive, what felt like hours after the Bisharp and Pawniard had escaped, it was far too late to stop them.  
Samantha was still alive when the ambulance had taken her away, but there was no telling if she’d survive or not.  
Instead of going back to Virbank City’s Pokemon Center to get some sleep, it was unanimously agreed that we just keep moving. Whether we went to the next Gym, or just walked into eternity, the last thing any of us was interested in was sleeping, or remaining in Virbank City.  
The city landscape around us had given way to grassy plains by the time we reached 38th Street, and now, we were on Route 40, walking down a dirt road, cars traveling past us in both directions.  
As I thought about what we had been through today, I found out what terrified me the most about it all.  
I thought about Team Solace.  
This attack from the Bisharp and Pawniard had nothing to do with Team Solace at all. And yet, at the same time, it did.  
Team Solace was trying so hard to prove how dangerous Pokemon were by blowing them up and attacking people and using unfair methods to make Pokemon seem guilty.  
But, today.  
A Pokemon had been separated from its group, taken care of by a caring woman, and that Pokemon’s gang came after the woman, unprovoked, and left her for dead. They even abused the little Pawniard that had been saved, afterwards.   
The attack Samantha went through was completely unjustified.   
It was wrong.  
And it was done by Pokemon.  
I shivered with disgust, knowing that this would be all over the news and would only add fuel to the already blazing fire between Pokemon Trainers...  
Team Solace...  
And those in the middle of the flames who were still picking sides.


	56. A Mystery Of Violence

Trixa’s Pignite, Pansear, Panpour, Axew, Leavanny, and Ducklett all ate from their individual bowls of food.  
Ella’s Serperior, Pachirisu, Braviary, Cofagrigus, Shiftry, and Deino ate near Trixa’s Pokemon from their own bowls of food.  
Shiftry was watching June’s Electivire while she ate.  
June’s Manectric, Vaporeon, Ampharos, Blitzle, Pikachu, Lanturn, and Galvantula ate from their bowls near Ella’s Pokemon, Magnezone watching Rotom silently.  
June’s Rotom was too busy paying attention to my Drifblim, who was red-faced as she hid behind a tree trunk, her back pressed against it, staring at the ground. Rotom was on the other side of the tree, smiling and chattering to Drifblim.  
June’s Electivire sat far away from the rest of the Pokemon, eating from his own bowl. His eyes were glued to Courtney’s Scraggy.  
Courtney’s Scraggy, Sceptile, Amoonguss, Swoobat, Stoutland, and Maractus were eating as well, near their Trainer.  
Scraggy had its eyes stuck on Electivire while it ate.  
June, Ella, and Courtney were watching their specific Pokemon cautiously in case something happened.  
My Unfezant, Excadrill, Dugtrio, Elgyem, and Weepinbell were eating away from the other Pokemon, sitting close to me.  
Dugtrio appeared a little nervous as he looked away from his food to glance at the other Pokemon on occasion.  
Elgyem’s eyes were on Unfezant one minute, and then turned to me, eating without once looking down at his bowl.  
He was creeping me out just a bit, and even though I kept this thought to myself, I wondered if, as a Psychic type, he already knew how I was feeling.  
Unfezant paid Elgyem no mind, enjoying his food.  
Cars drove by us as we all sat on the dirt road. The trees behind us were far too dense to travel through to try and locate space for us to eat privately, so we made a big show by sitting all of our Pokemon out along the edge of the road to eat while the five of us ate our own food.  
“So you and I are the only ones ready for the Pokemon League, huh?” Trixa asked Courtney. “We’re so ready!”  
“Isn’t it amazing?” Courtney squealed.  
I rolled my eyes and grit my teeth jealously. We’re not far from Ghyst Town, I thought. I’ll get my eighth Badge soon, and so will Ella.   
“Can I see what Badges you have?” Trixa asked Courtney excitedly.  
Courtney licked her lips and her smiled faded slightly. “Well, of course you can! Can I see yours, too?”  
“Yes!” Trixa dug through her red backpack for her Badge case.  
Courtney opened her bag as well and looked through it, holding half a sandwich in one hand.  
“Here ya go!” Trixa held out her open Badge case to Courtney.   
“Wow! I have some of those Badges! And your Badge case is so pretty and glittery!” Courtney gushed.  
“Thank you! I love this thing! It was a present from my daddy,” Trixa said happily. “He always gets me the nicest things. I love him so much. It’s so beautiful, isn’t it?”  
“It has the perfect white color with the sparkling glitter on it! Wow! How adorable!”  
“Let me see your Badge case!” Trixa urged. “Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on-”  
“Okay!” Courtney’s eyes widened at Trixa. “I’ll show you!” She looked into her bag, and then her eyes lifted towards everyone’s Pokemon. “Hey! That’s about enough! I’m returning Scraggy if Electivire is going to keep on bothering my Scraggy.” She held out a Poke Ball. “Scraggy, return!”  
“Scragg?” Scraggy looked up from its nearly empty bowl of food as it was returned.  
“Excuse me?” June got to her feet, holding a bite’s worth of a sandwich in her hand. “My Electivire wasn’t doing anything to your Scraggy!”  
“It was looking at my Scraggy and trying to intimidate it,” Courtney responded angrily. “I do not appreciate that one bit. I will not tolerate bullying. I think you need to do something about that Electivire of yours. I’ve had about enough of-Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!” Courtney’s body lit up like a lightbulb as Electivire shocked her with Thunderbolt.  
“Electivire!” June gasped.  
Courtney hit the ground, shivering in pain as her body sparked. Her blonde hair stood up on end.  
All of the Pokemon had now stopped eating and were looking at Electivire.  
“Vire!” Electivire said as he looked around at all the Pokemon. His head nodded. “Vire… Vire!” He flexed his arms.  
The Pokemon backed away.  
Shiftry was the only one who stood her ground, facing Electivire.  
“Elect?” Electivire looked directly at Shiftry.  
“Shift…” Shiftry said in a low voice.  
“Electivire!!” Electivire shocked Shiftry using Thunder.  
“Hey! What do you think you’re doing to my Pokemon?” Ella ran to her Shiftry’s side as the Wicked Pokemon collapsed to her knees from the attack. “Shiftry, don’t get engaged in this! That Pokemon is nothing but a big bully.”  
A low, pained cry came out from June as she turned to Ella.  
Ella returned her stare with an angry one. “June, just call that thing back, will you? What are you waiting for?”  
“Ella, I’m sorry! I didn’t think he would attack your Pokemon,” June said sadly as she reached into her bag.  
“Yeah. She just didn’t care if it attacked me or my Pokemon,” Courtney moaned, sitting up now, her body still sparking.  
“I didn’t say that,” June snapped as she got to her feet with a Poke Ball in her hand.  
Courtney mumbled something.  
“What was that?” June snapped.  
“Shiiift!” Shiftry smacked Ella in the face and she ran towards Electivire to attack.   
Ella screamed as she was hit and she dropped hard. “Oowwww!!” Ella moaned.  
Electivire kept his eyes on Shiftry.  
Shiftry suddenly vanished and then reappeared behind Electivire, and she pulled back a fist and hit Electivire in the back with Feint Attack.  
Electivire didn’t move an inch. “Vire!” His fist burst into flames and he swiftly whipped around and socked Shiftry in the face with Fire Punch.  
“Shiiiiiiiiiiiiftryyyy!” Shiftry was thrown backwards by the powerful blow.  
“Electivire! Get back, now!” June returned her Pokemon.  
“My Pokemon!” Ella screamed as she ran towards Shiftry. “Shiftry.” She placed one hand on her Pokemon.  
Shiftry groaned, but that was all.  
“Shiftry, it’ll be okay.” Ella returned her Shiftry and stood up, turning to June. She took a deep breath, her eyes squinting angrily.  
“Ella, I’m so sorry!” June clasped her hands in front of her. “I didn’t mean for that to happen!”  
“June, don’t you think that maybe you should consider feeding that thing at a separate time,” Ella said, forcing her voice to come out calm despite the obvious anger in her eyes.  
June swallowed and looked at Electivire’s Poke Ball. Her eyes looked back to Ella and she nodded. “I just… I just wanted him to feel like he was a part of the family. My family. And could eat along with everyone else. I’m just trying to make him feel loved… I’m sorry.”  
Ella’s anger was traded for pity as she gazed at June sadly. “June, I don’t understand what happened between you and your Electivire, but that thing is really scary. I don’t think he should be around the other Pokemon if he’s going to be attacking them. Maybe if you took some time to talk to him, you could sort things out.”  
June shook her head sadly, lowering her head. She opened her mouth to speak.  
“June’s tried that,” Courtney spoke up. “That violent thing she’s raised is a terror.” Courtney got to her feet and held out a few Poke Balls, returning her Pokemon, and she held out the final pair of Poke Balls to retrieve her last two Pokemon. “My Pokemon have finished eating, and I’ve had about enough of sitting around her getting shocked by this girl’s Pokemon. Let’s keep moving.”  
June sighed and got back to her knees. She moodily shoved the last piece of her sandwich in her bag, along with Electivire’s Poke Ball.  
I turned to my Pokemon and saw that they too sat behind empty bowls, so I grabbed some Poke Balls from my belt.  
Trixa gazed at her Pokemon before grabbing some Poke Balls from her waist, as well.  
In the next couple of moments, all of the Pokemon were in their Poke Balls, and the bowls were put away in our bags.  
The five of us traveled close to the trees, staying out of the way of the cars as we continued along to Ghyst Town.

*

“Ella?” Trixa broke the silence of our group that had been going on for a couple of hours.  
A lot of thoughts had been going through my mind. More than what should have been going through any thirteen year old’s head. One moment, I was thinking about what Team Solace could possibly be up to. The next second, I pondered where my Charizard could be. Soon after, I was wondering about where Kiwi was, who kidnapped her, and why. That was followed by questions of where my sister was right now and hopes that she was okay. Not long after that, I wondered how my mom was doing. Moments later, I was looking at the large group I was now a part of. It was almost a relief to have Trixa speak up and interrupt my thoughts.  
“Yes, Trixa?” Ella asked tiredly, her eyes on her Town Map.  
The sun above us was beginning to set, scary shadows slowly starting to coat the land. The air was still thick and muggy with high humidity and heat.  
Even in my lightweight jacket, unzipped, I felt pretty hot, but I ignored the discomfort.  
We were still on the same dirt path, which curved into multiple paths various times, but my paper Town Map insisted on us continuing straight, and this was confirmed by Ella and Trixa’s advanced, electronic Town Maps as well, so we pushed on.  
Courtney was brushing her hair, gazing into her mirror. Her hair looked completely fine, but she continued using her brush on it.  
“That Pachirisu you own is really cute,” Trixa said with a small smile.  
Ella’s eyes widened and she turned to Trixa. “Oh! Well, thanks, hon!” She smiled.  
“You’re welcome,” Trixa nodded. “Would you like to trade for it?”  
Ella came to a stop, and the rest of us looked at her and stopped as well, Courtney looking at Ella through her mirror.  
“Trade?” Ella asked Trixa, her smile now gone.  
“Yes! I want to trade for your Pachirisu. What that means is, I’ll tell you what Pokemon I own, and if you like anything that I have to offer-” Trixa began to explain.  
“I understand what trading is, Trixa!” Ella spoke in a surprisingly harsh tone. “I’m not trading him!”  
An awkward silence fell upon us, the sound of rustling grass, scampering animals, and insects taking over.  
“I have a Vanillite, and a Trubbish, and Scolipede, and a Pe-” Trixa told Ella.  
“I just said I’m not trading my Pachirisu, okay?!” Ella shouted.  
Trixa wasn’t the only one looking at Ella in surprise.  
All of us were.  
Trixa whimpered and lowered her head. “Why are you yelling at me?”  
Even I had to agree with Trixa on this one.   
Ella’s sudden attitude was a real shocker. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, exhaling before opening her eyes again. “I’m sorry, Trixa,” Ella smiled. “I just get kind of touchy around my little Pachirisu. He’s very special to me, and he isn’t up to trade for any Pokemon in the world.” Ella took a quick breath and exhaled shortly, her smile fading. “So drop it.”  
“Drop what?” Trixa asked, looking up.  
“The topic,” Ella said louder.  
“Oh…” Trixa looked down again.  
Ella was the first to keep walking, looking down at her Town Map.  
I was next to move after her, though, to be honest, Ella was officially starting to scare me. She acted weird when June asked about her Pachirisu in Nimbasa, I remembered. I wonder why.  
The others walked after me, the sound of Courtney’s brush moving through her hair being the only sound other than our footsteps through the dirt ground.  
A pair of footsteps moved quickly, and Trixa walked past me, trying to reach Ella. She kept her head down and didn’t say a word.  
As I looked ahead of the two girls, I could spot what vaguely looked like buildings in the distance. “You think that’s Ghyst Town up ahead?” I asked.  
“Nope,” Ella muttered quickly. “That’s Remainder Village. We’re still a day or so away from Ghyst Town.”  
“Oh,” I muttered, disappointed as well as glad that we hadn’t reached Ghyst Town.  
“Ella?” Trixa said softly, keeping her head down.  
“Yes…?” Ella said in a clearly agitated tone of voice.  
“I really like your Pachirisu…” Trixa said in a very low, sad voice.  
“Trixa, I am not trading it! Please, will you stop?” Ella begged, looking at her.  
Trixa didn’t look up at Ella. “I don’t want yours if you won’t trade it, Ella. I wanted to know where you got yours from so maybe I could just catch one myself.”  
Everyone’s attention was on Ella again.  
Ella didn’t say anything to Trixa. She just continued to walk, leading our group.  
“Ella, you won’t even tell me where you got one from? That’s so selfish!” Trixa whined.  
“I got it from my mother, okay?” Ella stopped walking and tossed her hands into the air. “I don’t want to talk about this any further! This isn’t something I feel comfortable discussing, so just let it go!” Ella stomped off, moving quickly to get away from us all.  
“What’d I say…?” Trixa sniffled and wiped at her eyes.  
“Trixa, it’s okay,” June said in a low voice as she walked up to Trixa and wrapped her arm around her shoulders. “I don’t know what the story behind Ella and her Pachirisu is, but it’s best we just leave it alone. This must be something very personal for her. Let’s just not bring it up again, alright?”  
“Oh… I didn’t mean to upset her,” Trixa said in a shaky, low voice.  
“I know, and she knows it, too,” June smiled kindly. “Let’s just catch up with her, but not mention it again. She isn’t mad at you, Trixa.”  
“She’s not?” Trixa looked up at June with watery eyes.  
June shook her head. “Whatever is going on with her and Pachirisu is what’s upsetting her. Let’s let her deal with it on her own, and if she needs to tell us what’s going on, she’ll tell us on her own time, when she’s ready.”  
“Alright. I understand,” Trixa smiled.  
The four of us turned to each other and nodded in agreement, and a small smile even broke across my face as I looked down at Trixa.  
She was the shortest of us all, and very adorable in a little sister kind of way. Maybe she was a bit of a blockhead, but she wasn’t a bad person. She was just a little curious. Or something.   
I guess.  
Trixa looked up at me and smiled even brighter, her eyes twinkling, and my heart melted, my smile broadening. Huh?! I shook my head hard and frowned as I walked past her quickly, breaking into a jog as I chased after Ella.  
“Wait a minute! Where ya going, Gary?” Trixa called after me.  
I ignored her and continued running.  
Ella was moving fast, nearing Remainder Village.  
“Ella!” I slowed down and matched her pace. “It’s a little hot to be jogging in jeans, don’t you think?” I joked.  
Ella sighed and turned to me with a smile. She started to walk at a less furious speed. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to ditch you guys. I just…”  
“I know.”  
“She’s a good friend of mine, though!” Ella told me, her smile fading.  
“I know that, too. And so does she. Let’s just focus on getting our last Badges.”  
“Wow! Look at this cute little place!” Trixa and the others had caught up to us, Trixa pointing ahead of us at the village just several feet away. “Are the houses made of dirt?”  
The road came to an abrupt end where we stood. People in the little village walked by us in comfortable looking clothing that seemed to be made of plants! A woman walked by in a long skirt that looked like it was a collection of very long, green leaves glued together. Her short sleeved shirt resembled a grouping of beautiful blue flowers with yellow centers. Her shoes seemed to be made of short green leaves. A man in white pants walked by, but as I watched him, it started to look like the material of his pants were poorly sewn together, but that might have been the fashion of it. His shirt was made of the same mysterious material, but yellow. His sandals were made of twigs! Another guy walked by in pants that looked like sewn together black flowers, the petals on top of one another in a rather ugly design, in my opinion. His red shirt jutted out, made up of what seemed to be roses, and on his head was a collection of sunflowers made into a hat. On his feet were shoes that looked like they were formed out of clay.  
The houses did appear to be as Trixa had stated. They were brown and didn’t look like they were made of bricks or wood, but did resemble clay or dirt!  
“Seriously? Am I really seeing this right now?” Courtney spoke with amusement. Her brush and mirror were no longer in her hands. She let out a laugh. “What is this? Africa or something?”  
We all turned to Courtney.  
Ella held a shocked look, while Trixa looked confused.  
June shook her head as she squinted at Courtney.  
I stared at Courtney seriously, but I had to struggle to hold back a snicker. What she had said was admittedly kind of funny.  
Courtney looked at us all, her eyes stopping on me. “I didn’t mean anything by that.” She looked to the ground. “Sorry.”  
I looked away from Courtney and at the village. “Well, enough gawking. Let’s hurry up and keep moving.” I walked ahead and through the village.  
The people who lived here were really friendly. Complete strangers smiled, waved, and greeted us as we walked through their environment.  
We all greeted them back happily.  
Wow. There aren’t a lot of places like this out there, I acknowledged as I waved at a very beautiful woman who waved at me, smiling as she lowered her head shyly.   
She was tanned and had shorter hair than I typically preferred, but she wore it like a model and made it look damn good.  
She’s really beautiful, I thought to myself as I looked over her very fit body with slender arms, a tight, revealed stomach, and unbelievably curvy assets, and my heart started to beat really fast. I looked away from her, fearing I’d only embarrass myself if I kept looking at her, let alone said anything.  
“Man, I must say, this place has a really, like, natural vibe to it, huh?” Courtney said, smiling as she looked around.  
“It definitely does,” June agreed. “I wouldn’t mind sticking around here for a little while. This place is really pretty and just… I guess Courtney said it best; Natural! Like, I can’t really explain it. It’s just really nice here.”  
“I’d say we should spend the day here, especially with night falling upon us, but, we should really focus on that eighth Badge Gary and I need,” Ella said. “If the Unova League Conference is too far away from Ghyst Town, we’ll need all the time we can get to get there in time. I wish they would hurry up and release the info already. It’s so annoying. We can’t all afford a freaking Holo Caster Series Z3!”  
“A what?” I asked Ella, turning to her.  
Ella opened her mouth to answer me.  
A loud cry made me whip my head to the side.  
A woman shrieked as a gigantic snake flew towards her.  
The black snake with yellow patterns accompanying its body hissed at her dangerously and wrapped its body around her.  
The woman’s eyes bulged as she was taken down, her arms bound at her sides by the snake.  
“A Seviper!” Courtney gasped.  
Seviper. The Fang Snake Pokemon. Its tail is poisonous and used to strike foes and prey. This Pokemon has always been a lifelong rival of Zangoose, attacking them on sight.  
“It’s killing that lady!” Trixa screamed, holding her Pokedex in her hand.  
Before I could move, a loud CRAAAAAASSSHHHH!!! made me jump and turn to a house where something flew through the window and hit the ground.  
“That’s a Zangoose!” I pointed.  
Screams filled the air as people started to run.  
A Zangoose and Seviper were entangled in a deadly brawl, Seviper wrapped around the Zangoose while Zangoose had its claws inside of Seviper’s eyes, trying to gouge them out.  
Zangoose. The Cat Ferret Pokemon. This Pokemon is a very bitter enemy of Seviper and will attack them on sight using their deadly claws. Well trained Zangoose and Seviper can be seen alongside one another, in theory.  
Trixa put away her Pokedex and shut her eyes tight, looking away from the fighting Zangoose and Seviper.  
Everyone in Remainder Village was screaming in horror as Seviper and Zangoose started to appear out of nowhere, attacking the civilians as well as each other.  
A Zangoose slashed at a man’s face, dropping him to his knees as he screamed in anguish, blocking his face with his arms helplessly before the Zangoose spotted a Seviper close by who was leaping towards a young woman. Zangoose reached out and grabbed Seviper’s pointed tail and yanked it back.  
Seviper cried out in shock as it was pulled back.  
Zangoose released Seviper and its claws glowed white. It mercilessly slashed as Seviper’s head.  
Seviper hit the ground, screaming in pain as Zangoose took advantage of the Pokemon and ripped at its head, digging its claws into its body, spilling the snake’s blood.  
The smash of a window made me jump and look to see a Seviper facing a Zangoose.  
Seviper’s tail whipped back and forth near a broken window.  
Zangoose raised it claws and they glowed blue-white, white sparks flashing around them.  
Seviper raised its tail and it glowed purple. It lunged at Zangoose.  
Zangoose jumped at Seviper.  
Seviper slashed at Zangoose’s face with Poison Tail as Zangoose collided its claws into Seviper’s body with Crush Claw. They both dropped to the ground, but leaped up immediately.  
Zangoose suddenly fell weakly to its knees.  
Seviper leaped at Zangoose. “Sevipeeeerrrrrrr!!” Seviper hissed.  
“ZANGOOOOOOOSE!” Another Zangoose appeared and gripped Seviper by its throat. It took the snake to the ground and opened its jaws wide, its fangs glowing white. It sunk into Seviper’s body with Crunch attack.  
“SEVIPEEERRRRRR!!” Seviper responded.  
“Where did all these Seviper and Zangoose come from?” Courtney cried out shakily. “What’s happening here?”  
“I don’t know!” I grabbed Excadrill’s Poke Ball. “We have to stop these things! Grab your best Pokemon, everybody, and let’s go!” I threw Excadrill’s Poke Ball.  
“Excadriiiiiillll!!” Excadrill shouted, slashing into the air.  
“Gary! There’s too many Pokemon to battle with just us five!” Courtney said frantically.  
“Shiftry, let’s go!” Ella sent out her Pokemon.  
“Axew, I choose you!” Trixa sent out Axew.  
“Magnezone, I’m counting on you! Help us out!” June threw her Poke Ball.  
“Oh, fine,” Courtney grumbled in dismay. “I guess I should use Amoonguss with all of these poisonous Seviper around. Go on!” Courtney tossed her Poke Ball.  
“Shift…” Shiftry grunted, breathing strongly.  
“Axew,” Axew said, looking around calmly.  
“Magnezoooone!” Magnezone said.  
“Amoooonguss!” Amoonguss bounced on the ground.  
“Just pick a target and attack!” I instructed the girls. “Straight ahead, Excadrill!” I pointed.  
“Cadriiiiill!” Excadrill leaped at a Zangoose that was facing a house.  
Zangoose used Crush Claw at the side of the house, and the house burst into a cloud of dust, the glass windows shattering.  
The inside of the house was now revealed, showing a pair of chairs and a large thing that looked like a couch. They both seemed to be made of the same substance as the house itself.  
“Excadrill, use Dig, now!” I ordered.  
Excadrill dug through the ground, vanishing from sight.  
“Magnezone, use Zap Cannon!” June ordered behind me.  
I heard Magnezone yell out as it used its attack.  
Zangoose leaped towards the “furniture,” its claws glowing white as it prepared to use Slash attack. One of its claws tore through a chair, and the other claw ripped through the last chair, turning them into dust.  
“EXCADRIIIIIILLLL!!” Excadrill burst from the ground and slugged Zangoose with an uppercut.  
“Zangooooose!” Zangoose fell backwards and fell.  
“Shiftry, I want you to use Extrasensory on Seviper, now!” Ella ordered.  
“Um, let’s try and do Outrage, Axew!” Trixa said.  
“Axew,” Axew said calmly, but it didn’t attack.  
“Now end this with Horn-!” I commanded.  
“Zangoose!” A Zangoose burst from the ground and punched my Excadrill right under the chin.  
Excadrill was thrown back by the blow and slid along the ground.  
“Zangoooose!” Another Zangoose seemed to jump from the sky. It landed next to Excadrill as he got back up. “Zangoose! Zangoose! Zan! Zangoose!” Zangoose punched and kicked at my Excadrill repeatedly, overtaking him with Close Combat.  
“Magnezone!” June screamed.  
I looked away to see Magnezone take a swift kick from another Zangoose, throwing Magnezone through the air before it bounced on the ground.  
A Zangoose was on its knees next to the Zangoose that had kicked Magnezone, sparking from what appeared to be Paralysis. Its eyes were closed tight in pain. Zangoose’s body was suddenly surrounded by an orange aura, and with a loud cry, an orange burst of energy flew out from it and slammed into Magnezone.  
Magnezone shouted out desperately as it rolled along the ground from the Super Effective Revenge attack. “Magne…” Magnezone shivered but started hovering above the ground, still ready to fight.  
The ground underneath Magnezone exploded.  
“SEVIPEEERRRRRR!!!” A Seviper burst from the ground and slammed into Magnezone with Dig attack.  
“Maaaaaagnezone!” Magnezone tumbled through the air.  
“Shiftry, these Pokemon need to be stopped! Attack with Extrasensory! Your Psychic powers would be a great help right now!” Ella pleaded with her Pokemon.  
Shiftry was looking around at the feuding Zangoose and Seviper, but she wasn’t listening to Ella.  
“Shiftryyyyy!” Ella screeched angrily.  
“Amoonguss, let’s help out with Spore attack!” Courtney ordered.  
“Axew, you have to attack! We need help!” Trixa begged.  
“Ax, Ax,” Axew scratched at the side of its head, looking up at Trixa. It shrugged. “Axew Axew.”  
“Amooooooonguss!” Amoonguss sprayed a sparkling yellow powder from its mouth at a group of fighting Zangoose and Seviper.  
There were three Seviper overpowering one Zangoose while it struggled to fight off its attackers. The Seviper had their teeth deep into Zangoose’s body, Zangoose swiping at one of their faces, sprinkling plenty of its blood around, but the Pokemon just closed its eyes and held on tight, injecting more poison into its victim, though Zangoose didn’t seem to be bothered by it.  
As Spore attack sprinkled over the four Pokemon, the Seviper and Zangoose began to calm down. Their eyes started to close, and soon, they were snoring on top of each other, fast asleep.  
“That was great, Courtney!” I turned to her and her Amoonguss.   
“We just need to do that to all of these other Zangoose and Seviper…” Courtney turned to me uncertainly.  
I looked around at the brutal fighting taking place between the Zangoose and Seviper that seemed to be continually flooding the area.  
Whether it was one Zangoose against one Seviper, a group of Seviper outnumbering a Zangoose, or a group of Zangoose beating on a Seviper, the only Pokemon in the area were definitely the two foes.   
Seviper were whipping people trying to get out of the way with their tails, slashing their victims’ faces or bodies.   
A Zangoose leaped at a Seviper that hissed at it, and the ferret slashed at it repeatedly. A man screamed as he ran past the two combatants, and Zangoose got spooked. The Zangoose turned to the man and slashed at his back, dropping the man.  
He remained still, a large streak of blood across the back of his brown shirt that now looked, not ripped, but broken, due to whatever the material was.  
Zangoose turned away immediately to continue attacking Seviper, but Seviper took advantage of the moment it was given and used Poison Tail to smack Zangoose back.   
Seviper wrapped its body around Zangoose, choking it.  
“We should just spray that Spore wherever we can, Courtney!” I started turning to her, but stopped when I saw Trixa and Ella, both girls struggling with their Pokemon.  
Trixa’s Axew was scratching the side of its head, a confused look on its face, nervously gazing at the fighting Pokemon.  
Ella’s Shiftry was just watching everything as if it were a movie, a sneaky smile on her face.  
A loud, pained scream from a woman made me turn behind me, and I saw the source of the voice.  
It sounded as if the scream had come from a woman, but in fact, it was the high-pitched shriek of a man! A Seviper was wrapped around his middle while another Seviper had its purple fangs sunk deep into the man’s bloodsoaked chest, blood running continuously down the front of his body. The man collapsed to his knees, his head tilted back, wailing in agony.  
“Amoonguss, use Spore on them!” Courtney begged her Pokemon.  
“Amoooooooonguss!” Amoonguss sprayed its Spore attack at the man and the Seviper around him.  
The Seviper wrapped around the man’s waist looked at Amoonguss and opened its jaws. “Seviperrrrr!” Flames flew from out of Seviper’s mouth, burning through the Spore attack, and Amoonguss was set on fire.  
“Amoooooooooooong!!” Amoonguss bounced about in circles, a flaming fireball.  
“Amoonguss! Oh, my goodness! Come back!” Courtney returned her Pokemon. She looked down at the Poke Ball sadly before turning to Seviper. “A Flamethrower. I didn’t see tha-aaaAAAAHHH!!!” She dropped her Poke Ball, which was now glowing red. She blew into her hand and backed away from the Poke Ball. “Ow! What??”  
“It’s still burning from the flames Amoonguss had to take,” June said, glaring at Amoonguss’ Poke Ball. “It’ll be fine. But I’m not sure what we’re gonna do to take out all of these Pokemon. We’re outnumbered! We’ll have to send out all of our Pokemon to even hope to put up a decent fight! There’s tons of these things here!”  
“But, why?” I asked her.  
“I don’t know. They’re just warring, Gary!”  
“Then we don’t have a choice. Everyone, we have to send out all of our Pokemon and battle!” I grabbed two Poke Balls on my waist, but froze from the roar that tore through the area.  
“Tyranitar, use that Earthquake right now!” a voice shouted.  
The roar alone seemed to rock the ground underneath my feet, and I turned and saw the monster.  
It raised its foot high and slammed it into the ground.  
Everybody screamed as the earth shook harder than I’d ever felt it move.   
This was undoubtedly the most powerful Earthquake I’d ever felt. I was soaring through air for several seconds, screaming, before slamming down onto my back. Groaning in pain, unable to even get up, I bounced on my back like a basketball, hitting my back, face, head, stomach, legs, arms, and all other parts off my body in turn against my will. I could have thrown up very easily at any moment.  
The CRAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKK!!!! of the ground splitting apart was almost as deafening as the quake of the ground, or the roar from Tyranitar.  
Loud noises of destruction were mixed in with screams from both Pokemon and people alike as everyone appeared to suddenly be made of rubber, bouncing and flying through the air continuously, houses crashing down.  
The ground finally rumbled less but I remained still, trembling from the remaining tremors. Has it stopped? I wondered fearfully. I was shaking hard, but that now may have just been my body quaking in fear. Is the Earthquake still going on?  
“Is everybody okay, here?” I heard someone call out. “Damn, Tyranitar! Wicked Earthquake!”  
The voice sounded familiar to me. I pushed myself up and turned to look at who that voice belonged to. I tried to lean forward onto one arm, expecting to press my hand into the ground beneath me. “Whoa!” My arm fell through a hole!   
No, not a hole. A large fissure!   
I pulled my arm out and gaped into it, but I could only see darkness. “Freaking hell!” I said in shock. I looked up and gasped.   
Remainder Village no longer looked anything like it had when June, Courtney, Trixa, Ella, and I had entered here. People were sprawled out everywhere, some people bound to the ground, moaning, while others struggled to get to their feet, groaning. The Seviper and Zangoose were also in heaps, bleeding and badly wounded from their fighting. The houses were all completely destroyed. Not a single one stood up, mounds of dirt in their places. The entire village was nothing but widespread land. Fissures were all over.  
My eyes stopped on Tyranitar, who stood next to somebody I recognized. “Ruko!” I got to my feet and stepped over the fissure in front of me. I looked up at the Pokemon that towered over Ruko. “Is that your Pokemon?”  
“Gar-bear! Get out of town! I can’t believe it’s you! Oh, man! Ha ha ha ha! Looks like Tyranitar went a little OD. Good work stopping those crazy Zangoose and Seviper, though. Return, alright?” Ruko returned the Pokemon back to its Poke Ball.  
I looked down at the people around us as a movement caught my eye. “June! And Excadrill!” I leaped over a gaping fissure and knelt down next to June, who was lying on top of Excadrill.  
Excadrill wasn’t moving, completely wiped out from the Earthquake attack.  
“Return, Excadrill! Rest up in here.”  
June hit the ground after Excadrill was removed from under her, and she groaned as she sat up, looking around in a daze. “I thought I… heard a Pokemon…” she said weakly.  
“Tyranitar. Ruko’s Tyranitar,” I nodded at her.  
“Tyrani…? Ruko?” Her eyes widened.  
“JUNIIII!!” Ruko leaped over a fissure to get to us, and she wrapped June in a tight hug. “Super mega master bear glomps!! Gosh, it’s so good to see you!”   
June choked as her eyes bulged. “Ruko,” she choked out, struggling to push her off of her by her shoulders.  
“And don’t think I’d forget about you, Gar-bear! Super bear glomps for you, too!” Ruko released June and she dropped onto her back, crying out. Ruko widened her arms and lunged at me.  
“Hey! Come on, Ruko!” I tried to back away.  
Ruko tackled me to the ground and squeezed me like she was hoping I’d secrete juice into a tall glass for her to drink.  
“Gary…” Ella’s voice reached me.  
“Huh? Ella!” I turned to see her standing next to Courtney and Trixa, several feet away.   
Ella had a worried look on her face. “I think we have a problem…”  
Courtney and Trixa were both looking behind Ella, their backs facing me.  
“No way!” Ruko released me and got to her feet.  
I shivered, finally freed from that crazy girl’s grasp, and I stood up.  
“It’s this girl, again! No way! What was your name again? I’m so sorry. I’m really bad with names,” Ruko laughed.  
Courtney turned around and stared at Ruko.  
“I’m Ella…” Ella’s eyes widened and she gasped, pointing at Ruko. “Oh, snap! You! You had the Jellicent!”  
“Yeah! In Driftveil City! And you had the Shiftry!” Ruko nodded excitedly. “Bear glomps!” She spread open her arms and squeezed Ella tightly, lifting Ella off her feet!  
Ella’s eyes bulged in surprise and she squirmed in Ruko’s arms, trying to break free. When Ruko let go of Ella, she stumbled backwards, taking in a huge breath of air.  
“And it’s this girl, too!” Ruko walked over to Courtney. “Everybody’s back, again, together! Bear glomps for you!” She wrapped her arms around Courtney.  
Courtney started to hug her back, but ended up gasping in shock at Ruko’s strong hug. Her eyes nearly popped and she started choking. When she was finally let go, she backed away and placed her hands on her knees and breathed deeply.  
“Do you think those guys could use a Bearticone? They seem a little hungry,” Trixa said, her back still to us. “I think I look that way when I get hungry, too. Especially when it’s hot out.”  
“Huh?” That was when I looked at what Trixa was staring at.  
We all turned to see what was happening.  
“Yeah, that was what I was originally trying to bring up…” Ella said.  
A large gathering of people, men and women alike, were glaring at us, looking ready to rip us to pieces.  
“Virbank City isn’t far from here!” Trixa called to them. “We were all on our way back there for a Bearticone if you want to come with us!”  
“Trixa!” me, June, Ella, and Courtney shouted at her.  
“Hmmm?” She turned back to us, smiling, her eyes sparkling at us.  
Some of the people in the village were still on the ground and hadn’t moved.   
I wondered if they were okay as my eyes went from the destruction of homes and the bodies of the people and Pokemon on the ground throughout the village, to the angry people facing us.   
“The Pokemon have attacked our village!” A man stepped forward in a shirt made of a variety of different colored flowers, grass, and other things, a red skirt made of leaves wrapped around his black pants, the material of which I couldn’t make out. His voice was deep and frightening, making my heart skip a beat as he spoke so strongly and loudly. “These people have entered our peace and destroyed our village with their Pokemon!!”  
My mouth fell open. Okay, I guess that’s a fair statement, I admitted, closing my mouth. But, we stopped the Seviper and Zangoose and saved a lot of lives, right? That must count for something. Right?  
“I hereby decree that the punishment fit the crime! DESTROY THEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEM!!!!” the man roared.  
The crowd screamed ferociously and charged at us.  
Me and my group screamed and ran away as fast as we could.  
“Magnezone!!” June screamed, and I hear the familiar sound of a Pokemon being returned back to its Poke Ball.  
“I don’t think Virbank City is in this direction, you guys!” Trixa insisted.  
If Trixa wants to go back to Virbank and get killed by that crowd, I hope she knows I have absolutely NO intentions on saving her dumb ass, I thought as I pushed forward, hoping we were all creating distance from the crowd, but too terrified to look behind me.  
There were no hiding places. No thick forests. No city to get lost in. Just continuous open space with the dirt road beneath us, the screams from the mob behind us.  
The only thought in my head was to just keep running. Running for my life.  
All of us, running for our lives.  
The unruly village people behind us, ironically, running for our lives.  
Our path curved slightly and we kept running, exhausted and breathing hard, but not daring to stop.  
Trees atop a stretch of grass lined a cement path on both sides up ahead, but there weren’t enough trees to hide amongst. The group of trees to the right gave way to a cement wall after several feet. The trees and grass on the other side looked beautiful against a huge lake that sparkled under the sun. A steel barricade stood between the grass and the cement road there.  
“Wait!” June screamed from behind me.  
Wait?! I thought in my head. Is she nuts?! I kept running.  
“They’re gone! We’re safe, now!” June yelled.  
At those words, I slowed down and looked back.  
June had her hands on her knees, breathing deeply.  
Courtney came to a stop and looked back. She placed her hand over her heart as she tried to catch her breath and then fell to her knees.  
Trixa looked back as she kept running and tripped, slamming into me and knocking me to the ground.  
“HEY!” I barked at her.  
“Hee hee, sorry,” Trixa breathed heavily in my face. Her breath smelled stale.  
Ella slowed down and jogged past me as she gazed behind her, coming to a stop.   
Ruko stopped next to me and crossed her arms, breathing hard. “Where did those guys go?”  
Nobody else spoke.   
The only noise was our separate breathing as we regained our energy.  
I laid on my back. “Damn…” I breathed.  
“That was a hoot!” Trixa exclaimed, looking down at me.  
I squinted at her, still trying to slow down my breathing.  
“Man, that was crazy!” Courtney said. “I wonder where they are, though.”  
“Not chasing us is as good as an answer as I’ll need, any day,” Ella said, running a hand through her hair.  
I wanted Ella in every humanly possible way in that moment when her hand went through her hair, this natural seductress being the embodiment of beauty, innocence, passion, and sensuality, driving me to the brink of intense desire, explosive love, and complete and utter insanity.  
Ella kneeled down, placed her hands on the cement beneath us, and sat. Her shirt lifted up at this action, revealing her back a bit.  
“I feel so bad for them,” June said. “Their entire village is destroyed. I wonder how they’re going to handle the Seviper and Zangoose that are still there. They were knocked out for the time being, but they’re gonna wake up eventually…”  
“Nothing we can do to help them,” I said. “They’ll try to kill us if they ever see us again. We can tell the police in the next town or something. I sure as Hell am not going back there.”  
“Maybe they turned around and went back to Virbank for a Bearticone,” Trixa said. “I think that’s a good idea. Let’s all head back and get one, too!”  
I didn’t really want to punch Trixa in the face. I did yearn to force a nail through my own eyes, though. Just to see if it was that much worse than having to tolerate Trixa for another second.  
Everyone gazed at Trixa tiredly, except Ruko, who looked at her in confusion. “Huh?” Ruko spoke.  
Trixa turned to Ruko and opened her mouth to explain.  
“Um, this is Trixa, Ruko!” I jumped to my feet. “She’s a f… f… fr… friend… of ours.” My voice quivered as I spoke that last sentence.  
“Aw, man! That’s great! It’s great to meet you, Trixa! That name is da bomb! Ha ha ha!” Ruko walked over to Trixa and held out her hand.  
Trixa grabbed it and cried out in surprise as she was pulled to her feet. “Really? You like my name? Thanks so much! Ruko is cool, too! It sounds, like, Japanese or something! It’s nice to meet you!”  
“Thanks! I think my name is Japanese, actually, ha ha ha ha!” Ruko laughed. “I’m a mutt, and I have a little Japanese in me, as well, so I’m sure my name is.”  
“You’re a mutt?? You mean, you’re part dog?” Trixa looked at Ruko in disbelief. “Get out!! So you’re the result of a dog and human having a baby?? WOW!!! I’m dumbfounded!”  
Lose the “founded,” I thought mercilessly.  
Ruko burst out laughing, leaning backwards, her hands on her stomach. “NO! I’m not a dog!! I just meant I’m mixed in ethnicity! I’m Italian, Japanese, and French! But, I think a few other things, too. I don’t think my parents are even fully sure of exactly all the mixes in me.”  
“Wow! So you know, like, a billion languages, are a part of a mob, eat snails, and can do karate?” Trixa asked brightly.  
Ruko burst out laughing, bending over this time, wrapping her arms around her stomach.  
The rest of us stared at Ruko indescribably, not believing what she had just said.  
“UM!” I stood in front of Trixa and stretched out my arms. “Please, ignore that! She has no idea what she just said!”  
“Yes, I do!” Trixa said loudly.  
“Ruko, it’s been a while! Where are you headed?” I asked her quickly.  
“Well, I’m not sure now that we’ve been chased out of that Remainder Village,” Ruko smiled at me. “Where are you guys going?”  
“We’re headed to Ghyst Town so I can get my last Badge,” I answered. “And Ella’s also competing there for her eighth Badge, and Courtney is going for her ninth!”  
“Whoa! Nine badges? Cool, Courtney!” Ruko bounced on her feet. “We’ll be in the same boat! I have my ninth Badge, too! I actually beat the Ghyst Town Gym Leader, no problem! You three will definitely win, too! No doubt!”  
“You have nine Badges?” I wasn’t really surprised. Ruko had seven Badges back in Driftveil City. I was more surprised that she didn’t have more than nine Badges, if anything.  
“Yup! After I beat Row, the Fighting Gym Leader in Spart Town, and won my eighth Badge, I went for another Badge while waiting to find out where the Unova Conference would be taking place!”  
My eyes widened at the mention of Row. She beat Row? I thought to myself.  
“Right after winning against Spector and Cory, the brothers who run the Gym in Ghyst Town, I was healing my Pokemon at the Pokemon Center, and I heard that the League is happening at Interough City! So, I decided to do a bit of training before heading over there.” She bobbed in place happily, smiling at us all.  
“Inter-what City?” I asked, taking a step towards Ruko.  
“The location has been announced?” Courtney gasped, and she pulled off her backpack and dug through it, soon pulling out her paper Town Map.  
“Interough City,” Ruko repeated.  
Ella whipped out her electronic Town Map and touched the screen rapidly.  
“It’s actually a little distance away from Ghyst Town, but not too far,” Ruko told us. “There’s still another month or so to go before it begins.”  
“I found it!!” Ella burst out.  
“Here it is!” Courtney shouted right after her, pointing at her Town Map.  
I took a few steps towards Ella and gazed at the blinking dot on her Town Map that showed where Interough City was.  
“The Interough Conference…” Ella murmured. “We’re so close to entering!” She looked at me. “Gary, we have to make it in time!”  
“Ella, we will,” I smiled at her.  
“Marc is gonna be watching.” Ella lowered her head and stared at the ground, smiling. “Gosh, I hope I don’t get too nervous.”  
My heart sunk as she mentioned her boyfriend, and I lowered my head and closed my eyes.  
“I’m sure Marc will be the last thing on your mind when you’re battling Gary,” Courtney spoke up.  
Everyone’s eyes turned to Courtney.  
“Huh? What do you mean…?” Ella asked her with a light, hesistant chuckle.  
“Oh. I just mean, Gary is a really good Trainer,” Courtney explained. “He’ll definitely make it as far as you’re gonna make it, and probably even further, if you don’t battle your best. Plus, he’s a total sweetheart, and cutie, wouldn’t you say?” She winked at Ella.  
The sound of glass broke somewhere in my head. I mean, I definitely heard the sound, and it made me jump. What?! I stared at Courtney like she was crazy for saying that.  
“Um, I mean, well… Yes, but… Aha…” Ella responded nervously.  
I walked away from the girls, heading down the darkening path lined by shadows.  
“Gary?” Courtney called out to me.  
I ignored her and kept walking, my hands in the sleeves of my jacket, my head down, highly embarrassed. She has a boyfriend, I told myself. Relax. I inhaled deeply before exhaling.  
“Gar-bear?” I heard Ruko call.  
I ignored her, as well. Courtney has a boyfriend, I told myself. No matter the things she says. My eyes started to water as another thought rose into my mind. Courtney has a boyfriend, I thought calmly.  
Just like Ella does, I thought mournfully, and I closed my eyes as stinging tears burned them, my heart starting to hurt as it beat quicker.  
“Gary!” Trixa called out to me.  
It might hurt, I told myself. It might annoy. It might feel awkward. It might feel uncomfortable.  
But, Trixa.  
Courtney.  
Ruko.  
June.  
And Ella.  
Are with you on this journey.  
“Gary…?” June called to me softly.  
Flashbacks of my date with Ella swam throughout my mind.  
She has a boyfriend, now, Gary, I thought as hot tears slid through my closed eyelids.  
“No, it’s not that, Ella,” I said firmly. “I can’t leave June with that guy.”  
Ella squinted up at me with what could have passed for a pained look. “June…?”  
You ruined everything in that moment, Gary, I scolded myself, reflecting on that haunting, hurt look Ella gave me when I deserted her in the middle of our date for another girl. Now, she has a boyfriend. And, now, you’re stuck traveling with her, and the pain you hold in your heart over her. This is entirely your own fault.  
You.  
Ruined.  
Everything.  
“Gary?” Ella called out to me.


	57. Full House

“Sawk!” Sawk stood up straight, looking directly at me.  
“Sawk! It’s great to finally meet you,” I greeted him with a smile. “It’s been such a long time coming! I’m Gary, your Trainer.” I turned to the others behind me. “These are our friends, both human and Pokemon alike. This group right here are my own Pokemon, while the others belong to the other people here.”  
Ruko’s Tyranitar, Darmanitan, Volcarona, Rampardos, Excadrill, and Hydreigon stared calmly at my Sawk and greeted him, Hydreigon roaring intimidatingly.  
Trixa’s Pansear, Pignite, Axew, Leavanny, Ducklett, and Panpour nodded and waved happily at Sawk.  
Courtney’s Sceptile, Maractus, Swoobat, Stoutland, Scraggy, and Amoonguss cheerfully greeted Sawk.  
Ella’s Serperior, Pachirisu, Deino, Cofagrigus, and Braviary also greeted Sawk warmly.  
Shiftry kept silent as she gave Sawk a serious glare.  
June’s Pikachu, Blitzle, Ampharos, Vaporeon, Lanturn, Galvantula, Manectric, Magnezone, and Rotom seemed pleased to meet Sawk.  
June’s Electivire had been sitting on the ground, but once I had sent out my Sawk, he stood up and glared intensely at him.  
My Drifblim, Weepinbell, Dugtrio, and Unfezant were pleased to meet the latest arrival to our team.  
Elgyem showed no emotion as he watched Sawk.  
Ella stood near a tree, staring at Sawk with a smile.  
Trixa brushed back her hair with both hands, squinting at Sawk with a broad smile.  
Ruko, June, and Courtney stood relatively close to each other, smiling expectantly at Sawk.  
“Sawk!” Sawk bowed before me, and then he bowed before the others.  
We all turned to each other before we faced Sawk and bowed back to him.  
“Sawk, it’s awesome to have you on my team,” I told him. “I hope you’ll enjoy it here. We’re on our way to the Pokemon League. We train hard in this group and give it our all!” I extended my hand towards Sawk. “How does that sound?”  
“Sawk!” Sawk nodded and gripped my hand in a crushing grip.  
“Yyaaaaahh!!” I cried out as my hand cracked in the Pokemon’s grip, and I dropped to my knees immediately. “Okay! Great! Get off!!”  
Sawk released me instantly.  
I fell to the ground and held my sore hand that had been destroyed by Sawk’s handshake. I actually wanted to cry!  
“Gary! What happened?” Courtney asked, concerned.  
“Nothing,” I moaned. “Just wasn’t ready for that tight of a grip.” My eyes were tearing up, but I stayed strong for my Pokemon and got to my knees, staring at my hand as I cradled it in my other hand.  
“Sawk,” Sawk said seriously, looking at me.  
“Well, at least we know how tough you are, huh?” I forced a smile, climbing to my feet.  
“Sawk…” Sawk replied, keeping his eyes on me.  
“A Sawk is such a cool capture!” Ruko said excitedly. “How cool that I get to be here to meet it for the first time!”  
“How long has it been since you last saw this Sawk?” Courtney asked.  
I turned to her.  
“Like, how long ago did you catch him?”  
“Hey, kid!” Row called out.  
I turned to him in surprise.  
“Catch.” Row tossed a Poke Ball at me with one hand.  
I caught it with both hands and looked down at it in surprise.  
“It’s been a few weeks, I guess,” I mumbled, and then I looked back at Sawk, who was staring back at me coldly.  
“Wow. A meeting between you two has definitely been overdue,” Courtney said.  
I nodded. “Well, Sawk, I’m happy to have you with me. I’ll bet we’ll get used to each other over time and find a groove that just you and I have for each other. I welcome you again! Return, Sawk!” I was just about to lift his Poke Ball to return him.  
“Shift!!”  
“Vire?”  
I looked up to see Shiftry and Electivire growling at each other.  
“Shiftry, what are you doing?” Ella called to her Pokemon.  
“Electivire, retur-AAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!” June collapsed to the ground as Electivire shocked her with Thunder. Her hair stood up high as she twitched on the ground, sparking with electricity.  
June’s other Pokemon looked down fearfully at June and then up at Electivire, unsure of what to do.  
All the other Pokemon looked around at each other in confusion, backing up several steps away from Shiftry and Electivire.  
Ella, Courtney, and Ruko stood their ground, their eyes on the two Pokemon ready to face-off.  
Trixa scooped up her Poke Balls. “Everybody, come back! Please!” She returned her six Pokemon and then backed away, looking scared.  
“Shiftry, that’s enough! Return!” Ella removed a Poke Ball from her waist.  
“Shiftry…” Shiftry turned around to Ella and waved a leafy hand at her.  
A huge gust of wind blew from Shiftry and Ella screamed as the wind hit her, lifting her off of her feet! She shrieked even louder as she flew around in the air for a moment before her back slammed into a tree trunk. She gasped in pain and slid down to the ground. She went silent and hunched over.  
“Ella!” I ran to her side. “Ella! Are you okay?” I knelt down next to her on both knees and gripped her shoulders in my hands, lifting her up and leaning her against me.  
Ella groaned and rested her head on my chest.  
“Ella, it’s okay,” I told her softly. “Are you hurt?”  
“Yeah, Gary,” she moaned, her hair covering her face. “I was just tossed into a freaking tree. Oooohh…”  
I wrapped my arms around her and held her close.  
Shiftry cried out angrily and raised her arms into the air, her body outlined in turquoise as glowing green leaves appeared around her feet and rose to her hands. As the turquoise around her body faded away, she pointed her hands at Electivire and the leaves fired at him.  
Electivire smirked for second and then charged into the attack head-on. “Vire, Vire, Vire,” Electivire said easily as he was hit by the powerful Leaf Storm, ignoring the damage. He pulled back a fist and continued running at Shiftry.  
Shiftry’s eyes widened in surprise as Electivire ran through her attack. “Shift!”  
Electivire’s fist burst into flames and he let out a roar as he swung at Shiftry, hitting her with an uppercut of his Fire Punch.  
“Shiiiiiiiiift!!” Shiftry flew into the air.  
“Shiftry!” Ella pushed away from me and shakily climbed to her feet, watching Shiftry soar.  
June managed to her knees and looked up at Shiftry as well.  
Electivire kept his eyes on Shiftry, smiling at the work he had done.  
“Shift! Shift!” Shiftry bounced twice on the ground, grunting with each bounce, and then she laid still.  
“Shiftry!” Ella ran to her Pokemon’s side and placed her hands on her. “Shiftry, just come back, okay? I can’t stand to see you getting picked on like this!” She whipped her head back and glared at June. “I hate bullies!”  
June gasped lightly, staring at Ella. “But…”  
“Return!” Ella returned her Shiftry without a struggle, and then she got to her feet and glared at Electivire.  
“Electivire…” Electivire spoke softly, holding a victorious smile on his face as he stared back at Ella.  
She turned to June. “Enough is enough, June! I agreed to allow your Electivire to eat with the rest of my Pokemon, but he has once again proven to be out of control! I am not letting my Pokemon around that thing again!”  
June held out her Poke Ball and silently returned her rather pleased looking Electivire. She nodded her head sadly and lowered it. “I understand. Your Pokemon won’t see my Electivire ever again.” She closed her eyes and her head dropped even further.  
Ella sighed. “June, I’m sure my Pokemon will see your Electivire again, but, maybe during a battle or something. Not during our more peaceful times. Do you understand what I mean?”  
June sniffled. “Of course I do,” her voice shook. “I’m just so… Ashamed!” She covered her face with her hands and turned her back to Ella.  
Courtney crossed her arms, staring at June.  
“June! What’s wrong?” Trixa asked, walking over to her.  
“Oh, no! Don’t cry, June!” Ella walked over to June and got down to her knees next to her. She placed a hand on her shoulder. “I didn’t mean to make you cry. I’m just worried about our Pokemon fighting like this.”  
“No, it’s not your fault,” June sobbed, wiping at her eyes as she sniffled. “It’s my own. All of this is my fault. I screwed up a lot with my Electivire. These are the consequences. I have to figure out a way around them on my own.”  
“June, what exactly happened between you two?” Ella asked June.  
“Yeah, that’d be nice to know,” Courtney nodded with a snotty tone.  
June glared at Courtney with watery eyes.  
“So, Electivire won’t listen to you, Juni?” Ruko asked curiously.  
June lowered her gaze to the ground and nodded. “Yeah…” she whispered.  
“You can tell us, June,” Ella smiled. “We’re all friends here, right?” She smiled at the group around her.  
“Yeah! And I can totally keep a secret! Let us know what’s up, Juni!” Ruko said eagerly. “I bet that, collectively, we can come up with a solution to the problem!”   
“It’s not really that simple,” June said in a low voice. “I’ve tried everything I could do to work on our relationship. The solution to this is simply time. I can’t force him to just understand my feelings. I need to work on this. It’s just best that you all let me handle this on my own.”  
Nobody said anything after this.  
The sun beamed strongly from a sky filled with several white clouds, beams hitting the pavement before us, away from our group that was sitting on the crisp grass that swayed gently against a sudden, smooth breeze that was very welcome on this hot day.  
“Maybe Electivire won’t listen to you because it’s a Kanto Pokemon and you’re in the Unova region,” Trixa suggested suddenly.  
Everyone looked at Trixa in dismay.  
I closed my eyes tightly. Can’t you just shut up? I thought. For, like, ever?!  
June sighed. “Trixa, Electabuzz is from Kanto,” June told Trixa in a tired voice. “Elekid was originally spotted in Johto, whereas Electivire was first discovered in Sinnoh. I guess this makes the origins of the Electivire line a bit of a mystery, and, really, it’s hard to say where any Pokemon originates from, but, the region a Pokemon is from doesn’t make it listen any better or worse if it’s taken into a new region. Electivire hasn’t listened to me since I evolved him in Kanto.”  
“Oh.” Trixa shrugged and smiled. “Maybe he just doesn’t like your red hair!”  
June squinted silently, angrily, at Trixa.  
I looked away from the two girls and at my Sawk, who was looking over at Elgyem.  
Elgyem held a blank look on his face while Sawk stared back seriously.  
“You two alright?” I called to them cautiously.  
Neither Pokemon looked away from each other, nor moved. Sawk finally grunted and looked towards me, but Elgyem kept staring at him.  
“Elgyem sure is a funny little Pokemon,” Ruko said. She took a couple of steps closer to him. “What moves does it know?”  
“The ones I taught him,” I answered sharply, and I returned him to his Poke Ball, not liking the hungry look in Ruko’s eyes. I suddenly found myself remembering why I disliked Ruko so much.  
“Huh?” She turned to me and a smile slowly crossed her face. “I wouldn’t mind making a trade with you for that Elgyem. How about my Excadrill? It has a very Adamant personality and knows-”  
“I have an Excadrill. No, thanks,” I interrupted quickly.  
Ruko continued smiling. “Wait! I’d even be willing to trade my Tyranitar for it! It knows Earthquake-”  
“Ruko, I don’t want your stupid Pokemon!” I yelled, losing my temper.  
All eyes now turned to me.  
Ruko’s Pokemon were all glaring at me furiously.  
Ruko’s eyes were wide with surprise. “Hey… That was really uncalled for. What’s your problem, Gary?”  
“Ruko, I am never going to trade my Pokemon over to somebody like you! Ever!” I was past my breaking point now. The gates that had held back so much had finally opened, and there was no going back. “No Pokemon should be made into some kind of… tool for you to use to win battles with, and then traded off without hesitation when you see something else you like!”  
“I shouldn’t be using Pokemon to win battles?” Ruko crossed her arms angrily. “You’re saying I shouldn’t be trading for Pokemon that I want?”  
“NO!” I screamed louder than I had intended. I cleared my throat and spoke in a lower, but still frustrated, tone. “That’s not what I mean! You only use Pokemon to battle! That’s not right! Don’t you care about how they feel? Pokemon have feelings, Ruko. They’re not just to be used to fight. They’re our friends! We’re supposed to work together and love each other and… enjoy the journey and each other’s company and stuff…” I could feel that I wasn’t getting through to her. I wasn’t even convincing myself that I was producing a good argument, but I could feel in my heart that what I was saying was true, even if the words weren’t coming out exactly how I wanted them to. “Pokemon aren’t… They’re…”  
Ruko’s anger seemed to be fading as confusion showed itself.  
Courtney brushed aside her hair from her face and held it behind her head, pulling it tightly as she watched me.  
June had her eyes on the ground, brushing her hair down with her hands as she listened to me.  
Ella’s eyes remained on me, waiting for me to finish speaking my point of view.  
Trixa was far behind Ruko, her head against a tree, her arms also wrapped around it as she stared down sadly.  
“Pokemon are supposed to be our partners, not our play things…” I tried slowly. “I mean, like, we can’t just-”  
“Gary, I don’t understand what you’re trying to say,” Ruko spoke gently. “Pokemon are battled all the time. You obtained your Badges by battling Gym Leaders. You and I have battled before. Trainers trade for Pokemon every day. How can you say that’s wrong? It’s what connects people from all over the world! People, and Pokemon!”  
“I know that!” I shouted with exasperation, looking into Ruko’s eyes.  
“Then what are you trying to say??”  
“That we should battle!” I blurted out before I had even considered the idea. “One more time, Ruko! You and me, right now! We’ll have us a full six-on-six battle, right now! I challenge you, Ruko!”  
June covered her mouth in shock, most of her hair still pointed to the sky.  
Ella cocked her head, her alluring, slanted eyes squinting at me with interest.  
Courtney held a stunned look on her face, releasing her hair.  
Trixa looked up at me.  
All of the Pokemon in the area were staring at Ruko and I.  
“I’ll prove to you that your Pokemon aren’t as tough as you think, Ruko,” I spoke boldly.   
All of Ruko’s Pokemon began to growl and snarl at me.  
My Weepinbell, Dugtrio, Drifblim, and Unfezant yelled back at them.  
Sawk only stared at Ruko’s Pokemon solemnly, but he didn’t speak.  
Hydreigon roared loudly, making me have to swallow my heart back down my throat in order to breathe.  
My Pokemon growled back at the Dragon, though more reluctantly than before.  
My eyes remained on Hydreigon before turning back to Ruko. “I’m sure your Pokemon are tough, but I’ll beat every last one of them! I won’t lose to a Trainer like you! Not again! My Pokemon are raised with love and care, and I wouldn’t trade a single one of them for any Pokemon in the world!” At that moment, I was hit with a memory.  
My Beedrill.   
I’d traded him away for a Seadra in order to help a girl evolve her. The evolution went through, but then an attack by Team Solace destroyed the trade machine, and the girl ran away in fear with my Beedrill, leaving me with her Kingdra.  
I closed my eyes. This was a thought I was haunted by for a long time, and though I had never forgotten my Beedrill, it was a moment in time I had learned to live with better. I’ll win this battle for you, Beedrill, I thought. My eyes opened and I turned to my Pokemon.  
They were all staring back at me.  
I nodded firmly.  
“Unfezant!” Unfezant flapped his wings from the ground.  
“Bell!! Bell!!” Weepinbell bounced strongly.  
“Triooooo!!” Dugtrio told me determinedly.  
“Sawk!” Sawk said firmly, his hands at his sides.  
“Bliiim!” Drifblim reached her appendages towards me.  
I smiled at my Pokemon. Yeah, I nodded again. We’ll win this one together. I turned to Ruko, who was staring back at me silently. My smile faded away and I grabbed my Poke Balls in my hands. “Return!”  
“Come on back, everybody!” June recalled her Pokemon.  
“Come back, now!” Ella said quickly, retrieving her Pokemon.  
“Return, team!” Ruko said loudly. She stared at me with a mix of anger and determination. “I never claimed to be the greatest Pokemon Trainer in the world, you know, Gary.”  
I didn’t know how to respond, so I just stayed quiet, focusing on Ruko.  
“I just want to own the greatest Pokemon out there, and use them how I feel comfortable,” Ruko went on. “I own about seventy or so Pokemon, on my own, that I captured with my Pokemon. This isn’t counting the ones I traded for. And I love them all, too! Pokemon are really cool, and the journey with them has been tons of fun. And the memories are deepened by the many trades I’ve made. I won’t let you talk to me how you’ve done just now. You talk about how the way I raise Pokemon is so wrong, but the way you’re treating me is what’s wrong, Gary! I have a right to make trades, when I want, with whoever I want, and for whatever reasons I want! I’m me, and you’re you! I can make my own decisions with my Pokemon and I have the right to! I’m not my mommy’s little baby boy anymore, and you’re not my dad! I’m my own person, now! You-!”  
“WAIT!” My eyes nearly bulged out of my head as I looked at Ruko and waved my arms frantically. “Hold on a second, Ruko!”  
“What?” Ruko asked with wide eyes.  
I opened my mouth, but I couldn’t think up a way to say what I was thinking in a respectful enough manner, and my mouth closed.  
“Ruko, you’re a boy…?” June stepped closer to me, saying what I had been trying to say, squinting at Ruko.  
Courtney also walked over, stopping at my other side, staring at Ruko like some kind of alien.  
“Wait, what?” Ella stared at Ruko in shock. “Really? I mean, well, really??”  
Ruko burst out laughing and leaned back, wrapping his or her arms around his or her stomach. He or she brushed aside his or her long hair as he or she leaned forward and then stood up straight. “Aw, man! This is too funny! Everyone always gets confused. Believe it or not, I’m a dude, y’all!” Ruko laughed again.  
The planet started spinning rapidly, and I felt like I was bound to fall into the grass beneath me, face-first.  
“Really, Ruko??” June asked in disbelief.  
“I wouldn’t lie about that!” Ruko smiled at June.  
“So… You’re girlfriend…” I started.  
Ruko laughed louder than ever. “Oh, wow! Let me explain, please! I’m intersexual!”  
Nobody had anything to say as we all looked at Ruko in confusion.  
Ruko sighed and shook his head, continuing to smile at us. “Basically… The biology of my person is reminiscent of both genders, so I don’t really fit in just one category alone, though, it’s reeeeally a lot more complex than that,” he smiled at us. “I wasn’t fully sure about how I identified myself at first. When I began my journey, I felt that I was a girl, but I’ve come to realize that that was society telling me that just because I like this color, or am interested in certain things, that I was a girl, but that’s just stupid. I’ve come to define for myself who I am by spending time exploring this big, beautiful world as a Pokemon Trainer, and I now feel like I am more in connection with a male, but, I don’t mind if you think of me as a female. As long as we’re all friends, here, okay?”  
Nobody said anything.  
“I always thought you were a boy,” Trixa said.  
Ruko turned to Trixa, laughing.  
I suddenly wished I had however much money it would cost to purchase a rocket to fly as far away from Trixa as I could possibly go. I didn’t even want a space suit.  
“So, now that that’s out of the way, you still want that six-on-six battle, Gary?” Ruko asked me.  
My eyes widened. “Yes! Please!” I glared at Ruko. “Are you ready?”  
“You bet, Gar-bear!” Ruko smiled and nodded.   
“No surprise anymore, I’m judging…” June said as she walked over to us.  
Ruko and I took several steps apart from each other.  
“This will be a six-on-six match between Ruko and Gary,” June declared. “Whoever loses all of their Pokemon, is out! Substitutions are allowed, and there’s no time limit. Begin the battle!”  
“Hydreigon, here it goes!” Ruko threw his Poke Ball.  
This ball was in a strange pattern I didn’t recognize and didn’t get a good look at before it revealed the Pokemon inside.  
“Hydreigooooonnn!” Hydreigon growled in a deep voice.  
Figures, I thought angrily, glaring at his intimidating Pokemon. He would start with that thing! My eyebrows furrowed even more. And? Who cares?? I can beat any Pokemon he owns! I have to! But what do I start off with to beat a Dark and Dragon type like this? Drifblim… No way. Elgyem… No. Weepinbell against a Dragon? I can’t. Unfezant? Dugtrio? Not against that obvious flyer. And then Sawk… I grabbed a Poke Ball and gripped it tight. We can do it. We’ll battle the way Ruko can’t. As a team. He doesn’t have the bond with his Pokemon to win like that! “Sawk, I’m starting off with you!! LET’S DO THIS!!”  
“Sawk!” Sawk stood up and bowed before his opponent.  
Hydreigon roared back at him.  
Sawk relaxed his body and took a karate pose.  
“Feel free to have the first move, Gary,” Ruko smiled at me.  
I hesitated, looking up at Hydreigon. My teeth grit tightly and I glared at my opponent. “Alright!” I pulled out my Pokedex and checked out Sawk’s information. “Hmm.” I nodded. “Right! I think I get the moves.” I looked up at Sawk. “Let’s knock that thing down with Close Combat!”  
Sawk ran forward with a strong call and leaped into the air. He spun in place and kicked his foot out, knocking Hydreigon right in the middle head. As Hydreigon roared from its top head and fell to the ground, Sawk sent out a flurry of punches and kicks all the way down and then landed next to the fallen foe.  
“Wow! That was incredible!” Ruko commended us.  
Just stay down, I thought angrily, my eyes on Hydreigon. Don’t get up!  
“Now use Outrage!” Ruko said.  
Everyone gasped, including me.  
“Not Outrage!” Courtney uttered.  
Hydriegon’s wings remained essentially motionless as it ascended into the air. Its eyes were now glowing red, and its body was outlined in red. With a roar that made me stumble back against my will, Sawk looking up in shock, Hydreigon flew forward.  
“Sawk, get out of the way!” I yelled.  
Hydreigon was an enormous, dark bullet as it shot forward and tackled Sawk.  
“Saaaawk!” Sawk tumbled along the ground helplessly and stopped, his face in the grass.  
“Sawk, get up! We’ve got this one!” I begged him.  
“He’s out…” June said softly.  
“That’s not possible!” I raged at June. What I had wanted to scream was, “Shut up!” I held it in and managed to change the words around right before they came out.  
June stared back at me with pity. “I’m sorry, but Sawk is unable to fight, Gary.”  
“But… But…” I swallowed and looked down at Sawk. He still hadn’t budged from where he landed. “It was just one hit…” I already felt bad about this battle.   
“That was a good start, Gary! I could tell that Close Combat took a lot out of Hydreigon!” Ruko nodded with a big smile.  
He isn’t being condescending at all, I realized as I looked at Ruko’s face. He’s being sincere. He isn’t being a jerk to me or anything. He’s just got a really positive, good sportsmanship-like attitude. He’s a good kid… I felt bad about how I’d treated Ruko, and how I’d thought of him. I may not agree with his way of doing things, but that doesn’t mean he’s a bad person. I closed my eyes for a moment before looking at Sawk. “Sawk, you did your best. Come on back!” I returned him and slipped my Pokedex into my pocket as I stared at the Dragon type that roared and circled the air above us. Alright. Let’s see it take on another flyer, then, I thought as I grabbed Unfezant’s Poke Ball. “Unfezant, it’s up to you!” I threw his Poke Ball.  
“Fezaaaaaaaaant!!” Unfezant cawed threateningly.  
“HYDREEEIIIGOOOON!!” Hydreigon roared back, and then flew for Unfezant.  
“Unfezant, fly above and then hit with Air Slash!”  
“Fezant!” Unfezant flapped his wings and flew high into the air.  
“HYYYYY!!” Hydreigon turned sharply, not losing track of Unfezant, and flew straight up after my bird.  
“Unfeeez!!” Unfezant squawked in shock as he looked down and realized that the Dragon type was right behind him. “FEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZ!!!” Unfezant was slammed into by Hydreigon and thrown off course, immediately tumbling for the ground.  
“UNFEZANT!” I screamed.  
“FEZ!” Unfezant’s scream was short as he crashed into the ground.  
“Unfezant, don’t give in! Get up! GET UP!!” I screamed shrilly, and my foot slammed angrily to the ground.  
June’s hand rose to her mouth as she stared at Unfezant.  
Trixa’s hands rose to her cheeks, her mouth wide, staring at Unfezant with a stunned look.  
“Uuuuunnn…” Unfezant moaned weakly and his head lifted, his body shaking painfully.  
“Unfezant?” I gasped.  
June gasped, shaking her head. She caught my stare and froze, staring back at me.  
“Unfezant is still up!” Trixa pointed.  
“Yeah! I remember that Unfezant! That one just keeps on going!” Ruko said with excitement. “That thing is the toughest Pokemon I may have ever seen! Man! I want that one! You think we could trade, Gary? Pleeeeeeeease??”  
I looked up at Ruko, but I didn’t answer him. My eyes lowered back to my Pokemon, and I met with his eyes. “Unfezant.”  
“Unfez…” Unfezant said weakly, struggling to stand up on his talons. His wings were bent, pushing himself up, and he stumbled forward a few steps. He kept his eyes on me, breathing heavily, looking ready to collapse at any second. “Unfezaaaaant!!” He stretched his wings and stood bravely, trying to show me that he was just fine.  
But, no.  
I smiled at Unfezant before looking up at Ruko. “Not for any Pokemon roaming this planet, Ruko.” I looked back to my Unfezant and nodded.  
“Fez?” My Pokemon’s eyes widened and then relaxed. “Fezant…” Unfezant smiled back. He let out a cry as his eyes closed tight, and he dropped flat.  
“Whoa! What happened to it?” Ruko gasped.  
“Unfezant is unable to battle!” June said, smiling at me. “Hydreigon wins!”  
“Wow! I thought it could still go on!” Ruko laughed. “Alright! Let’s see what’s gonna be next!”  
“You bet,” I nodded at him. “Thanks Unfezant. Thank you very much, in more than one way.” I returned him to his Poke Ball. But, now what do I do? I wondered, looking at the raging Hydreigon. Dugtrio’s no good for this kind of opponent. Elgyem can’t face this type of Pokemon, either. Weepinbell might not hold up well against this kind of type, either. Dragons can do too many different types of moves! It’s unfair! And then there’s… Hmmm. I grabbed a Poke Ball. “I know you’ll do just fine! Weepinbell, I’m going with you!”  
“Bell! Bell! Bell!” Weepinbell bounced repeatedly.  
“Weepinbell, it’s time to do this! Start off with Stun Spore to keep that thing still!”   
“Shake off that Confusion and let’s counter that with Scary Face!” Ruko commanded.  
That was when I saw that Hydreigon was no longer outlined in red, but its eyes were still glowing. It was Confused!  
“Bell!” Weepinbell leaned his gaping mouth towards Hydreigon.  
Hydreigon looked at Weepinbell and opened its jaws wide. Its eyes narrowed and it appeared as if its face had quadrupled in size!! Fangs extended from its jaws and reached out far from its mouth, and a purple tongue slid out, layered in yellow saliva. The grotesque tongue whipped at the fangs that were now dripping in a white, thick liquid. Hydreigon roared.  
I screamed and fell to my knees, covering my head, ducking down in absolute terror.  
I heard June shriek, as well as Courtney, Ella, and Trixa.  
“Draco Meteor!” Ruko ordered.  
“Wh-wh-wh-what?” I stammered, slowly lifting my head.  
June had her hands over her chest, staring up at Hydreigon with horror.  
Trixa was nowhere in sight.  
Ella looked frozen on the spot from where she stood, a petrified look on her face.  
Courtney was shaking in place, several feet further from me than she had been just a moment ago.  
I shakily got to my feet, trying to focus on the battle and not the shock I was going through from Hydreigon’s Scary Face, but my heart was hurting with each beat it took, and it felt like it was going at one billion beats per second!  
Hydreigon’s face now looked normal again, no longer a deformed, monstrous demon ready to devour us all in one bite, and it roared and opened its mouth, a bright orange sphere of energy charging inside of it.   
The sphere was fired up into the air, where it flew higher and higher before exploding loudly and raining down spheres of energy that looked like meteors. The attack slammed into the ground, causing explosions and smoke around Weepinbell as he cried out.  
I backed up, startled by the attack.  
When it was all over, Weepinbell was on his back, knocked out cold.  
“Weepinbell is out, and Hydreigon wins,” June said firmly, her shoulders slumped.  
“Alright! Looking good so far! I still can’t believe I beat your Unfezant!” Ruko bounced excitedly. “I can’t wait to see what you’ve got planned for me next! You can do it, Gary!”  
Oh, shut up, I thought grumpily. Maybe he really is being condescending. Or maybe I’m just pissed I’m losing this badly… I took a deep breath. You’ve gotta keep a cool head about this, Gary. Relax. This isn’t over! This… may be over, actually… But it doesn’t matter! I gripped Weepinbell’s Poke Ball tightly. I won’t give in. “Weepinbell, return!” I said determinedly, and I snatched up my next Poke Ball. Win or lose, we do this together, as a team! “Drifblim, you’re up next, girl!”   
“Bliiim! Bliiiiiiimmm!” Drifblim hovered in the air.  
Alright, we’ve got this one, I smirked, staring at Hydreigon. “Drifblim, catch that thing with Thunder Wave attack! Let’s get it!”  
“Bliiiiiiiiimmmm!!” Drifblim raised her appendages and pointed them at Hydreigon as they sparked with light blue electricity.  
“Hydreigon, out of the way and use Crunch!” Ruko told her Pokemon.  
“Bliiiim!” Drifblim fired with Thunder Wave.  
The red in Hydreigon’s eyes vanished, and it was no longer Confused. With a roar, it soared above the Thunder Wave.  
“Blim! Blim! Bliiiim!” Driflblim kept trying to catch Hydreigon with Thunder Wave, but Hydreigon was too swift, dodging left, right, above, and under the attacks.  
“Now go in for Crunch attack!”  
“BLIIIIIMM!!” Drifblim shouted.  
“HYDREIGON!” Hydreigon roared. It flew at Drifblim. “DREEEEEIIII!!!” Hydreigon grit its teeth together as it was finally hit by the Thunder Wave, stuck in the air just a couple of inches away from Drifblim. Its jaws opened wide as it roared. Suddenly, its jaws glowed white. “HYDREIGON!!” It bit into Drifblim with Crunch attack.  
Drifblim’s body flashed white where she was bit, alerting me to the Critical Hit.   
A loud, haunting, terrible shriek I rarely got to hear from Drifblim hit my ears, causing me to shiver with fright for a moment, and I immediately feared the worst.  
Drifblim dropped.  
“Drifblim is out…” June choked out the words. “I… I… I can’t believe it…”  
“Gary! What are you doing out there??” Ella screamed out.  
I couldn’t look away from my Drifblim. This wasn’t making any sense at all. My Drifblim was out from one hit?! No! “No. No! NO! That’s… my Drifblim. She can’t be…” I closed my eyes, unable to take what I was seeing. My Drifblim is tougher than that! She’s taken the worst of the worst hits! This isn’t right! This isn’t fair! Hot tears were burning my eyes at this point. Not my Drifblim, too! No! No!  
“Blim?”  
I opened my eyes immediately and wiped at the tears in them. “Drifblim?”  
Drifblim was looking towards me, her eyes filled with tears. “Blim…”  
I have to be strong, I immediately knew. For my Pokemon. They know when I’m upset. They know when I’m happy. They’re me. And I’m them. We’re one.   
“Blim…” Drifblim looked down sadly, avoiding my stare.  
Everything we go through, good or bad, we go through, together, I told myself. Every win is a win for us all. Every loss is a loss for us all, too. But… My tongue ran across my lips, and a smile crossed my face.  
“Blim…?” Drifblim looked back up at me, tears rolling down her face.  
“We go through it all, together, right?”  
“Blim… Blim?” she replied.  
“No matter what happens, we know that we did our best, and we come back better than ever, each and every time. Nothing to regret. We cry together. We laugh together. We win, and we lose; together. But we never give up, right? We give every fight everything we’ve got, every time. And this fight is far from over. The results don’t matter. It’s about how hard we tried. You tried your best, and that’s all I could ever ask for. Now, let’s stay positive for Elgyem and Dugtrio, alright?”  
“Blim… Blim…” Drifblim seemed a little bit uplifted and slightly happier by my words, but then, her eyes closed and she slumped against the ground.  
I nodded, my smile fading, and I held out her Dusk Ball. “Rest well, girl. You did great.” My next Poke Ball was in my hand quickly. “Elgyem, let’s give this a try…” I threw his Poke Ball with little energy. This isn’t going to work, I thought. We can’t do Psychic moves. That Hydreigon is taking out everybody with one hit. What do I do?  
“Elgyem!” Elgyem cried out.  
I took out my Pokedex again to check out Elgyem’s other moves, but none of them looked like they would do much against Hydreigon. Wait. My eyes lit up. Hydreigon’s not a Flying type… “Simple Beam, now!”   
“Hydreigon, use your Crunch again!” Ruko repeated.  
“HYDREIGON!!” Hydreigon roared and opened its jaws as it flew for Elgyem.  
Elgyem raised a hand and the dots blinked on it.  
Hydreigon’s jaws flashed white. “DREIGON!” It bit into Elgyem.  
“ELGYYYYYYYYY!!” Elgyem screamed painfully, trapped in the jaws of the vicious looking Pokemon. His eyes closed tight, a tan colored beam flew from his hand and hit Hydreigon in the middle head.  
Hydreigon dropped to the ground and then release its victim, and Elgyem fell.  
“Elgyem’s out, and Hydreigon wins again.” June shoved her hands into her blue jeans pockets and kept her head down.  
“One more to go! Get ready for the last Pokemon, Hydreigon,” Ruko warned.  
“Gary, are you even trying?” Ella walked over to me, shaking her head at me, disbelief on her face. “What is wrong with you, Gary? Fight! Why are you battling like this?”  
“Ella, I am trying!” Her words had stung me deeply. It was bad enough that I was losing badly, but now this beautiful angel was accusing me of not even trying??? Talk about a low blow!!  
“It sure doesn’t look like it!” Ella said moodily. “Is there something wrong with your Pokemon or something?”  
My heart was now beating in a way it never had for Ella. My heart was beating quickly, in anger. She was actually starting to tick me off, for the first time ever. “Ella, please. You’re not helping right now. I’m not trying to lose, here! He’s just… really has some powerful Pokemon.”  
“What does that matter, Gary? I thought you could beat him! I thought it was about more than power! What’s June been following you around all this time for? Aren’t you like her teacher? Don’t you have anything to show? To teach us?”  
Time froze in that moment.   
Ella’s words were deep. Powerful. Inspiring.  
I turned to June.  
She was staring back at us, a surprised look on her face.  
“You’re Juni’s teacher?!” Ruko asked with great surprise.  
My eyes shut with frustration. “I’m… I’m just a kid from Pallet Town!” I said loudly. “I’m not anyone’s teacher! I’ve still got a lot to learn, including how to build the bond with my Pokemon! I’m nothing more than that, despite how June may feel, or anybody else! I just know that I respect my Pokemon and all that they go through. They do it just for me, and I’d do anything for them in return. I believe that kind of a bond between Pokemon and Trainer can beat all other ways to raise Pokemon! Using Pokemon you like, not just what’s strong! Figuring what Pokemon best works for you! Making friends with them all! It can’t always be about winning. There needs to be a balance. I can’t even express my feelings the way they swim through my heart, but I believe in what I feel. It doesn’t make me right, but it’s something to go by as I continue to learn and grow. With that in my heart, I can’t lose to you, Ruko!” I opened my eyes and turned to my Pokemon. “Elgyem, return!” My serious eyes focused on Ruko.  
Ruko’s eyes lit up and he smiled with delight. “YES! I guess it’s time to rumble! Let’s go, Gary!”  
We’ll win this one, I told myself. We’ll defeat Ruko for the first time. Today. We’ll do this for our beliefs. We’ll do this together, as a team. I grabbed Dugtrio’s Poke Ball tightly in my hand. We’ll win this battle for Ruko’s Starter he traded away. His Oshawott. “Dugtrio, it’s all on you! GO!”  
“Trio! Trio! Trio!” Dugtrio sang.  
“Awwww, man! Here we go!”  
“Dugtrio, Dig attack, now!”  
“Earthquake, right away!”  
“NO! DON’T!” I screamed.  
Dugtrio was underground before I had even opened my mouth to speak.  
“Hydreigon!!” Hydreigon jumped and then slammed down to the ground, quaking the entire area.  
We all screamed as we fell, unable to keep our balance against the amazing strength of Hydreigon. When the attack ended, we all were moaning on the ground, dizzy and worn out.  
Something popped up from underground. “Trio…” My beaten Dugtrio groaned.  
“HA! I WON! I can’t believe this! I really did it!” Ruko cheered, jumping to his feet.  
“But… My Simple Beam…” I mumbled as I sat up, tears beginning to build up in my eyes. My plan had completely failed. “Return…” I said in a voice just above a whisper, and I retrieved my Dugtrio. My knees slid together and I rested my forehead against them with a sigh. My eyes closed.  
“Hydreigon, you’re really great! I love you so much! Excellent job out there, man! Ha ha!” Ruko laughed. “That was crazy!! Come on back for some well deserved rest, alright?”  
I heard his brutal Pokemon get returned, and I looked up.  
Ruko turned to me and walked over. He extended his hand to me. “You alright, Gar-bear?”  
I sighed and, using a lot of strength from within me, I forced myself to grab his hand, pulling myself to my feet. “You did awesome, Ruko. Great battle.” I don’t know how I managed that small smile to my face as I shook his hand.  
“Hey, man, thanks! You did awesome, too!” Ruko shook my hand with vigor. “Thanks for the battles! You’re so cool!”  
“Yeah, well, sorry for getting a little short-tempered with you,” I apologized. “It wasn’t right. I was just being sour about stuff.”  
“Don’t worry about that, Gary. We just have different ways of looking at things, that’s all. Doesn’t mean we can’t still be friends, right?”  
“Yeah!”  
“Where’s Trixa?” Ella asked, her arms crossed in front of her.  
Courtney was surprisingly close by me compared to where I had seen her last time, and June was standing in the same spot where she had been judging the battle.  
“Trixa?” June called, looking in the spot Trixa had been at when the battle had been taking place.  
Trixa’s head poked out from behind a tree very far away from where she had been standing. “Is that scary dragon monster gone, now?” she called out to us. “That face it made nearly made me pass out…”  
What a tragedy that would have been, I thought sarcastically with a sigh.  
A shrill, sharp BEEEP! rang out repeatedly from somewhere near us.   
“Oh, that’s me!” Ruko lifted his wrist and I saw his huge watch. Up close, I could see that it was purple with a pink wristband. The screen was a bright white. He pressed the sides of the watch and a face appeared on it! “Hey, Nami!”  
A very cute girl was on Ruko’s watch, smiling up at him. Her black hair looked fluffy and was a mess, as if she’d just woken up. She looked like she was in a room. “Hey, baby! Where are you? I’m getting ready right now.”  
“Okay, cool! I’m not that far. I’ll meet you there, okay?” Ruko told the girl.  
“Okay, then. I love you.” Nami blew a kiss.  
Ruko blew one back. “I love you, too, babe. See ya soon!”  
The screen on Ruko’s watch went dark.  
“What is that?” I asked.  
“This? Just my Xtransceiver,” Ruko answered simply.  
“So that’s an Xtransceiver? I thought it was just a watch…”  
“Well, it does tell time, but it allows me to make and receive calls with multiple people at once, has internet access, cool apps for games and stuff, and it’s just really convenient! My parents bought it for me as a gift when I left on my journey!”  
“That’s a really good gift,” Courtney commented, and I nodded.  
“Thanks! Well, I guess I gotta go!” Ruko smiled at us all. “Gary, thanks again! I’m headed off to Interough City to meet up with my girlfriend. That was her. My love, Naminette. It’s so great seeing you all again! Good luck, and I hope to see you guys at the Conference! Bye!” He turned away from us ran down the cement road.  
“RUKO!” June called after him.  
Ruko came to a stop. “Hey! What’s up, Juni?”  
“Before you go, please! I wanna battle you!”  
Everyone turned to June in shock.  
“Oh, wow. That sounds nice, but, I kinda don’t have a ton of time on me,” Ruko said, maintaining his smile. “I mean, I could if it’s really quick…”  
“One-on-one. No time limit,” June insisted. “I just want to see something, okay?”  
“Okay, then!” Ruko agreed. “A one-on-one battle.”  
Both trainers faced each other in the middle of the concrete path.  
Ella and Courtney stood on either side of me, watching intently.  
Trixa hid behind her tree again, peeking out at the match.  
“Electivire, I choose you!” June threw her Poke Ball.  
“Electivire?” I gasped.  
“Oh, my goodness!” Ella gasped.  
“Is she serious?” Courtney whispered.  
“Oh, no! Looks like I’m definitely about to lose, now! Ha ha ha! Juni brought out the big guns!” Ruko grabbed an Ultra Ball and tossed it. “Then I’ll go for power, too! Rampardos!”  
Rampardos let out a loud, growling cry.  
“Electivire…” Electivire’s fists sparked as he punched them together, sneering at Rampardos.  
“Rampardos, one of the most powerful physical Pokemon on Earth, versus June’s Electivire,” Ella noted. “Why is June doing this?”  
“This is going to be interesting, for sure,” I said solemnly. “Ruko’s going with one of the ancients that have been running wild, terrorizing Unova.”  
“You have a Rampardos?!” I had screamed in shock earlier today when Ruko had sent out his six Pokemon, revealing that he owned a Rampardos.  
“That’s right!” Ruko responded proudly. “It’s one of the ancient Pokemon that have been in the news lately that mysteriously appeared in Unova. I found it a couple of weeks ago in the woods, running into trees and toppling them over. A quick battle later, I owned me a cool Rampardos! It’s a great battler, too! I’m sure I can make a fantastic trade off of it!”  
I had been too shocked at the time that Ruko had actually captured one of the released ancient Pokemon to erupt in a rage at his words.  
“You’re welcome to go first, Juni,” Ruko offered.  
“Thanks! Electivire, use Thunder Punch!” June chose.  
“Rampardos, slam into the ground with Earthquake and wrap this battle up!”  
Electivire ran quick and pulled back a sparking fist, ready to slug Rampardos.  
Ramparados cried out as it was hit with an uppercut, and the Pokemon toppled over, landing heavily.  
“Is Electivire listening to June?” Ella asked in shock. “That was Thunder Punch!”  
“Yeah, but I don’t think he’s listening,” I deduced. “I think June just got lucky this once. That punch was freaking good, too. That took it straight down!”  
“It’s not over, yet,” Courtney said sharply. “That was just one hit.”  
“That’s all it took for Gary’s Pokemon to go down,” Ella brought up. “Why can’t Ruko’s Pokemon go down that easily, too?”  
I stared at Ella from the corner of my eye. Seriously, Ella? I thought, my heart beating faster. You really had to say that?  
Rampardos got to its feet.  
“TIVIIIIRE!!” Electivire raged.  
Rampardos shouted back.  
“Electivire, one more Thunder Punch, and really let him have it!” June said seriously.  
“VIIIIIIRE!!” Electivire zapped Rampardos with Thunder.  
“There he goes again…” I muttered.  
“Electivire, just listen to me! I know you’re tough enough to beat him, but how about we do this as a team for a change?” June pleaded with her Pokemon. “You and I-AAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!” June was forced down flat on her face, her body sparking with electricity as Electivire sent a jolt at her. Most of her hair was still in the air from the first time she got zapped, and the few strands that she had managed to get down joined the rest of her hair again.  
“Whyyy are you using that thing?” Ella called out to June desperately.   
Electivire ran to Rampardos and swiftly kicked at one of his legs, tripping him to the ground.  
“He’s beating him up really good,” I mentioned. “At least, I think he is. Electivire’s landed a lot of hits. Maybe he can actually win this.”  
“Rampardos, it’s our turn already. Do that Earthquake!” Ruko demanded.  
“E-E-E-Electivire…” June was on her knees, looking up helplessly at her Pokemon. The look on her face was heartbreaking.  
Poor June, I thought. Her Electivire is just… Too much for her to handle…  
“Tivire!” Electivire raised his foot to Low Kick Rampardos again.  
Rampardos grunted angrily and slammed his head upwards into Electivire’s face.  
“Viiiire!” Electivire grabbed his head and stumbled backwards, whining painfully.  
That was the first time I’d seen Electivire react like that during a Pokemon battle. Or ever!  
Rampardos stood up and roared, and he slammed his foot down, rocking the ground hard.  
We all were floored easily from the powerful Earthquake.  
“VIIIIIIIRE!!” Electivire slid along the ground on his back.  
“Electivire!” June pushed herself shakily to her feet as the attack subsided and she stared at her Pokemon. “Electivire, are you alright?” She ran to her Pokemon’s side and knelt down. One hand rubbed Electivire’s massive muscle on his arm, while her other hand rubbed his forehead where he’d been Headbutted. She sighed. “Okay. Sorry you had to go through that, Electivire. Thanks for trying.” She held up her hand that contained Electivire’s Poke Ball and pressed the middle button to enlarge it.  
Electivire’s huge, open palm swung fast and shoved June in the face. “VIRE!” Electivire growled viciously as he got to his feet.  
June cried out as she was thrown back, and her Poke Ball rolled along the ground.  
Ella grabbed my wrist with her hands. “June! Oh, my gosh! I can’t believe Electivire just did that to her!”  
Electivire stomped over to Rampardos, picking up speed with every step until he was running at him, roaring powerfully, his entire body sparking brightly. “ELECTIVIIIIIIIIIRRRRRE!!!”  
“That thing is out of control!” Ruko shouted in anger, his fists tight at his sides. “Enough is enough! Rampardos, get ready!”  
Rampardos lowered his head, growling.  
Electivire pulled back a sparking fist.  
Ruko’s eyes narrowed further, focusing on the ground in front of Electivire.  
“I’m scared!” Courtney wrapped her arms around me in a hug and buried her face against my shoulder.  
“VIRE!” Electivire was just a few steps away.  
“Stomp forward into a duck, now!” Ruko told her Pokemon.  
Rampardos raised his foot and took a hard Stomp forward, leaning his body down, and Electivire’s Thunder Punch swung right over his head.  
“VIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRRRE!!!” Electivire’s eyes bulged and he screamed, struggling to move back! “VIRE!!! VIRE!!!”  
Rampardos had his foot on top of Electivire’s!  
“It used Stomp on Electivire’s foot!” Ella gasped.  
My mouth was wide open in amazement. That’s incredible! That wasn’t some strategy from another Trainer he just used. Ruko thought that up on his own…  
June climbed to her feet, sniffling, her now red face coated in tears.  
“Now, Iron Head!” Ruko instructed her Pokemon.  
The blue dome on Rampardos’ forehead turned to silver metal.  
“VIRE!! VIRE!! VIIIIRE!!” Electivire was struggling to free his foot from under the Stomp attack Rampardos used on it, but he couldn’t escape. His arms spun around wildly.  
Rampardos shouted out and lifted his foot, freeing Electivire, and at the same time, he jabbed his head into Electivire’s stomach with Iron Head.  
“VIIIIIIIIIIIIIRRRRRRRRRRE!!!!” Electivire flew backwards and directly into June, knocking her back down.  
“JUNE!” Ruko, me, Ella, and Courtney yelled, and we ran to her.  
Even Trixa ran from behind the tree she had been hiding behind to help June.  
Electivire moaned weakly, his eyes closed. He had clearly lost the battle.  
“Return…” June said weakly from underneath Electivire.  
I reached June first and extended my hand to her.  
Ella and Courtney went to either side of her to help June to her feet.  
June gripped my hand and grunted as she tried to pull herself up, but couldn’t, so she gripped me with both hands and, grunting even harder, with the help of Courtney and Ella, and Trixa who helped June from behind, she was able to stand up.  
“Are you okay, Juni?” Ruko asked June.  
June sighed, tears still rolling down her face. “No,” she whispered, shaking her head. “I’m really not, to be honest.”  
“Is something broken? Do you need a hospital?” Trixa asked.  
“No, I’m fine, physically, okay?” June hobbled away from us and stood by herself.  
“You’re walking like you’re in pain,” Trixa commented.  
“Trixa, just leave her alone!” I scolded her.  
“What did I do?” Trixa asked with a hurt look on her face.  
Ruko walked over to June. “Juni, I’m really sorry about that.”  
June smiled weakly, but she kept her face down, refusing to face Ruko. “You didn’t do anything wrong. This is all my fault. Don’t worry about it, okay? Thanks for battling me.”  
Ruko nodded sadly. “I hope I see you at the League.”  
“Definitely, Ruko,” June nodded at the ground below. “I’m sure of it. Good luck, okay?”  
“Yeah, and you, too,” Ruko said gently. “You know. With Electivire.”  
“Yeah.”  
Ruko looked at his Xtransciever and gasped. He turned to the rest of us with a big smile. “I’ve gotta be going, now! I hope to see you all at the Conference! BYE NOW!” He took off down the cement path, and soon, he was out of sight.  
I looked back at the group that was with me.  
Trixa, using her tongue to fish out something from her gums, her eyes in the sky.  
Ella, looking over at June, sadly.  
Courtney, her eyes focused on me.  
And June, her back to us, head down, hair extended outwards, shoulders shaking lightly as she cried lightly.  
All the while, there was me, thinking about Ruko and his incredibly powerful Pokemon that continued to embarrass me time after time.  
Battle after battle.  
Ruko was now on his way to Interough City, where the Unova League Conference was being held.  
Ella, Trixa, Courtney, June, and I would be in Interough City soon enough, as well.  
Ella, Trixa, Courtney, and I would be competing in the Interough Conference, for sure.  
And so would Ruko.  
I would never admit it openly, but this moment was the very first time I felt this worried about having to face a challenger. But, I also knew that there would be tons of other challengers at the Interough Conference who might be able to defeat Ruko.  
But, no.  
That’s not what I wanted.  
I had to be the one to defeat him.  
With my Pokemon.  
Somehow.  
Someway.  
My way.


	58. Solace As A Rock

“Interough City is in the opposite direction, behind us,” I pointed out on my Town Map. “However, Ghyst Town is right up ahead of us, after we get out of this town.”  
“We’ve still got a decent amount of time to get this Badge, and still travel a bit more before the Interough Conference begins,” Courtney stated, staring in her mirror, brushing her hair.  
“Well, I’m not wasting any time,” I told her. “I’m heading straight for Interough City after I win my final Badge and registering right away for the Interough Conference.” I looked up at the cloudless, afternoon sky, the sun beaming brightly and strongly, and I sighed as I remembered what nearly kept me from competing in the Pokemon League back in Kanto…  
My eighth Badge being a fake, and Courtney getting June and I purposely lost. My impatience to beat the eighth Gym Leader also led to a loss and wasted time, as well.  
“I don’t wanna waste anymore time,” Ella said impatiently. “Let’s get to this Gym already!”  
“Everyone ready to go?” Courtney smiled at her Pokemon.  
Courtney’s Maractus, Swoobat, Stoutland, Scraggy, Amoonguss, and Sceptile spoke eagerly to her and nodded.  
“Swooooobat!!” Swoobat cried excitedly. “Swoobat! Swoobat! Swoobat!” The remaining bit of fruit Swoobat was eating and holding with its feet slipped from its grasp and it tried to grab at it, but the fruit fell to the ground. “Swoobat!” Swoobat swooped down and lifted the fruit from the ground before shoving the rest of it in its mouth happily.  
Courtney laughed. “Swoobat, you’ve dropped that thing about twenty times in the past minute. You’re such a Klutz.”  
“So, when are we going to the Pokemon League?” Trixa was hopping around randomly.  
Her Panpour, Leavanny, and Pansear ran around playing tag with each other while Ducklett flew around in circles over Pignite’s head, making the piggy dizzy.  
Trixa’s Axew sat calmly and watched the others play with a small smile on its face.  
“Trixa!” I said angrily, scowling at her, and she stopped bouncing and looked at me with a smile, her eyes sparkling. “Only you and Courtney have all the Badges you need to compete in the League, okay? The rest of us don’t! You and Courtney can go off to Interough City if you’d like, but Ella and I have to get one more Badge.”  
“As if I’d leave you behind, Sugar Lumps,” Courtney said teasingly. “After all we’ve been through together, what kind of friend would I be to desert you at this point? We’re like family, you know? Hug!” She extended her arms and I groaned with exasperation as she squeezed me in a hug.  
I backed up a couple of steps after she finally let go of me and I stared at her curiously. “It’s certainly been something having you in our group,” I muttered.  
Courtney beamed and nodded in agreement. “That’s why I could never leave you, Gary!”   
Her choice of words left me feeling just slightly uncomfortable, as well as embarrassed.   
“Never say never,” June mumbled, looking away from us all.  
Courtney turned to June and snickered. “And, anyway, what about June?” Courtney asked with a sly smile. “If you and Ella are traveling together because you both need one more Badge, and Trixa and I go to Interough City since we have all of our Badges, what’s June gonna be doing?”  
My eyes widened and I straightened up as I shot June a quick glance.  
Ella giggled, smirking at June.  
“I’m traveling with Gary, as I’ve made it clear for far too long,” June snapped at Courtney.  
Courtney snickered. “Just as I figured,” she nodded.  
“What does that mean?” June asked in a low, threatening voice, looking ready to swing at Courtney.  
“Only what everybody and their mother knows, but you refuse to admit.” Courtney turned her back to June, maintaining her smile.  
“I-” June seemed frozen, her face flushing red. She turned to me and then quickly looked away. “What are you even talking about?” she leered at Courtney.  
Ella burst into laughter.  
Trixa had her eyes closed, mumbling a song that didn’t seem to have any real melody to it as she swayed back and forth, smiling.  
The familiar noise of a Pokemon being sent out from its Poke Ball reached my ears.  
“VIIIIRRRE!”  
All of us turned quickly with a mix of loud gasps to see Electivire’s body sparking, glaring at Shiftry.  
Shiftry was sitting by herself, away from Ella’s other Pokemon. She had been glaring at Ella dangerously for a while now, and hadn’t done anything else since being sent out except sit. With Electivire now out, Shiftry immediately jumped to her feet and snarled at him.  
“Juuuune!!” Ella wailed. “What do you think you’re doing??”  
“I didn’t!” June insisted. “He got out on his own! Electivire, stop this already!” Her face was a mix of anger and sadness. She looked exhausted just from seeing Electivire out of his Poke Ball.  
June’s Pikachu, Manectric, Lanturn, Blitzle, Ampharos, Vaporeon, Galvantula, and Magnezone had their heads lowered, shaking them pitifully over the continuous fighting between Electivire and Shiftry.  
Trixa’s Pokemon scurried away quickly, stopping in a line in front of their Trainer, watching Electivire and Shiftry frightfully, their faces matching their Trainer’s.  
Ella’s Deino, Cofagrigus, Braviary, Pachirisu, and Serperior backed up, away from the two foes, muttering amongst themselves as they stared angrily at them, seeming upset that their peace was now disrupted.  
Rotom and Drifblim had been floating in the air together by the side of the Pokemon Center the rest of us were all standing by, Rotom chattering with a thrilled smile on its face while Drifblim looked away from it, her eyes closed and her face a rosy red. But now, both Rotom and Drifblim’s romantic moment was interrupted by Electivire and Shiftry’s situation, both Pokemon watching the rivals getting into yet another confrontation.  
My Unfezant, Sawk, Dugtrio, Elgyem, and Weepinbell sat together, their eyes on the situation taking place between Shiftry and Electivire.  
“Electi-!” June started to raise her hand with Electivire’s Poke Ball in it to recall Electivire.  
“Tiviiiiiiire!!” Electivire zapped the area, several bolts of lightning zipping across the ground.  
June cried out and backed away from the lightning, her Pokemon also moving out of the way.  
Trixa and her Pokemon screamed as they ran away, avoiding getting hit.  
Courtney and her team scattered in different directions to dodge the bolts.  
Me and my Pokemon also split up, managing to avoid any jolts.  
Ella ran several feet off to safety before looking back.  
Her Braviary took to the skies to stay safe, but her Cofagrigus, Deino, Shiftry, and Serperior screamed as they were hit by Electivire’s attack.  
Pachirisu was also hit by the shock, but he just glared at Electivire, not seeming to be bothered in any way.  
Deino, Cofagrigus, and Serperior collapsed.  
Shiftry shook her head hard but stood her ground, panting hard as she glared at Electivire.  
Pachirisu kept his angry eyes on Electivire and yelled at him, jumping in the air repeatedly like a rabid bunny.  
Electivire looked down at Pachirisu silently.  
“SHIIIIIIIIFT!!!” Shiftry raised her arms and performed Leaf Storm, causing a creation of leaves to fly at Electivire.  
Electivire’s fists burst into flames and he walked quickly towards Shiftry, swinging rapidly at the leaves that flew towards him. Groups of leaves were destroyed with each swing, Electivire smiling the entire time as he walked towards Shiftry easily.  
Shiftry’s eyes widened and she let out a low gasp.  
“VIRE!!” Electivire leaped at Shiftry and pulled back a fist to attack with Fire Punch.  
“Shiftry, come back!” Ella returned her Pokemon.  
Electivire lowered his fist and the fire around it went out. He looked around angrily. “Vire?” His eyes stopped on Ella.  
Ella’s eyes widened at Electivire and she lifted her foot to take a step back.  
“VIIIRRE!!!” Electivire roared, and he electrocuted Ella.  
Ella screamed and eventually dropped, her hair now standing up as her body sparked electricity.  
“Ella!” I ran to her side and knelt down. “Ella, are you okay?”  
“I r-r-r-really d-d-d-d-don’t l-like th-this f-f-f-f-f-feeling…” Ella moaned.  
“Return, Electivire!” June yelled as she called back her Pokemon. She turned to Ella. “Ella, I’m so sorry.” She walked towards Ella.  
“I don’t wanna hear it right now, June!” Ella barked, pushing herself to her feet. “I’ve had about enough of that damn thing zapping everyone!”  
Everyone stared at Ella silently.  
“June, I’m sorry, but I can’t deal with this any further!” Ella said, unable to calm down at this point. “Deal with that thing, already! My Pokemon will not be bullied by anyone’s Pokemon! This is not fair! I’m not tolerating it any further!”  
“What’s wrong with your Electivire, June?” Courtney asked with exasperation. “Don’t you think it might be beneficial to just tell us what’s up with it?”  
“No!” June shot at Courtney.  
“I really think that maybe you should consider what Courtney is advising, June.” Ella crossed her arms and tilted her head at June, her hair looking ridiculous sticking out like it was, but nothing could tarnish the natural beauty Ella displayed so effortlessly.  
“But…!” June turned to Ella.  
“I’m serious, June!” Ella said in a surprisingly strict voice, as if she were scolding a child. “Enough is enough, already! What-?”  
“Hey, Ella?” Trixa interrupted Ella.  
“Trixa, not now! Please!” Ella waved off Trixa, keeping her eyes on June. “I want to get to the bottom of this already.”  
“But, your Pokemon!” Trixa tried.  
“Trixa, please!” Ella said in a louder voice. “After June answers me!”  
“Ella, please!” June said to Ella. She glanced over at Courtney and then looked back at Ella. “I don’t want to talk about this right now.”  
“Now is the perfect time, June!” Ella begged. “Just tell us!”  
“She doesn’t want to tell me.” Courtney crossed her arms and stared solemnly at June. “It’s because I’m here that she doesn’t want to say what’s wrong. June hates me and doesn’t want me involved in her personal life. That’s it, isn’t it, June?”  
“No!” June snapped at Courtney. “I just-!”  
“ELLAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!” Trixa screamed loudly, jumping in place like a spoiled child.  
“WHAT?!” Ella burst out at Trixa. “WHAT DO YOU WANT, TRIXA?! I’m trying to get to the bottom of something very important, but you apparently have something faaaaar more important to discuss, so, please, interrupt this topic we were already on and let us know what in the world is so groundbreaking and crucial to our lives that the entire planet must stop for you!!” Ella was breathing heavily, giving Trixa a look that resembled a lion just one second before devouring his deer prey.  
I stared in shock at Ella, not believing that she had just completely lost it like that. I’d never seen this side of Ella before. It was terrifyingly beautiful in its own way.  
Ella looked infuriated and threatening, ready to slap the crap out of Trixa, and yet, harmless, as if she was trying so hard to appear dangerous, but it was too easy to see that she wasn’t capable of doing any real harm to anyone. Plus, her electrified hair was just silly.  
June and Courtney appeared taken back by Ella’s outburst.  
Trixa smiled at Ella, apparently unaware of how close she was to getting killed, if Ella was indeed capable of doing so. “How come your Pokemon that got hit by Electivire’s Thunderbolt are all hurt except for Pachirisu?”  
All eyes went to the collapsed collective of Pokemon on the ground.  
Deino, Cofagrigus, and Serperior were completely knocked out on the ground, sparks flying from their bodies.  
Pachirisu looked upon his beat up friends sadly and then turned to Ella. He let out a sad cry.  
“See? Pachirisu looks just fine,” Trixa said happily, swinging her arms around.  
“Probably because Pachirisu is Electric,” Courtney explained. “Electric types resist Electric moves, so they don’t get damaged as badly.”  
“But, it doesn’t look like it took any damage,” Trixa said, looking at Pachirisu.  
Braviary and Serperior glowed red before being returned to their Poke Balls, and Cofagrigus and Deino were next in line to be called back.   
Pachirisu looked up at Ella patiently before he was also returned.  
This was when I noticed the unique Poke Ball Ella held. I’d never seen anything like it.  
Her hands wrapped around it, blocking it from my vision before I could get a good look at the pink object. She stared silently at her hands closed around Pachirisu’s Poke Ball. “My Pachirisu is very special…” she whispered.  
Trixa’s arms stopped swinging. “Huh? I can’t hear you, Ella.”  
I turned around as I noticed June’s Pokemon being retreated back to their Poke Balls.  
She was on her knees, placing the Poke Balls in her bag. She looked up at Ella as she got to her feet, staring at her intently.  
Courtney also began retreating her Pokemon, and I followed suit. We both turned quietly to Ella.  
Trixa looked around and realized that her Pokemon were the only ones still out. “Wait, are we leaving already?” She returned her Pokemon. “Alright! Let’s go!” She walked past us.  
“Trixa!” everyone but Ella shouted.  
Trixa came to a stop and turned around. “What?”  
Ella sighed, still staring at her hands holding Pachirisu’s Poke Ball. “I used to live with my mother and father, together. Me, my parents, and Pachirisu.”  
My eyes widened at her words, my mouth opening slightly. She’s had Pachirisu since before she was a Pokemon Trainer? I thought.  
“The day I had told my mom I wanted to become a Pokemon Trainer, she told me I could take Pachirisu with me,” Ella told us. “It was that day that she shared a story with me. A story about my birth. And a story about Pachirisu.”  
Trixa drew closer to Ella with wide, innocent eyes, resembling a young child being told a fantastic fairytale.  
“It doesn’t make any sense, but, my mother swears Pachirisu came to her in a dream,” Ella practically mumbled. “The night before she went into labor, she claims he was sent to us. She believed that he was sent to save my life. The thing is, when I was born, supposedly, I didn’t cry. I was completely silent, and I wasn’t breathing. There was a sudden power outage that caused all the machinery to stop working the moment I was born. The Nurse Joys didn’t understand what caused it and knew no way to fix it. For six days, everyone did their best for me. The Audino that was there used Heal Bell to keep me alive, but she nearly collapsed from exhaustion. I owe my life to her, in part. But, according to my mother, it was Pachirisu who saved me. My mother explained to me that, one night, Pachirisu was watching me for hours, not moving a muscle or saying a word. Finally, he jumped on me and sent out electric sparks from his tail and shocked the electronic equipment around me back to life. Everything came on, from the fans, to the lights blinking off and on, to every alarm in the building ringing. Pachirisu remained by me for two whole days, providing electricity to the machines keeping me alive, until finally, the tubes were removed from my body, and, for the first time, I started to breathe on my own. I was still not crying or moving any part of my body other than my chest, though, so there was plenty of concern about me. That was when Pachirisu moved quickly towards me and gently wrapped his tail around my face. He gave me a very low voltage shock, which startled everyone who was watching, and to everyone’s surprise, I actually stirred. Right after that, I opened my mouth and let out my first shrieking cry.”  
Ella’s incredible story left us all speechless.  
The door to the Pokemon Center opened and Ella looked behind me at the person who was exiting.  
A man with wavy, dark brown hair turned and looked at us all curiously as he walked by before turning away.  
“My mother believed Pachirisu was sent to save my life,” Ella continued. “She believed Pachirisu was meant to protect me from something. She didn’t know what, but that was what she believed. She told me to take Pachirisu, to keep me safe. So, I agreed to it.”  
“Wait a minute!” Trixa exclaimed.  
We all turned tiredly to Trixa.  
Ugh, can’t you just shut up? I thought impatiently.  
“So, you had a Pachirisu before you even got your Starter?” Trixa complained.  
Ella nodded with a slight smile. “Nobody knew but me and my father and mother…”  
“No fair!” Trixa pouted and crossed her arms. “You already had a Pokemon!”  
“I did. It was my mother’s last gift to me,” Ella spoke softly, sadly.  
I lowered my head, fearing where this might be going.  
“My mother passed away just five days before I left home on my Pokemon journey.”  
My heart beat faster and painfully as she confirmed my fears with that sentence.  
“Oh, no!” Trixa gasped, and she covered her mouth.  
Courtney let out a low cry and lowered her head.  
June closed her eyes and lowered her head.  
“I know you three aren’t from Unova, Gary, June, and Courtney,” Ella said to us.  
We looked at her.  
“But, perhaps you’ve heard of Dr.-” Ella suddenly stopped, and she looked at the houses and buildings around us. “You guys hear that?”  
I did, in fact, hear a low rumbling in the distance. What is that? I wondered, looking around for the source.  
“I don’t hear anything,” Trixa said, now looking around with Courtney and June.  
The five of us were in a very small town that seemed to be made up mainly of houses no taller than two stories, and a few buildings in matching, if not lower, height. The town reminded me of Pallet Town, but a lot larger and with a more city feel to it.  
When we had first arrived here, some bells had gone off, and groups of school kids who appeared to be in high school crossed a train track on their way to school, dressed in their school uniforms.  
It was funny to see older kids on their way to school, meanwhile, us five kids were traveling the world freely.  
Some of the kids snickered at us and nudged their heads in our direction.  
Some of the girls giggled, covering their mouths as they walked past us.  
I lowered my head and avoided all of their stares, but watched as they walked on by, admiring the shortness of the girls’ skirts.  
“Maybe that train is coming,” I considered, turning to my group.   
“Ah! That’s a good point,” June nodded.  
“Yeah.” Ella smiled at me. She reached up and grabbed at her hair that was still electrified, pulling some of it down and running her hands through it repeatedly. “Well, let’s get on out of here already, okay?”  
But what were you about to tell Courtney, June, Trixa, and I? I stared at her, wondering if I should bring it up, or just let it go.  
“Wait. Weren’t you going to tell us-?” June started to ask.  
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!  
The five of us inhaled loudly and sharply and looked around frantically, unsure of where the explosion came from.  
That was when I saw the smoke ascending into the clear blue sky. “Look!” I pointed into the air.  
My group turned to where I was pointing.  
Doors flew open quickly and screams followed shortly. People charged out of buildings and looked around in confusion, many of them pointing up at the rising smoke.  
The rumbling grew louder and closer, but I couldn’t be certain where it was coming from.  
My eyes suddenly widened. “Wait a minute!” I whipped my head to the right and gasped. “Over there!! RUUUN!!”  
The house to my right exploded before the thing that tore through it came into view.  
People ran in a frenzy as me and my group stumbled backwards in horror. Crowds of people were exiting buildings to see what was going on and soon joined those already running by. Many people slammed into me and my friends, as well as each other, trying to get away from the huge machine that appeared as the cloud of debris from the house it had just smashed through started to dissipate.  
“What… IS that?” Ella shouted in disbelief, her eyes wide at the incredible machine standing before us.  
Several people stopped running to stare at the colossal structure.  
It stood at least fifteen feet tall, and stretched perhaps ten feet across. It moved on top of numerous, thick black wheels rolling underneath it, and it was made up of seven different compartments. Two square sections near the bottom of the tank were topped by two more square sections. The particularly large square fifth part of the machine was big enough to sit on top of all four pieces below it, while the rectangular sixth part was stacked on top of the middle of the fifth piece, horizontally. Finally, the last area of the tank was a large, white ball that sat on top of the middle of the rectangular piece. A strange, loud noise came from the machine.  
June’s moan grabbed my attention, and I turned to see her grab the sides of her head and lower her head.  
“June?” I called out to her.  
June’s teeth were grit tightly and she looked like she was suffering from a headache.  
The white ball at the top of the tank suddenly flashed for a second, and the loud noise from the machine intensified. A black beam fired out from the ball and blew up another building to the left of us.  
Screams and pounding feet were heard everywhere as bodies flew out from the exploding building. Courtney, June, Trixa, Ella, and I shrieked and ran away from the billowing smoke that was filling the town as bodies smashed into the ground with repeated SPLAT! noises. Another loud roar came from the machine and it suddenly let loose several more powerful black beams in random directions, tearing apart buildings with ease, filling my ears with deafening booms mixed with the helpless cries of those trying to escape the tragedy taking place.  
We all turned a corner and came to a stop in front of a house.  
Trixa kept running with swarms of other people who ran by us.  
One woman crashed into me with a loud scream, and I struggled not to fall as I grabbed her shoulders.  
“Get off of meee!!” she shrieked, shaking her curly black hair frantically and pushing against my chest.  
“Whoa!” I cried out as I fell.  
The woman ran past me and didn’t look back.  
“Trixaaaaaaa!!” Ella screamed for her friend.  
My sight of Trixa got lost in the swarm of people running away, trying to get to safety.  
“Where is she going?” Courtney cried in a shaky voice.  
I growled angrily. “Damn it, Trixa! We have to get her!”  
More destruction was confirmed from several explosions I could hear from a distance, and the noise from the tank was somewhere nearby.  
“Trixa, come baaaack!!” Ella ran into the confused group of people that were running in every possible direction.  
“Ella, wait!” I got up quickly and shot forward, nudging people out of my way, trying to keep my eyes on Ella as people got in front of my view and made it harder to see her clear beauty mixed with fright that she wore so adorably on her face, making me desire to be the one to return calm back to her heart.  
Something blew up and screams filled the air, some people around me tripping to the ground, others covering their heads as they continued running.  
“TRIXAAAAAAA!!!” I heard Ella shout.  
Something grabbed my jacket and pulled at it, but with a determined grunt, I ran forward, struggling out of the tight grip.  
Ella was nowhere in sight.  
“ELLAAAA!! ELLA, WHERE ARE YOU??” I bellowed as loudly as I could. “OH!” I stumbled over something on the ground and looked down to see a woman on her stomach, covering her head, screaming continuously as she was trampled on by those running past me from all directions. I felt horrible doing so, but I looked away from her and continued my search for Ella. My eyes widened as I spotted a figure standing amongst the chaos of people.  
Ella! She was standing at the corner of the sidewalk, surrounded by terrified groups of people running around her, looking down the street in front of her. In the next instant, she was gone.  
“Ella!” An explosion that was startlingly close to me made me jump, and I ran harder, stomping my feet into the ground as I pushed through crowds. I soon reached the corner Ella had just been standing on, only to be forced back by terrified groups of people coming directly at me. I was being shoved from all over. My legs, shoulders, arms, stomach, all of me being grabbed at and pushed and kicked.  
A hand grabbed my shoulder, and I ran away from it, desperate to reach Ella. Up ahead, I could see train tracks.   
A train was screaming along the tracks as it rolled by so far away.  
The train! If only we could reach it, I thought. We’d all be safe and out of the way of whatever’s going on here!   
Something grabbed both of my shoulders tightly.  
“HEY! GET OFF OF ME!! I HAVE TO-!” I turned around angrily and saw June digging her nails into my shoulders, fear deep on every part of her face.  
Courtney was behind her, trembling in place.  
“June! Ella’s out here!” I struggled out of her grasp and turned around.  
“Gary, what are we gonna do?” Courtney insisted.  
I couldn’t see Ella anywhere.  
The train’s bells rang as it continued to ride by.  
Some people were actually running towards it desperately, waving their arms in the air, hoping to stop the train or reach it before it was gone.  
A few people were close to the train, and some were brave enough to actually jump on one of the cars and hang on for their lives, screaming!  
I saw the black beam, but it was as if I didn’t register it in my mind until I saw the train explode…  
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!  
SMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!  
The explosions were far enough away, but in seconds, my breath was knocked out of me as I was thrown back by the wind of them and I rolled and bounced on the ground for what seemed to be a minute before I came to a sharp, burning, scraping stop.  
Screams were louder than ever, and the sounds of raging fires, destroyed property, and things crashing surrounded me.  
I knew I’d eventually be hit by something and killed.  
CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!  
I groaned, my entire body aching, feeling as if I had skinned several different areas of my body. The stinging pain was enough to make me want to cry, and I closed my eyes tightly as tears burned their way between my eyelids. I inhaled hard, trying to regain air into my lungs, and I lifted my head at the familiar sound of the tank driving into the area.  
The black tank rolled into the middle of the street, through what was left of a house it had clearly just smashed its way through.  
Several houses were in ruins, while others were on fire, smoke rising into the sky from them as debris filled the air.  
A hard cough was heard from somewhere to my right.  
I heard a roar from the machine as it stood still in the middle of the street, surrounded by people lying lifeless on the ground or crying out for death to relieve them of the pain they were in, a couple of flipped cars, and a few burning houses.  
“There’s Pokemon in there!” someone choked out.  
I turned to the voice to my left and stared at June as I gasped for more air.  
She was in the middle of the street, holding herself up by one arm, staring at the tank. She swallowed and coughed. “There are Pokemon inside of it!”  
I groaned as I struggled to get up, but I couldn’t ignore the pain I was feeling and dropped down again.  
“Gary,” I heard June choke out.  
I moaned in response, unable to move.  
“There’s Pokemon inside of that thing. I can hear them.”   
I flattened my palms against the ground and pushed myself up a little bit as I turned to June slowly.  
“They’re in pain,” she said, staring at me. “They’re in really bad pain, Gary.”  
I shook my head at her. “I don’t understand,” I said weakly. “What are Pokemon doing inside of that tank?”  
“They need help.” June turned to the tank. “We need to help them get out of that thing. I think they’re trapped in there.”  
I squinted at June before turning my eyes angrily to the tank. How is that possible? I questioned. “Are you sure, June?” I asked, still staring at the deadly machine.  
A loud roar came from it.  
“That’s them!” June gasped, and she struggled painfully to her feet, groaning. “That’s the Pokemon!”  
My heart beat hard in my chest and I groaned as I forced myself to my feet. My jacket suddenly slid off of me and hung from my left shoulder, dragging on the ground.   
Several small objects dropped from inside of my jacket.   
“Huh?” I lifted my jacket up and was ready to slip my other arm into it. That was when I saw the huge rip in the shoulder of my favorite jacket.  
One rip went down the entire arm of the right sleeve, another tear going down the back of the jacket.  
I let out a stunned, pained cry and removed my arm from the jacket. As I lifted it up in front of me, I could see several more rips through the back. When I turned it around to the front, my eyes watered up as I saw the large rip on the right breast, where the embroidered design of Mewtwo had been. I immediately looked at the ground and saw the objects that fell from my jacket.  
The Toxic Badge, the General Badge, the Bolt Badge, the Quake Badge, the Iron Badge, the Trio Badge, and the Brawl Badge!  
“My Badges!” I bent down and quickly scooped them up. As I jammed them into my pocket, my eyes widened as I saw it. “Mewtwo!”  
Lying on the ground, several feet ahead of me, was the embroidered design of Mewtwo that had once lived on the right breast of my jacket. It was bent in half, the upper half of its body facing the sky, the bottom half bent underneath it.  
Even though it meant getting closer to that tank, without any hesitation, I ran forward to get the design that made my jacket so special to me. A sudden, loud shriek made me stop and turn. “TRIXAAAAA!!” My jacket fell from my hand.  
Trixa was screaming and running down the sidewalk, but across the street.   
The tank let out yet another loud noise before firing a black beam and blew up a house standing several feet behind a running Trixa, the building untouched despite the fires consuming a number of the other structures around it. Its explosion caused the house next to it to slowly collapse as well.  
Wind blew strongly around me and June from the destruction.  
The white ball at the top of the tank flashed and the machine roared again. A black beam fired from the ball and blew up the building next to the house that had collapsed, and this explosion’s wind forced my eyes closed.  
My head lowered against the wind and broken pieces of the building blowing through the air. I squinted as I tried to spot Trixa.  
Someone was on the ground, sprawled out flat, not moving.  
“TRIXA!” I ran towards her. From out the corner of my eye, I saw the white ball on the machine flash white, and I heard the roar from the machine. My mouth opened wide in a loud scream as I got closer to Trixa.  
Trixa lifted her head up and shook it. She looked back at the machine with wide eyes. Her head suddenly turned to me and her mouth fell open. “Gary?”  
“GARY, DON’T!” I heard someone behind me.  
“GARYYYY!!” June shrieked as loud as she could.  
I reached Trixa, bent down, and wrapped my arms around her, under her arms. With a loud shout, I stood up tall, hoisting her over my shoulder.  
Trixa screamed in surprise, squirming in my hold.  
I took a desperate jump forward, and I heard the explosion behind me, right afterwards feeling the blow send me flying. I tried hard to land on my shoulder to make Trixa’s landing easier. My shoulder slammed into the pavement and I gasped with pain, my eyes immediately tearing up. My teeth grit together as I closed my eyes as tightly as I could, trying to regain the air I had lost from the landing.   
I collapsed onto my stomach, and Trixa dropped onto her back.  
My shoulder throbbing badly, I slowly managed to turn and look behind me at the blown up building.  
About half of the building next to it now looked smashed into due to the explosion it withstood.  
Trixa groaned and I looked down at her. She slowly opened her eyes and stared up at me.  
“Trixa, are you alright?”  
“Gary!”  
“Gary!”  
I turned and saw June and Courtney running towards me and Trixa with their heads lowered as trash and dust blew around them.  
“Are you both okay?” June cried.  
“We’re fine! But we have to stop that machine!” I coughed, getting to my feet and turning to the tank. I breathed heavily, trying to will away the pain of my shoulder. “We need our Pokemon! We need to break that machine open and free whatever’s inside!”  
“Gary, this really isn’t the time to be playing this Pokemon reading game with June! People’s lives are in danger right now!” Courtney screamed at me frantically.  
“ALL THE MORE REASON TO LISTEN TO JUNE!!!” I barked back at her. The words had tumbled their way out of my throat before I had even been able to think them up, but I had no regret for what I had said to Courtney, nor the way I had said it.  
Courtney looked taken back by my words, her eyes wide with both shock and fear as she leaned back.  
“You’re either gonna help, or get out of the way, Courtney!” I told her sharply. “If you’re only gonna start being stupid, then this is one time for you to just keep your mouth shut!”  
Courtney was speechless and also seemed completely frozen, not moving a muscle as she stared at me.  
I turned to the tank and grabbed a Poke Ball from my belt. “I’m going with Dugtrio on this one. His Ground moves should tear into that thing with ease.”  
June nodded quickly and unzipped her bag that hung from her shoulder. She dug through it and came out with a Poke Ball with an ‘R’ sticker on it.  
“WAIT!”   
A loud shout made us all look behind us as a tall man with long, wavy brown hair approached us, his hair resting against the sides of his face.  
“You kids don’t want to do that,” the man said, dressed in an unseasonably warm, black overcoat that reached down to his ankles. He came to a stop just a couple of feet away from us. The man wore glasses and held a strange face that was a mix of nonchalant and seriousness. “That machine can’t be touched.”  
“What?” I cried.  
“Huh?” Courtney and June gasped.  
“That thing is filled with Gigalith that are under a massive amount of stress,” the towering man told us. “Gigalith have an inner core that has the power to blow away an entire mountain with one blast. That machine is using the power of the Gigalith to fire those powerful beams at the buildings in this town. That incredible amount of power inside of those Pokemon can also cause them to explode. Those Gigalith are bound to blow up at any second. If you dare attack that machine, it might just be enough to stress out the Gigalith enough to trigger an Explosion and level this entire town to nothing but rubble. You can’t attack that machine! Your only option is to run!”  
I looked away from the man and stared at the tank is horror. “But…” I looked back at the man. “We can’t just run! We have to stop it somehow!”  
The man shook his head. “If you stay here any longer, you’ll only end up dying, along with everyone else in this town. Along with the people that are inside of that tank, controlling it.”  
“There’s people in that thing?!” I asked the man in horror.  
“Of course there are!” the man said loudly, staring down at me.  
“But, why? What’s going on here? Why would anyone be purposely…?” Realization dawned on me, and I looked back at the machine. “No…” I whispered. “NO!”  
The tank rolled forward, and I closed my eyes as I saw it approaching people who were unconscious on the street. My hands slammed against my ears as tightly as they could, and I screamed as loud as I possible, not wanting to hear the sounds of the people the tank was about to roll over.  
Screams of disgust met my ears.  
I bellowed, trying to block out the noise.   
Something grabbed my shoulder and shook me hard.   
I kept my position and continued screaming until my shoulders were shaken even more desperately.  
“Gary, he’s gone!” I heard June.  
My eyes opened and I looked at June with fright.  
“Where did he go?” June pointed.  
I looked where her finger was pointing, and I was now staring at where the tall man had been standing.  
The man was nowhere in sight.  
I looked around, but all I saw were bodies and blood all over the street. I couldn’t take any of this anymore. I closed my eyes and lowered my head. My hands, one of them still holding Dugtrio’s Poke Ball, pressed against the sides my head even harder as I pressed my teeth together tightly in a frustrated growl until it erupted into the loudest, most furious scream I could muster. When my scream ended, my eyes opened and my hands lowered as I turned to June in a rage, my teeth grinding against each other. “Who was that guy?!” I growled.  
Courtney was staring at me as if I had just transformed into a werewolf before her eyes.  
June shook her head. “I don’t know. But… he seemed to know a lot about that tank, Gary,” she answered me shakily, and then turned to the machine.  
“This is Team Solace’s work, isn’t it?!” I shouted ferociously. “This is Team Solace again, isn’t it?!” Nobody answered me, and I didn’t need them to. I knew what had to be done. I pressed the button on Dugtrio’s Poke Ball to make it larger. “Dugtrio, I ch-!”  
“Gary, NO!” June grabbed my arm holding Dugtrio’s Poke Ball with one hand, her other hand grabbing my other shoulder.  
“What the hell do you think you’re doing, June?!” I snapped at her.  
“That guy was right, Gary!” June cried, tears rolling down her cheeks. “There are Gigalith in there! If we attack that machine, it might trigger their Explosion attack, and with the power Gigalith have within them, it’ll kill us all!”  
“So, either we die, or we die!” I shouted, and I broke free from her grasp, taking a couple of steps back from her. “We either let this machine destroy this town and all of us in it, or we blow this machine up and we all die! Is that what you’re saying?!”  
June’s mouth hung open silently, unable to answer me.  
“Then what do we do…?” Courtney whispered.  
I swallowed and kept my eyes on June, unable to answer Courtney. We can’t just sit here and do nothing, I knew, staring firmly at her. We can’t just die like this. I turned to the tank. Not at the hands of Team Solace, I thought as I held my Poke Ball tightly. I will never back down from these guys! I refuse to run! They’ll have to kill me before I just sit back and let them destroy this town. “TEAM SOLAAAAAAAAAAACE!!!” I pulled my arm back and prepared to throw the Poke Ball.  
“Gary, please!” June begged, raising her hands to the sides of her face.  
“Oh, no!” Courtney squeaked.  
My arm froze midair, unsure if I was really about to do this, my mind trying to quickly think up another solution to this without having to kill us all. There’s no other way out of this! I realized. Maybe, the Gigalith won’t explode… Maybe… everything will work out… My arm moved forward to throw Dugtrio’s Poke Ball.  
“Shiftry, you’re all I can count on! I need you to blow this tank away!” someone shouted from far off.  
That voice was nothing but magic.  
My arm remained stuck in the air as I turned behind me and saw Ella several feet away.  
Ella, her hair still reaching up into the air from the Electric shock she had taken earlier today, held out a Great Ball, and the Pokemon inside was sent out.  
“SHIFT!” Shiftry landed and glared at the tank.  
“Shiftry, we can’t attack that tank! There are delicate Pokemon inside of there that might blow up if we attack it, so let’s blow this tank away with-UGH!” Ella grunted as Shiftry backhanded her Trainer to the ground.  
“SHIFTRY!” Shiftry leaped on top of Ella and held her down.  
“Shiftry?” Ella gasped in surprise. She struggled underneath her Pokemon. “Shiftry! Get off of me! What do you think you’re doing?”  
Shiftry growled at Ella and her body suddenly glowed white!  
I couldn’t believe my eyes. My arm dropped to my side. Shiftry can’t be evolving… Shiftry evolves from Seedot, I told myself. And Seedot evolves from… No. No. It’s Seedot first, then Nuzleaf, and finally, Shiftry. Shiftry can’t evolve again… So what is she doing…?  
“Shiftry’s using Explosion!!” June shrieked from a few feet away.  
I had to save Ella.  
I couldn’t save Ella.  
There was nothing I could do.  
It was too late.  
My legs quivered as my body completely shut down and I fell to my knees, my eyes glued to Ella.  
A loud roar ripped through the air.  
I wouldn’t have taken my eyes off of Ella if the roar didn’t sound so terrifying.  
So alarming.  
So… Familiar.  
I looked up into the sky as the roar continued, and I squinted in confusion at the enormous red beast that soared down towards us.  
With another tremendous roar, the monstrous creature smacked Shiftry off of Ella with one strong whip of its huge tail, the tip of which was lit by a large flame, as Shiftry glowed even brighter, ready to blow.  
Shiftry soared towards the tank.  
The dragon then gripped Ella in its hands and its large wings flapped as it flew towards me. With another powerful roar, the threatening being soared low, nearly scraping the ground, a screaming Ella held tightly in its arms, and it nudged its head underneath me, between my legs, and tossed me over its shoulder!  
I screamed as I flew into the air and quickly landed strongly on its back. My legs instantly wrapped around its long neck as my arms held on tightly to its back. I looked behind me to see where the monster was flying to next.  
The Pokemon reached out one of its arms as it flew into a stunned June.  
June screamed her head off in shock, a smile crossing her face, and she gripped her bag tightly. “Charizard???”  
Charizard grabbed June with its free arm, still holding Ella in its other arm, and its wings beat even harder as it tried to carry the three of us into the air.  
“WAAAIT!! TRIXA’S STILL THERE!!” Ella shouted in Charizard’s arms.  
Trixa was sitting on the sidewalk, looking up at us in shock as Charizard carried us higher away from her.  
Charizard grunted as it looked back at Trixa below, continuing to soar away from her.  
“Charizard can’t carry us all!” June said. “Rotom, Levitate, now!” She held out her Poke Ball still in her hand.  
Rotom appeared, spinning around excitedly.  
“Get Trixa!!” June pointed.  
Rotom’s eyes glowed light green, and Trixa’s body was outlined in green.  
“I-I-I-I’m flyiiiing!!” Trixa looked down in terror as she ascended quickly. “Help! Help! Heeee-!”  
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!  
BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!  
BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!  
The explosions were deafening and continuous, and as Charizard struggled to carry the three of us and take us to safety, I could see the Hell that was taking place below.  
Shiftry had indeed exploded, right next to the tank while she was flying by it, and the tank followed suit and blew up after her, and this eruption tore through everything, causing fires to rage, buildings to go down, smoke to flow wildly, and a whole lot of noise to pound against my head.  
“HEY!!” I exclaimed as I spotted somebody I had forgotten, her body outlined in green, floating right below Trixa. “COURTNEY!!!”  
Courtney had an uncomfortable look on her face as Rotom lifted her higher. She looked up at Rotom uncertainly and then scowled up at Charizard and the rest of us being held by him. “At least someone didn’t forget about me!”  
Charizard flapped its wings hard, flying us out of the town, Rotom following it closely.  
“Charizard…” I looked down at the Pokemon, unsure of what to think or say or do. I just clung for dear life to the Pokemon as I watched as the entire town was swamped by fire and smoke.  
People were running in the places that had not yet been taken over by the spreading evil, but the explosions were moving quickly, and it wasn’t looking promising for any parts of that town as more and more houses continued to blow up and be taken down. Nowhere was safe in that town, Charizard and June’s Rotom continuing to take us away from it all.  
It wasn’t long before the town was behind us, and a forest had replaced the view beneath us.  
Charizard let out a grunt and nodded at Rotom before descending through the trees quickly, clearly grateful to be finally landing.  
We all screamed as we flew through the trees, leaves and branches grabbing and scratching at us.  
Charizard landed heavily and dropped June and Ella to the ground, and they both cried out in surprise.  
I rolled off of its back and landed hard. “Oooohhh…” I moaned weakly.  
Courtney and Trixa were also dropped by Rotom, Trixa landing on her feet as Courtney landed on her back.  
“Ow!” Courtney complained.  
“Woo!” Trixa exclaimed, raising her fists into the air, smiling excitedly at the trees.  
I sat up, looking up at the Charizard that had just saved our lives. “A… Charizard?” I squinted at the Pokemon.  
Charizard turned to me and smiled.  
“I can’t believe a wild Charizard appeared from out of nowhere and saved us like that…” Ella muttered.  
I shook my head, keeping my eyes on Charizard.  
Charizard roared and stomped over to me.  
I remained on the ground and watched as it reached out and pinned me down under its flattening weight.  
Charizard’s tongue came out and licked my face repeatedly.  
I was laughing by the time his tongue first reached my cheek. “Charizard, stop! Stop!! Ha ha ha ha ha! Stop it, Charizard! What are you doing here?!”  
Charizard continued to slobber all over my face, grunting affectionately.  
“I can’t believe you’re here, Charizard!” Tears were rolling down my cheeks, my heart pumping hard.  
Charizard. The Flame Pokemon. This is Charmeleon’s final stage. A prideful Pokemon, it searches the world seeking the most powerful opponents to battle. This Pokemon’s flames, at their max, are said to be able to melt anything.  
“Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooowwwwww!” Trixa said, looking up from her Pokedex at Charizard.  
I wrapped my arms around Charizard’s neck and knew that I’d never let him go for the rest of my life!  
“Gary, do you know that Charizard?” Courtney asked.  
“Yes! This is my Charizard!” I laughed. “This has to be him! He found me!”  
“That is your Charizard, Gary,” June confirmed, nodding with a warm smile. “But…” She kept her smile, now shaking her head in disbelief.  
“Charizard!!” I squeezed his neck as tight as possible, causing him to whine out, and then I kissed his large mouth. “What are you doing here?? How in the world did you find me?? I can’t believe this!!”  
Ella stepped up slowly to Charizard.  
Charizard and I turned to her with a smile.  
“Ella, this is my Charizard! My very first Pokemon I got from Prof. Oak when I began my journey a few years ago!”  
Ella nodded as tears began to fill her precious eyes. She opened her mouth to say something, but her soft lips closed and tears rolled down. She wiped at them and smiled brightly as more tears continued down her face. She looked more angelic in that moment that anybody had any right to look, and that was all it took for me to feel like my life was just about complete.   
I knew in that moment that I had to marry this girl, one way or another, to ever truly be happy.   
“You saved my life!” She placed her hands over her heart. “You saved me from…” Her lips quivered as her smile faded, and she covered her eyes and cried into her hands. “Thank you, Charizard!” she sobbed. “I can’t… I’ll never be… I don’t even…” She sobbed even harder and looked up.  
I was happy to see that Ella was safe and so grateful for her life, but it also pained me to see her crying, looking so vulnerable and sad, and also so beautiful and so desirable.   
The smile that returned to her face was the icing on the cake as she sniffled, still crying.  
My arms slid off of Charizard’s neck and he got off of me, getting to his feet.  
I stood up shakily next to Charizard and smiled proudly at him, and then I looked down to Ella.  
“Thank you, Charizard. I wish I could… I don’t even know! How do I thank you?” Ella turned to me and smiled even wider.  
I beamed back at her even broader and looked up at Charizard.  
Charizard grunted and lowered his head to Ella.  
“Oh…” Ella shakily raised a hand and gently placed it on Charizard’s head.  
Charizard closed his eyes and purred loudly, causing Ella to gasp in surprise and pull her hand back, but she smiled and rested her hand on his head and rubbed it.  
I rubbed my nose and then crossed my arms. This is unbelievable, I thought. This is easily one of the most happiest moments in my life. But, there’s still so many questions. Why is Charizard here?? How did he find me?? Why did he run away from Prof. Oak’s Lab in the first place??  
“GAAAAAAARRRRRRRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!”   
A loud shriek made me turn, and I screamed as I was bound by the pair of arms that belonged to Trixa.  
“You saved my life, tooooooooo!!” Trixa smiled up at me, her eyes sparkling like diamonds in the sun. She pressed her head into my chest and squeezed me even tighter. “You carried me like some kind of superhero and saved my life from that tank! I think I love you!!” She released me and grabbed the sides of my face. I looked down at her as if she was crazy, but before I could react in any other way, she pulled my head down, closed her eyes, and pressed her lips against mine!!  
My eyes widened as I looked at Trixa’s face, her eyes closed, humming a single note continuously as she kissed me. My eyebrows furrowed and I reached up and grabbed her shoulders. “PWAAAAAAAHHH!!!” I shoved Trixa off of me and she fell down.  
I heard gasps around me.  
“Huh???” Trixa looked up at me in shock.  
“YUCK! DISGUSTING!” I spit repeatedly to the ground and wiped frantically at my mouth. “You IDIOT!! Are you CRAZY or something?! PLEH!! BLECH!!”  
“How dare you put your hands on her!!” Ella screamed.  
As I turned to Ella, she shoved me as hard as she could. She wasn’t very strong, but the action took me by surprise and I stumbled back a few steps. “Huh?”  
Ella’s face was turning a deep shade of red with fury, and she stomped away from me and reached both hands out to Trixa. One hand was placed on Trixa’s back while her other hand gently pulled on Trixa’s arm, getting her to her feet.  
“I… just… wanted to thank you,” Trixa told me shakily, trembling as Ella wrapped her arms around her. “I… I only w-wanted to say th-thank you for saving my life…” She pushed her head against Ella’s chest and cried loudly. “But, you hate me! You’ve always hated me!”  
“Trixa, wait! I-!” I took a step towards Trixa.  
“Don’t!” Ella pointed at me threateningly, and I froze in place. Even with her hair still electrified and pointing into the sky, looking really funny, her face warned me that cracking even the slightest smile would result in the end of my life. “Don’t you dare come near her, you… you… you… asshole! Stay away from her! And me, as well!”  
My heart popped like a balloon from the sting of her words.  
“I can’t believe I used to like somebody as pathetic as you,” Ella snickered, a disgusted smile on her face, shaking her head. “I don’t ever want to see your face again. Ever! Trixa, let’s go.” She kept her arms around Trixa and walked away from us.  
“Ella!” June called out to her.  
Ella stopped and turned around, fire still in her eyes. “And you can go to Ghyst Town. Trixa and I will go somewhere else, instead, and I’ll find my eighth Badge elsewhere. I never could get anything done when I was traveling with you, anyway, Gary!” She turned to June and Courtney.  
We all stared back at her silently.  
“You two are actually going to keep traveling with him?!” Ella asked, frowning and squinting in surprise at June and Courtney.  
“Ella, what Gary did was wrong, but I don’t think he meant to do it,” June pleaded. “I think it may have just been some kind of reflex or something. He’s not good around girls, you know.”  
Oh, gee. Thanks, June, I squinted at her angrily.  
“June does have a point,” Courtney tried, giving Ella a small, pleading smile.  
My shoulders slumped as my breath came out through my nostrils.  
“Ha! Okay, okay, I’ve heard enough,” Ella waved at us. “And I’ve also seen enough. I’m surprised you two would continue traveling with him, but, suit yourselves.” She turned away and continued walking with Trixa.  
Nobody spoke as Ella and Trixa disappeared into the collective of trees.  
The silence was ironically the loudest sound I had encountered all day, and I couldn’t recall a louder noise in recent memory. After what felt like a very long period of time with nobody speaking, I turned around to those by me.  
Courtney had her head down.  
June was looking in the direction Ella and Trixa had disappeared, but turned to me as I looked at her.  
Rotom stared back at me uncomfortably.  
Charizard let out a low growl of some sort as he kept his eyes on me.  
Charizard was back.  
Somehow, my Charizard had found me after all this time, and had saved not only Ella’s life, but me and June’s lives, as well, resulting in saving Trixa and Courtney. What should have been a joyous time and a cause for celebration was now an awkward moment that nobody knew how to react to.  
In hindsight, an entire town had been destroyed, quite possibly all of its inhabitants now dead. Exactly what would be the cause for celebration knowing that fact?  
And Ella now hated my guts and never wanted to see so much as my face again.  
And, knowing that, somehow, I was expected to get my eighth Badge and compete in the Interough Conference, where I was sure to meet Ella.  
The inspiration for me to obtain this last Badge was now gone.  
My eyes closed as they started to water.  
I waited, listening to the silence.  
Hoping my life would come to an end, for any reason whatsoever.  
Anything was better than the pain in my heart that was killing me at that moment.


	59. The Eight For The Eighth

“So, this is Ghyst Town?” Courtney asked.  
“Yeah…” June answered.  
I looked at the dreary looking town we were in.  
It was a gloomy evening with a consistently darkening, gray sky, giving a depressing feel to the already mopey environment. All the buildings were made of wood, giving the town a very old-fashioned feeling. A black lamp hung from in front of every building I could see, a bluish purple flame burning inside of the glass containers, two small, yellow lights glowing on either side of the fire. A black lampshade covered the flames, sitting on top of the glass containers, and they had a pointed spike on top. From the sides of the lamp were two long, black beams that curved. Sitting in the windows of a few buildings were one white candle with a purple flame lit on top.  
Despite the gentle, warm breeze blowing through the town, I felt a strange, unwelcome chill.  
“This is where you’ll be getting your final Badge, and I’ll be getting my ninth,” Courtney told me.  
“You… you… you… asshole! Stay away from her! And me, as well!” Ella had shouted at me just earlier today.  
“And there’s the Pokemon Center,” June said. “Let’s get a bit of rest here and, I guess, develop a plan to beat the Gym Leaders here.”  
“I can’t believe I used to like somebody as pathetic as you,” Ella had snickered at me with a disgusted smile on her face, shaking her head.  
It was the way she looked at me that hurt the most. It gave emphasis, and sincerity, to the words she spoke.  
A young guy walked by, but he was hunched over and moving very slowly. He looked as if he hadn’t slept in weeks, dark bags under his eyes, his feet scraping the ground in his filthy and worn white sneakers. In his hand was a candle in a golden holder, a purple flame flickering on top. I turned to him as he moaned lightly.  
“Gary?” June said. “Where are you going?”  
I looked behind me and stopped walking when I saw June, Courtney, and my Charizard standing in front of a short building with a brown, wooden ‘P’ near the top of it, a lamp hooked above the front door. “Oh,” I mumbled. The fact that there were so many lamps in this town gave me the creeps, for some reason. It just felt so out of place to me. Doesn’t this town have electricity? I wondered. I walked over to the two girls and my Pokemon. Sleep would be nice, I thought to myself. Sleep. Maybe a couple of days off to just relax and do absolutely nothing… I just feel so tired. Stressed out. I don’t even wanna really go for this Badge. The sudden feeling of laziness and tiredness seemed to increase slightly as I walked through the door of the Pokemon Center.  
The inside of the building was typical, containing chairs and tables and benches, all made of wood. I also received the answer to my question I had earlier as I noticed that this building was lit up with light bulbs from above. Not only that, but there was a line of four phone booths against the wall to our right. For some reason, a pair of candles still sat in the window inside.  
A wooden counter contained a Nurse Joy whose elbows were on it, her head in her hands. The cross on her hat was a very dark gray; nearly black. Her eyes were closed, as if she were asleep.  
“Hey, there’s a Gardevoir!” Courtney pointed.  
Indeed, accompanying Nurse Joy was not an Audino, but a Gardevoir! Its eyes were wide open, watching us sternly.  
“She works here?” June questioned.  
Nurse Joy snorted and stood up quickly, her eyes flying open in surprise. “Hello! I’m Nurse Joy! Welcome to the Pokemon Center!” she cried out rapidly in shock.  
We all froze about halfway to the desk, staring at Nurse Joy in surprise.  
Nurse Joy laughed lightly. “Ha ha. Sorry. I guess I fell asleep, there. Welcome! Do your Pokemon require some attention?” she spoke more slowly and calmly.  
“Yes. Would you mind giving our Pokemon a little checkup?” June asked, and we all approached the counter.  
“Please, allow me to see your Pokemon and I’ll gladly heal them back to perfection!” Nurse Joy encouraged us.  
We nodded and placed all of our Poke Balls on the counter.  
“And my Charizard doesn’t have a Poke Ball, yet, so, can you just take him with you, too?” I asked Nurse Joy.  
“Oh, but of course!” Nurse Joy smiled wearily at us, and from this close up, I could see how tired she looked. She actually was the oldest looking Nurse Joy I had ever seen in my life! The skin on her face had wrinkles, and her eyes struggled to stay open, black bags hanging strong underneath them.  
I suddenly felt uneasy about leaving my Pokemon with her for some reason.  
Nurse Joy scooped up four Poke Balls before turning to Gardevoir. “Gardevoir, will you help me with the rest of the Poke Balls, please?” she asked her wearily.  
“Gard,” Gardevoir nodded, and her eyes glowed light blue.   
The Poke Balls on the counter were outlined in light blue and they floated into the air.  
Gardevoir followed Nurse Joy, the floating Poke Balls following behind the Pokemon.  
Nurse Joy opened a door at the back of the building and stopped. “Charizard, please come with me.” She then walked through the door.  
The door was about to close, but it was suddenly outlined in light blue and opened again.  
Charizard turned to me and whined sadly.  
“Charizard, I’ll be right here, waiting for you to come back,” I told him, rubbing his back. I gave him a gentle push towards the door. “The sooner you go in there, the sooner you’ll get out. Now, go!”  
Charizard grunted and walked towards the door, Gardevoir holding it open with her Psychic power as she stared solemnly at Charizard. He walked through, turning back to me mournfully and whining again.  
I nodded firmly.  
Charizard let out his breath through his nostrils and turned away, lowering his head as he walked down the hallway.  
The door closed after Gardevoir and the Poke Balls went past it, the blue outline vanishing.  
I leaned against the counter with a sigh. “I need to sit or something. I feel dead.”  
“I know what you mean. I guess all of the craziness that happened with that tank has finally caught up with me,” Courtney agreed. “I could use a really nice sleep.”  
“I’m just so glad Charizard is back, safe and sound,” June sighed, and then yawned.  
“So, he’s been tracking me down? Is that what he had told you earlier?” I asked June, a small amount of energy returning to me.  
June nodded and smiled, though it seemed like she was struggling just to do that. “Since he left Prof. Oak’s Lab, he’s been seeking you, Gary. Luckily, he located your scent at some point, and it became a lot easier from there. It was still a lot of trouble, though. He’s gone through quite a lot to find you, and it’s nothing but a miracle that he actually got to you. He could have easily gotten lost traveling through Unova, or have been following a similar scent that wasn’t yours at all. The odds of him finding you are not high at all. I mean, with weather conditions such as rain and wind and other things that could have easily thrown Charizard off, him finding you is rather insane, ha… Gosh, this is inspiring, isn’t it?”  
“Yeah, it is, to be honest,” I nodded. “Hey, I should call Professor Juniper and let her know that Charizard is okay so she can contact Prof. Oak.”  
June’s eyes lit up and she gave me an open mouthed smile. “That’s a great idea!”  
“Just cool it, okay, June?” I told her seriously, and I walked over to one of the phone booths. “There’s so much going on right now, and honestly, I don’t need your nonsense making things more stupid than they need to be. Just let me contact Juniper, and then you can have her all to yourself.”  
“Yeah, yeah. I know the drill,” June rolled her eyes with a smile.  
I took a seat in one of the phone booths and dialed Prof. Juniper’s number. The screen glowed blue as I waited.   
Finally, Prof. Juniper’s face appeared.  
“Profess-aaaahh!! Juniper?!” I stared at the disheveled professor with a stunned face.  
“Oh, my gosh!” June cried.  
“Whoa! Bad hair day?” Courtney added.  
Prof. Juniper looked a wreck! Her hair was pointing up into the air, and her face and clothes were smudged with black marks. She looked rather beautiful for a woman who seemed to have just gotten into a fight with… well… perhaps June’s Electivire! She was breathing hard, glaring through the screen. “Listen, I don’t have-!” Her eyes widened. “Gary! It’s Gary! I can’t believe it!”  
“Prof. Juniper, what happened to you? Are you alright?” I asked her.  
Something spun in the air behind Prof. Juniper before it flew out of view of the screen, crying out lightly.  
“Gary, I am demanding you take back that Porygon-Z of yours RIGHT THIS SECOND!!” Prof. Juniper barked.  
My eyes were wide, not believing what the professor was saying to me. “You want me to take it back? I mean, I have no problem with that, but-”  
“That thing is a menace!!” Prof. Juniper screamed.  
Suddenly, Porygon-Z appeared next to the professor and let out a thrilled screech as it saw me.  
“DAAAAAAHHH!!” I shouted out as its yell tore through my eardrums, startling me, and I dropped out of my chair, my hands over my ears.  
Courtney and June also screamed and backed away, Prof. Juniper crying out in pain and covering her ears as she dropped to the floor.  
Porygon-Z then let out a lighter, electronic cry.  
I looked up to see Prof. Juniper stand up and return Porygon-Z back to its Poke Ball. She then turned to me furiously. Her voice deepened as it transformed to that of raw evil as a growl came out from her throat. “Take it back! NOOOOOOWWW!!”  
I swallowed hard, petrified at the way she sounded. I honestly believed she now had the power to reach through the screen and slash my throat if she wanted to. And I had a feeling she wanted to. I managed to choke out a little laugh, and I opened my mouth to say something as I got up from the floor and took my seat.  
“THIS ISN’T FUNNY!!!” Prof. Juniper roared at me in an inhuman voice.  
“Okay,” I nodded fearfully. “I’ll take it back, Professor. And, actually, I think we need to do a couple of other trades, if you don’t mind.”  
“As long as this psychotic thing is going away, I don’t care!!” Prof. Juniper shouted in her normal voice.  
“Absolu-waaaahh!!” I was suddenly shoved out of my chair.  
“Prof. Juniper, I’m telling you, I have always hated that Porygon-Z!!” June said eagerly to Prof. Juniper, sitting in my seat, her face just a couple of inches from the screen. “That thing is insane!! It’s always acted like that, shocking people and just being weeeeeeeird!”  
Prof. Juniper leaned away from the screen, her eyes wide.  
“Did I ever tell you that I can’t read Porygon-Z?” June spoke nonstop. “That thing creeps me out because of that! I can read pretty much every Pokemon out there, but that Porygon-Z gives me the shivers and I can’t understand what it’s saying! I just freeze up and get totally bad vibes from it! I do not like that thing and never have! In my opinion, you’re a saint for having put-whoa!”  
I shoved June out of the chair and took a seat, staring down at her firmly.  
“Hey!” she shouted at me angrily from the floor.  
I turned to Prof. Juniper and cleared my throat. “Anyway, like I was saying, I think that now would be a good time for us to exchange a few Pokemon. And, I also have some great news that I’d like you to inform Prof. Oak of when you get the chance, please.”

*

“So, you never did explain why you didn’t want to come here in the first place, Gary,” Courtney said.  
“I’m well aware of that,” I responded coldly.  
“Will you tell me?”  
“Geez, give it a rest, will ya?” June said impatiently. “You have, like, no respect for people’s privacy at all!” She kept her stern eyes ahead of us.  
“I’m sorry,” Courtney muttered, lowering her head sadly.  
A welcome silence met our group for a couple of minutes as we traveled through the oddly empty town.  
There were a lot of houses everywhere, and I even spotted a small store, but I didn’t see anyone outside. Nearly every building held a lamp hooked onto the door. This town was really scary at night, the only light coming from the lamps and the occasional candle inside of a very select number of houses.  
“Will you at least tell me why your Noctowl is here?” Courtney asked me.  
Noctowl hooted gently, flying above us.  
“I’m just making sure everything’s… safe,” I grumbled.  
“Safe? From what?”  
“Don’t worry about it,” I said quickly as we turned a corner.  
“Oh, my goodness!!” June cried out loudly as I gasped in awe.  
“Oooooh! Look at that mansion!!” Courtney exclaimed.  
“This has to be it!” I yawned and twisted my body to each side. After shaking my head, I scrunched up my face and stretched out my arms, cracking my elbows. I suddenly felt a lot more energetic and ready to battle. “This is where my final Badge lies.”  
“Let’s go get our Badges, Gary!” Courtney said excitedly, and she walked ahead of us, leading the way closer to the mansion.  
The building was purple and stood high above us at five stories. But it was a startlingly tall five stories. Every story had six windows, except for the top story that only held two. Two black turrets stood at either end of the top of the mansion. The mansion’s exterior had designs and shapes on the front and sides, including claws reaching from the walls, spooky smiles without faces, and bricks that jutted from the building and circled around it like a strange set of stairs. At night, this building highly resembled a haunted mansion, and perhaps that was on purpose.  
“This is it, guys,” I said as we stopped in front of the mansion, my eyes on the black door with a gold door knob on it. “The last Badge. I hope…”  
“I still can’t believe Gramma’s Gym really isn’t operating anymore…” Courtney said sadly. “I feel so stupid!” She sighed and crossed her arms, frowning at the door.  
June squinted at Courtney suspiciously.  
I approached the door and noticed, in a shade so dark, it almost matched the color of the door, the words: Ghyst Town Pokemon Gym Leaders: Cory and Spector. Weird, I thought to myself. Why would they make the words so dark? Who could read that?  
Noctowl hooted calmly, and he used his Foresight against the door, the red beams from his eyes glowing.  
“All good?” I asked him.  
Noctowl nodded.  
I smiled and nodded back.  
“Huh?” Courtney asked. “Gary, what are you doing?”  
I ignored Courtney and grabbed the doorknob. The knob twisted in my grip and I gently shoved the door open.  
The door creaked very loudly, almost resembling a man’s scream, making me jump in surprise.  
Noctowl flapped his wings, startled by the noise, and Courtney and June gasped.  
“Hello?” I called into the pitch-black building, my voice echoing as I cautiously walked inside. At once, I was blinded by bright lights, and I cried out and closed my eyes.  
Noctowl, Courtney, and June let out shouts from close by me.  
I blinked against the lights, squinting as I tried to make out what was going on. “Whoa!”  
The room was now lit up as if someone had been holding the sun hostage! The walls were golden and very bright, and three chandeliers hung from the ceiling, glittering beautifully against the fire red floor. In the middle of the floor was the black outline of a battlefield, and at the far end of the field stood two young men.  
“Where did the brightness come from?” Courtney complained.  
“What was that?” June asked.  
Noctowl cried out as he stared into the room, his wings flapping close to my ear.  
“Welcome,” one of the two young men stated clearly, smiling softly. “I would like to introduce myself as Cory.” He bowed before us, dressed in a very clean black suit that somehow made him look like he was worth about a billion bucks.   
Based on the looks of the room we were standing in, in this huge mansion, I was certain that this place belonged to a billionaire.  
“And I’m Spector,” the other guy waved at us casually with a slight smile. He was wearing light blue jeans ripped at the knees, dirty, worn-out white sneakers, and a gray sweater. “You guys are here for a Gym battle, right?”  
“That’s right,” I nodded, still blinking from the sudden brightness. “I mean, me and her are.” I pointed at Courtney.  
“I’m just here to watch and learn, so to speak,” June smiled and waved, her face turning slightly red.  
Cory’s smile faded as he turned to June, and concern filled his wide, brown eyes. “Might I ask why you will not be accompanying your friends in a Pokemon battle?”  
June smiled wider and lowered her eyes to the ground, her face darkening into an even deeper red. “I’m not competing in the Unova League. I’m just traveling through Unova with Gary, my friend. And… Courtney.” Her smile faded, but her face got even redder.  
What’s up with her? I wondered, staring at her red face.  
“I understand,” Cory smiled, nodding his head that held his very low cut hair, once at her.  
“So, it’s just you two battling?” Spector asked, running one hand through his messy, long black hair that ended right above his shoulders.  
Courtney and I faced each other and then turned back to him. We both nodded quickly.  
Cory and Spector turned to each other with a smile and nodded before turning back to us.  
“Then, would you both be so good as to battle both me and my brother at the same time in a Tag Battle?” Cory, the brother whose skin was a little darker than my brown complexion, asked us.  
“Huh? What do you mean?” I felt like I understood what he asked, but it was such an odd request, I had to make sure.  
“Me and Cory against you two,” Spector, the pale skinned brother, explained shortly. “Is that alright with you two?”  
I turned to Courtney and realized that she was already looking back at me with wide eyes. Me and her, teaming up for our final Badge? I thought. That would save us a lot of time if we could just win this Badge together…  
Courtney’s eyes fluttered at me as a smile crossed her pink lips, and my eyes widened at her action.   
“So? What do you say, Sugar Lumps?” she asked, looking me over once. “Wanna team up for your last Badge?”  
Wow, I thought. This could be interesting.  
“Excuse me,” Cory suddenly spoke up. “Is it accurate to assume that this Noctowl that has been with you three is one of yours?”  
“Huh?” I turned away from Cory to see my Noctowl flying around the Gym, using Foresight on the walls, the floor, and the ceiling.  
Each side of this large room held a set of dark, purple stairs with a wooden, black handrail, leading up, and Noctowl flew to one of them and stared at it for a moment before gliding over to the two brothers.  
Cory stared in surprise as Noctowl stared him down, and then Spector was next to be glared at before Noctowl returned to my side, looking around suspiciously.  
“How’s everything look?” I asked him.  
The red beams from Noctowl’s Foresight went away, and he happily nodded, crying out to me.  
“I have a hunch that you were using your Noctowl’s Foresight to make sure that everything was as it appears,” Cory smiled warmly. “Is this true?”  
“I kind of had a bad experience with Ghost types,” I admitted to the brothers. “I just needed to be sure that everything was…”  
“Real?” Spector finished.   
“Yeah…” I lowered my head.  
Cory and Spector laughed.  
“Do not be embarrassed, Gary,” Cory told me. “That is very wise of you to be so cautious. Ghost type Pokemon can be very mischievous, after all. Rest assured that this Gym is most certainly not some kind of illusion or trap.”  
He speaks… weird… I thought, staring at Cory. Why does he talk so… Like… Straight? This isn’t a job interview or something.  
“Why couldn’t you just explain that to me when I asked?” Courtney crossed her arms, scowling at me.  
I turned to her angrily. “I don’t want to talk about it any further.”  
“I wanna know what happened to you!”   
“Courtney, I said to drop it!”  
“Cory, Spector, ask Gary what happened to him, since he doesn’t want to tell me anything!” Courtney said grouchily to the Gym Leaders.  
Both brothers turned to each other uncomfortably.  
“Please, let’s all keep it cool,” Spector smiled at us nervously. “No need for fighting. You can’t win a Tag Battle if you’re fighting against each either. It’s about peace, teamwork, and all that, you know?”  
“Yes,” Cory added. “Or, we could certainly oblige to battling you each individually, instead. By that, I mean, me and my brother, Spector, versus one of you two, today. After that match concludes, my brother and I would then battle against the other person in another match, tomorrow.”  
“Tomorrow… I think I’d prefer to just wrap this up today,” I told the brothers. “We’ve still got a decent amount of time before the Interough Conference starts, but I’m raring to get this battle on. And teaming with Courtney might be kinda fun. I’ve never had a battle like that before…” It only took me a few seconds after I finished speaking to remember a specific day of my trip through Kanto.   
Once, I had met the Pokemon Champion of Kanto, A.J. Him and one of the members of the Kanto Elite Four, the Ghost type Master, Kaybee, engaged me and Robin in a Tag Battle, which we both lost horribly.   
“Well, I guess I have battled like that once before…” I spoke hesitantly.  
“Then, you’re both game?” Spector asked.  
“Hmph,” Courtney grunted and looked away from me as I turned to her.  
“I am not one hundred percent certain that Courtney is open to this suggestion,” Cory laughed lightly.  
“I’m fine with it,” Courtney grumbled. She turned to me, and her anger faded away as sadness designed her face. “I just wish you’d be more open with me. That’s all.”  
“Courtney…” I felt kind of bad, now. I just didn’t want to talk about what had occurred so long ago. They were memories I knew I’d never forget, and honestly, it was probably best that I didn’t forget them, for my own good. But, was it so bad that I didn’t tell Courtney about them? Was it worth fighting over?  
“Who’s judging this battle, anyway?” June asked.  
Spector and Cory exchanged quick glances before turning to us with smiles.  
“Our butler, George, would normally judge our matches, but he’s been very ill lately, so-” Spector was saying.  
Something appeared in a multicolored flash outside of the battlefield.  
“Oh, my!” Nurse Joy exclaimed in shock, covering her eyes with her hands.  
“Gardevoir,” Gardevoir spoke gently, appearing next to Nurse Joy, looking first at the Gym Leaders and then over at June, Courtney, Noctowl and I.  
“Oh, I guess I’m judging a Gym match?” Nurse Joy yawned, rubbing her eyes.  
“If it is of no trouble to you, Nurse Joy,” Cory bowed.  
“No, no,” Nurse Joy groaned, stretching her back. “No trouble.”  
“Thanks,” Spector told the nurse, and then he turned to me and Courtney. “Are you two ready?”  
Courtney and I turned to each other and stared solemnly.  
“I am,” I nodded at her.  
She nodded silently and walked over to the battlefield.  
I turned to June and shrugged before turning away and joining Courtney.  
Noctowl hooted loudly and flapped his wings around Gardevoir and Nurse Joy, using Foresight on them both.  
Nurse Joy uttered out a startled sound, taking a couple of steps back as she stared at Noctowl.  
Gardevoir didn’t budge, glaring at my Pokemon.  
“Noctowl, that’s about enough, bud! I think we get the picture, here. Return!” I called, and I retreated my Pokemon.  
“Ha. A wonderfully dedicated Pokemon you have, Gary,” Cory said. “Please, if you both will be so kind, state your names, followed by the places you are from, for the record.”  
“My name is Gary, from Pallet Town in Kanto!” I said loudly.  
“I’m Courtney, from LaRousse City in the Hoenn region!” Courtney called.  
“We have quite the foreigners in our presence this evening,” Cory smiled politely. “Is the beautiful young lady behind you also from afar? And, might I request her name?”  
“Ha.” June covered her cheeks with her hands and trained her eyes on the ground as she went red again. “My name is June. I’m from Kanto, too. From Gringey City.”  
“Such a pleasure to have been able to lay my eyes upon such distant beauty, from both Courtney, and you, as well, June,” Cory bowed deeply.  
“Oh, my! I-ha! Thank you,” June giggled.  
“Oh, I’m nothing compared to June,” Courtney smiled, lowering her head shyly. She brushed aside one side of her hair and giggled as her hand slid down against her face.  
I grabbed a Poke Ball in my hand and squeezed it, glaring impatiently at Cory. “Are we battling or what?” I snapped.  
Cory’s smile faded as he turned to me, but it returned quickly. “Most certainly, Gary. Ha, ha.” He turned to Nurse Joy. “If you would be so kind, please? A Tag Battle against our opponents this evening.”  
Nurse Joy smiled back and nodded. “Of course!” she said with noticeably more energy than she seemed to have before. “This match will be a Tag Battle between Ghyst Town’s Gym Leaders, Cory and Spector, against Gary from Pallet Town and Courtney from LaRousse City, for the Shadow Badge. This match will feature only one Pokemon from each Trainer, and the match will end when both Pokemon from one side are unable to continue. There will be no time limit for this battle.” Nurse Joy raised one hand into the air, Gardevoir glaring straight ahead at the battlefield. “Trainers may now begin!” Nurse Joy shouted.  
“Chandelure, goooo!” Spector tossed his Poke Ball.  
“Chandelure!” a ghostly creature resembling a chandelier said strongly.  
“Jellicent, please, let us have a memorable battle!” Cory sent out his Pokemon.  
“Jellicent!” the familiar Pokemon said.  
I’d seen a Jellicent before from Ruko, but the one that he had was pink. The one I was now staring at was blue! “A Shiny Pokemon?” I stared at the Pokemon with a smile.  
I knew of Shiny Pokemon. They were Pokemon that were in a different color than they normally were found, and are extremely rare finds.  
“This one is colored differently from the one I’ve seen before,” I noted.  
“Ha, ha, ha. This is not the case, Gary,” Cory explained to me. “You see, male Jellicent are blue, whereas female Jellicent are pink. The same rules apply for their pre-evolved stage, Frillish.”  
“Oh,” I said, a little embarrassed.   
Courtney snickered as she pulled out her Pokedex.  
Jellicent. The Floating Pokemon. This is Frillish’s evolved stage. It is believed that somewhere in the seas where Jellicent live, numerous ships lie deep at the bottom of the ocean, sunk by the Jellicent. Searches to find these said ships have all ended in failure, as no one has ever returned.  
I pointed my Pokedex at Spector’s Pokemon.  
Chandelure. The Luring Pokemon and Lampent’s final form. This Pokemon hypnotizes its victims by waving the flames on its body before draining their spirit.  
Just great, I thought, lowering my Pokedex. Just the kind of thing I wanted to hear. What is it with Ghost type Pokemon, anyway?  
“Sceptile, let’s go!” Courtney threw Sceptile’s Poke Ball to the field.   
“Sceptiiiiile!” Sceptile yelled in its raspy voice.  
“And I’m going with you, buddy!” I threw the Poke Ball.  
Porygon-Z appeared and spun in place.  
A loud shriek filled the Gym, and everyone inside let out startled cries as well and turned around. Me, Courtney, Spector, Cory, Sceptile, Porygon-Z, Jellicent, Chandelure, Nurse Joy, and Gardevoir all had our eyes on the same person.  
June had her back pressed against the closed front door, her terrified eyes on Porygon-Z.  
“June, what is wrong with-?” I began. A familiar, electronic-like whirr from behind me made me turn around, and before I knew it, I was tackled by something, knocking me to the ground. I groaned in pain and wrapped my arms around my attacker. “Porygon-Z, please… This isn’t the time… I just want to battle already…”  
Porygon-Z let out a sharp, blaring screech that caused screams from everyone in the building, myself included.  
I let go of Porygon-Z and covered my ears, my eyes closed tight. Maybe this was a mistake, I thought wearily, my ears throbbing.   
Another scream from June caused me to look up and see Porygon-Z chasing her, its body sparking with electricity as it waved its appendages through the air in a swimming motion.  
“GARY, STOP IT!!!” June shrieked. “CALL IT BACK!! CALL IT BACK!!”  
“I already sent it out! I can’t retreat, now!” I reasoned.  
“I DON’T CARE ABOUT THE STUPID BATTLE!!!!”  
“Well, I do!” I replied angrily, getting to my feet. “Porygon-Z, get back to the field!! Stop acting up! We can play later! Come on!!”  
“Why does June seem so terrified of it?” Courtney asked in a low voice as Porygon-Z ignored me and continued chasing June. She pulled out her Pokedex again.  
Porygon-Z. The Virtual Pokemon. This is Porygon2’s last stage. The original plan was to improve upon Porygon2’s programming and allow for new dimensions to be accessed, but this Pokemon was instead found to be out of control and unstable.  
“Wow…” Courtney whispered. She turned to me. “I can’t believe you have one of those! Where did you find one?”  
“Well, i-OH!” I was knocked back down by a screaming June as she ran onto the battlefield, trying to get away from my Pokemon.  
Porygon-Z flew right over me in the following second.  
“Ha, I’ve got an idea,” Spector smiled at Cory. “Now that Porygon-Z’s on the battlefield, let’s get June off of it and begin the match, guys!”  
“I quite agree,” Cory said, smiling back at Spector. He then turned to his Jellicent. “Jellicent, I request you use Psychic to gently hold Porygon-Z still, please.”  
“Jellicent!” Jellicent’s eyes glowed light blue, and Porygon-Z suddenly froze in place, its body outlined in light blue.  
Porygon-Z looked around in confusion and then closed its eyes, struggling to move and crying out desperately.  
“Oh, thank you! Thank you!!” June bowed and then took off, running out of the field for the battle.  
A painful screech from Porygon-Z burned into my eardrums and I screamed, covering my ears as my eyes teared up. “I CAN’T TAKE THIS THING ANYMOOOOORRRRRE!!!” I bellowed. When Porygon-Z was done trying to make my ears bleed, I looked up and noticed that everybody but Porygon-Z was on the ground, breathing hard from the pain they had just been subjected to.  
Porygon-Z let out a happy cry.  
“That is… a really unique Pokemon you have, Gary,” Cory breathed tiredly.  
“Is it gonna be doing that throughout this battle?” Spector sighed.  
“No! Porygon-Z just gets a little crazy sometimes… I’m really sorry!” I got to my feet and balled my fists. “Everything’s gonna be alright, now! Porygon-Z, can we pleeeease start this battle, now?”  
Porygon-Z turned to me and nodded happily, letting out a light chime noise.  
Chandelure and Jellicent got up from the floor, shaking their heads and glaring at Porygon-Z.  
Sceptile also got up, shooting Porygon-Z a dirty look.  
“It’s gonna be you and Sceptile against those two in front of you,” I told Porygon-Z. “Chandelure’s in front of you, and Jellicent is the other Pokemon. This is gonna be for our last-”  
Porygon-Z flew out of the battlefield and stopped in front of Nurse Joy, turning its body sideways, and it let out a light, pleasant, funny little noise.  
Nurse Joy stared back, and a smile spread across her face.  
Porygon-Z slowly floated over to Gardevoir and its body shook like a rattle.  
Gardevoir stared back coldly, not moving.  
Porygon-Z whirred before it floated back to the battlefield, towards its opponents.  
Cory and Spector got to their feet, watching my Porygon-Z.  
It hung upside down as it looked at Chandelure, and then it slid over to Jellicent. It then floated away silently over to their Trainers. Porygon-Z’s body sparked.  
“Huh?” Cory and his brother both uttered as they stared at my Pokemon.  
“Porygon-Z! What are you doing?!” I screamed fearfully.  
Porygon-Z shocked both Gym Leaders with Thunder.  
They both screamed and collapsed to the floor.  
Courtney, Sceptile, June, and Nurse Joy gasped along with me.  
“Chandelure!” Chandelure shouted angrily, and it fired a stream of flames in Porgyon-Z’s direction.  
“Jeeeeeeell!” Jellicent used Bubble Beam to attack my Pokemon.  
Porygon-Z turned around and ducked underneath both attacks. It let out an angry cry, flapping its appendages, and then flew into the battlefield. It faced the two opposing Pokemon, floating next to Sceptile, and let out a serious call.  
Courtney finally managed to stand up. “Gary, that thing nuts! This is a Tag Battle! You couldn’t have chosen something a little more obedient? How are we supposed to sync?”  
“I…” …guess I didn’t think of that, I finished in my head.  
Cory and Spector got to their feet.  
Spector looked understandably angry.  
Cory looked exhausted from what he just withstood. “It would appear that this battle has begun.”  
“Deal,” Courtney said determinedly, turning to the battlefield. “Sceptile, use your Leaf Blade on Jellicent!”  
“Porygon-Z, Psybeam Chandelure!” I commanded.  
“Chandelure, Fire Blast Sceptile!” Spector ordered.  
“Jellicent, I insist on you using Ice Beam on Porygon-Z,” Cory told him.  
Sceptile moved first, leaping at Jellicent and slashing him with the leaves on its arms that were glowing light green.  
“Jeeeeeellicent!” Jellicent slid backwards on the floor of the Gym.  
Porygon-Z’s head spun in circles for a second before it stopped and fired a multicolored beam from its eyes, slamming into Chandelure as it was about to attack Sceptile.  
Jellicent’s body suddenly began to shiver on the ground. His face darkened, and a blue aura surrounded his body.  
Sceptile suddenly shivered for some reason, its eyes wide as if being possessed, and its body was surrounded by a blue aura.  
Both Pokemon finally stopped shaking and the blue around them faded, their faces returning back to normal.  
“What was that?” Courtney questioned.  
“Yeah, that was weird,” I said. “Was that an attack?”  
“The Ability that we have all witnessed just now is known as Cursed Body,” Cory informed us. “What this Ability does is disable the move that was used against it.”  
“You mean, I can’t use Leaf Blade anymore?” Courtney said in disbelief.  
“Yes, but for only a short while,” Cory said calmly. “Jellicent, once again, try your Ice Beam, please.”  
“Jelll!” Jellicent recovered from the hit he took and immediately used Ice Beam, hitting Porygon-Z with the attack.  
Porygon-Z cried out as ice formed around its body, and it then dropped to the ground, Frozen.  
“Chandeluuuure!” Chandelure breathed out fire and hit Sceptile, dropping it as well.  
“Sceptile! Hang in there!” Courtney encouraged her Pokemon.  
“Scept! Sceptile!” Sceptile shook its head and stood up. “Scept! Tiiiiile!” Sceptile was dropped to its knees as its body was suddenly covered in flames. It screamed and then collapsed further down as the Burn went away.  
“Noooooo!” Courtney wailed. “Gary!” She shoved me angrily.  
“Hey! What are you mad at me for?” I leered at her.  
“Why didn’t you attack Jellicent with me?” she said furiously. “We need to attack the same Pokemon! We can knock one out quicker that way! Duuh!”  
“You didn’t say you wanted to do things that way!”  
“I gave Sceptile the first order! You should have followed my lead!”  
“Since when are you the leader?”  
“Chandelure, Confuse Ray!” Spector said.  
“Huh?” Courtney and I both turned to the battle.  
Chandelure fired several golden orbs at Sceptile, who was struggling to its feet.   
The orbs latched onto Sceptile’s body and grew bigger until they combined into one. The ball popped loudly and Sceptile’s eyes glowed red.   
It stumbled around, now Confused.  
“Jellicent, might I ask of you to use Scald on Porygon-Z?” Cory asked of his Pokemon.  
“Jellicent! Jeeeeeell!” Jellicent sprayed my Frozen Pokemon with steaming hot water.  
Porygon-Z was out of sight inside of the white steam that surrounded it. With a loud scream, Porygon-Z floated up out of the steam, into the air, its head spinning in circles.  
“Get that one, too!” Spector spoke out.  
Chandelure moved instantly, attacking Porygon-Z with Confuse Ray, as well.  
Now, both Pokemon were Confused.  
“Sceptile, fight through it and use Night Slash on Jellicent!” Courtney instructed her Pokemon. She turned to me. “And this time, how about you stick to the damn plan?”  
“Don’t talk to me like that!” I told her, feeling my temper flaring. “Pay attention to the battle and maybe you wouldn’t have gotten Burned! We stopped the first Fire Blast!”  
“And maybe you could have stopped the second one if you weren’t so busy being Frozen!” Courtney yelled.  
“Don’t you-!” I raised a finger and pointed at her.   
A familiar pair of cries made me stop and Courtney and I looked at our Pokemon. “Oh, no!” we both exclaimed.  
“Porygon-Z!”  
“Sceptile!”  
Both of our Pokemon were fighting with each other!  
Sceptile was swinging furiously at Porygon-Z with Night Slash while Porygon-Z would back up and hit Sceptile with Psybeam!   
“Would you look at that, my dear brother,” Cory chuckled lightly. “Art is imitating life. The Pokemon cannot get along with each other any better than their Trainers.”  
“Ha! Good one, bro,” Spector smiled.  
My heart sunk.  
Sceptile dropped to its knees as another Burn kicked in, and Porygon-Z used Tackle once the flames around Sceptile died out, slamming into its chest and knocking it onto its back.  
“Our Pokemon won’t survive this Gym battle if they’re beating the crap out of each other!” Courtney bemoaned. “Gary, we have to get through to them!”  
I turned to her and saw the scared look on her face. “You’re right! We can’t expect our Pokemon to listen to us if we’re not gonna be any better of an example,” I said firmly. “We need to snap them out of that Confusion.”  
Porygon-Z let out a mechanical whiiiirrrr, and its eyes turned an even darker red. Two red circles flew from its eyes and landed on Sceptile’s chest, combining into one and turning into a red target.  
“Gary, make it stop!” Courtney pleaded.  
“It’s using Lock-On! The next move is gonna hit no matter what!”  
“Lock-On?” Courtney squeaked.  
“Your Pokemon are in a prime position to get blasted, right there, if you ask me,” Spector said suddenly. “Chandelure, finish them both off with Fire Blast!”  
“Sceptiiiiile!!” Courtney’s hands slapped against her cheeks.   
Sceptile groaned as it struggled just to climb back to its knees. Its hands rested on top of the floor as it breathed heavily.  
Porygon-Z started to charge a white orb in front of its beak. The orb glowed with flashes of multiple colors.  
“Tri Attack!” I gasped. “Porygon-Z, you can’t! Listen to me!” My eyes widened. “Wait a minute…” I whispered. “Courtney, Sceptile needs to stay in the middle of those two attacks, and then use Detect!”  
“What?!” Courtney looked at me as if I had mutated into a goblin.  
“TRUST ME!” I shouted desperately.  
Chandelure attacked with Fire Blast.  
“Sceptile, stay still and use Detect!” Courtney covered her face with her hands, but spread the fingers to peek through. “What have I done…?” she whined.  
Sceptile grunted as it stood up tall, Porygon-Z’s Tri Attack and Chandelure’s Fire Blast soaring towards it.   
The target on its chest remained.   
Sceptile’s eyes then glowed light blue. “Sceptile!” Sceptile leaped out of the way of Porygon-Z’s Tri Attack and Chandelure’s Fire Blast, the target on its chest disappearing!  
The two moves exploded on contact and I stumbled back a few feet as smoke blocked the Pokemon on the field from view.  
Courtney ducked her head, still hiding behind her hands, closing her eyes tight as wind whipped throughout the building.  
When the smoke cleared, Chandelure and Jellicent stood on their end of the field.  
Sceptile was on one knee, and its eyes were no longer red.  
Porygon-Z was in the air, staring at its opponents silently. It was also freed from its Confusion.  
“It worked? The attack missed?” Courtney cried out in amazement.  
“I wasn’t sure if Detect would work or not, to be honest,” I admitted. “I took a chance.”  
“You?? You took a chance?” Courtney raged at me. “You used my Pokemon! Risked my Pokemon’s health, not yours! What chance did you take?”  
“I kept both of our Pokemon safe, didn’t I?” I yelled at her. “I knew how powerful Fire Blast was, but Porygon-Z has Adaptability Ability. That makes moves that are the same type as it, extra powerful. I knew that if we could make Tri Attack, a Normal move, which is the same type as Porygon-Z, hit Fire Blast, it could be enough to counter it and keep us in this battle!” I relaxed and smiled at Courtney. “Now, let’s get this Badge. Together, Courtney.”   
Her expression softened as her eyes widened.  
I turned to our Pokemon. “You ready?”  
“Yes!” Courtney said happily. “I am! Let’s do this!”  
Sceptile cried out as Burn inflicted its damage.  
“Sceptile can’t have much energy left in it! Just look at it!” I pointed.  
Sceptile’s body was now glowing green.  
“That’s Overgrow! Its Grass moves are really gonna be powerful now, but this also means it’s down to the last bit of health it has!” I told Courtney.  
“I’m aware of my own Pokemon’s Ability, Sugar,” Courtney said kindly.   
“Porygon-Z, let’s do this! Zap Cannon Jellicent!”  
Porygon-Z shivered in the air as its body sparked. A yellow and black ball sparked in front of it, and with an excited yell, it fired the attack across the field.  
“JEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLL!!!” Jellicent shouted and he collapsed. “Jell! Jeeeell!” His body sparked as Paralysis kicked in.  
“I can’t believe it! He’s still fighting!” I gasped.  
Jellicent floated from the floor and his face darkened again. He began to shiver as his body was outlined in blue.  
The Cursed Body Ability hit Porygon-Z, making it look forward with a shocked look on its face and shake hard, its body outlined in blue. When it was over, Porygon-Z looked around, hovering shakily.  
“Zap Cannon’s gone,” I growled.  
“Jellicent, now would be a most excellent time to use Recover, methinks,” Cory told his Pokemon.  
Methinks? What century does he think this is? I thought, glaring at him.   
Multiple colors flashed on Jellicent’s body before fading away, and Jellicent now looked a lot healthier.  
“That thing knows Recover, too. We don’t have any other choice, then!” Courtney said seriously. “Gary, you’re on your own for a little bit after this. I’m sorry.”  
“On my own? What do you mean?” I turned to her in surprise.  
“Sceptile, let’s show ‘em what you’ve got! Frenzy Plant, now!” Courtney insisted.  
“Frenzy Plant??” I couldn’t believe my ears.  
“Scept!” Sceptile stood up tall. “Sceeept! Sceptile Sceeeeeeptiiiiiiiiiilllle!!” Sceptile raised its hands to the ceiling and then stomped one foot hard to the ground.  
The floor under me rocked slightly, and then, BAAAAAAAAAAAAAM!!!!   
Several roots burst from the bottom of the Gym, covered in thorns, and headed for Jellicent.  
“Oh, no!” Cory exclaimed.  
“JEEEEEELLL!!” Jellicent was smacked by the most powerful Grass type move. He dropped to the ground easily and didn’t move.  
“Jellicent is unable to battle!” Nurse Joy waved at Jellicent.  
Gardevoir kept her eyes on Jellicent.  
“It would appear that my time here is done,” Cory smiled at me and Courtney. “You both have done well, so far.” He looked down to his Jellicent, still smiling. “Thank you for your valiant effort, my friend. I could not have asked for more.” He returned his Pokemon and looked back to the battlefield pleasantly.  
“One down, but now, Sceptile is unable to fight for a bit,” I acknowledge, knowing the cost of using such a powerful move like Frenzy Plant.  
“I’ll be back in this as soon as I can, alright?” Courtney assured me.  
“We’ve got this! Porygon-Z, Thunder!”  
“Dodge it, Chandelure!” Spector said.  
Porygon-Z’s body sparked, and it hung upside down at an angle. A bright blast of electricity aimed for Chandelure, but Chandelure dodged it.  
“Now, attack Sceptile with Fire Blast!”  
“Porygon-Z, jump in front of it and use Protect!”  
Porygon-Z tumbled in the way of the oncoming wave of fire and surrounded itself with a turquoise ball of energy, holding off the Fire Blast attack.  
“Gary!” Courtney said gratefully. “Thank you so much!”  
“Sceeept!” Sceptile fell as its Burn kicked in again.  
“Sceptile!” Courtney called to her Pokemon.  
Sceptile struggled to move, but it didn’t have the strength to hold itself up.  
“Porygon-Z, use your Recover!” I told it.  
Porygon-Z’s body glowed with multiple colors as it recovered its energy.  
“I didn’t know it knew Recover, too,” Courtney said softly.  
“If Sceptile can’t stick it out, I’m gonna need all the health I can gather up.”  
“Then use your Confuse Ray! We’ll stop them that way!” Spector was starting to sound agitated and impatient.  
“Gary, take aim! Sceptile and I can hold off Chandelure! Night Slash, now!” Courtney said quickly.  
“Take aim?” I didn’t understand what she meant by that.  
Sceptile got to its feet and the leaves on its wrists glowed a very light purple. It leaped into the air.  
“OH, SHOOT!” I suddenly understood what Courtney meant. “Lock-On, now!”  
Sceptile descended upon Chandelure.  
Porygon-Z’s eyes glowed red and sent out the red circles. They landed on Chandelure’s face and combined into one target.  
Sceptile let out a threatening cry and slashed Chandelure to the ground, stopping its Confuse Ray attack.  
“Sceeeept!” Sceptile groaned in pain as the Burn set in again. It fell to its face.  
“Sceptile is also out! The remaining Pokemon are Chandelure and Porygon-Z!” Nurse Joy announced.  
“Sceptile, you battled perfectly! Come back!” Courtney returned Sceptile to its Poke Ball.  
“Thunder, now!” I demanded loudly.  
Porygon-Z’s body sparked brightly, and I shielded my eyes against the blindingly bright, white lighting that flew from its body.  
“Chandelure, get out of the way!” Spector urged his Pokemon.  
“Chandelure!” Chandelure ascended into the air, but the target on its body stayed with it. “CHANDELUUUUUUUUUUUURRRE!!!” Chandelure’s voice roared throughout the Gym as the Thunder attack hit it right on target.  
Porygon-Z’s attack finished, and all eyes were on the shivering, sparking Chandelure hovering above the Gym floor.  
“Chandelure…” Chandelure dropped.  
“Chandelure has been defeated!” Nurse Joy said, clasping her hands together with a smile. “The winners of this battle are Gary and Courtney!”  
“YEEEEEEEEEESSSS!!!” I cheered. “We won all eight Badges!! We really did it! We-GAH!!” I was choked by arms as Courtney wrapped me up in a tight hug.  
“Gary, we did it! We won!!” She planted her lips against my cheek and gave me a big, wet kiss.  
“HEY!” I squirmed angrily in her arms.  
Courtney laughed and let me go. “Guess I let my enthusiasm get the best of me, there, ha ha ha ha!”  
I wiped at my cheek and then wiped my hand against my jeans, scowling. “Control yourself, woman! Hey!” I was suddenly being squeezed around my chest by another pair of arms!  
“Gary, you won! You can finally compete in the Interough Conference!” June gushed. “You did so well!”  
“Thanks, just don’t kiss me!” I smiled, looking at the ground.  
“Very well done, you two,” I heard the voice of Spector, and as June let go of me, I turned to see the two Gym Leaders standing close by us.  
Cory held an open, purple case in his hands, a white cloth in the middle of it that hung out both ends holding two small objects. They were both purple and in the shape of a ghostly, sharp claw.  
“You two have undoubtedly earned the Shadow Badge,” Cory said. “It was an honor.”  
The brothers both bowed before us.  
“Wow! YAY!! The Shadow Badge!” Courtney reached into the case, but I grabbed her hand and pulled it back.  
“Not so fast,” I said to her.  
“Huh?” She looked at me.  
I let go of her and grabbed a Poke Ball from my belt and tossed it into the air.  
Noctowl hooted from above and I caught his Poke Ball as it fell down towards my hands.  
“Noctowl, one more scan, please,” I smiled at him.  
Noctowl happily flew down and used Foresight on the two Badges.  
Nothing happened.  
“Ha ha! It’s real! Everything’s real!” I scooped up one of the Badges and held it high. “Porygon-Z! We did it! We really did it! We won all eight Badges this time!”   
Porygon-Z was shivering in the air, hanging at a tilted angle, gliding slowly back and forth within the space of the battlefield.  
“Porygon-Z!” I called out to it, and I ran towards it.  
Porygon-Z straightened up and turned to me.  
“We won, man!” I laughed and leaped at the crazy Pokemon, wrapping my arms around its body.  
Porygon-Z shivered hard with excitement in my arms.   
“W-w-w-we c-c-c-c-can c-c-c-compete in th-th-the Int-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-terough C-C-C-C-Conference, now! Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-YES!” I stammered as I held on to my continuously shaking Porygon-Z. I released it and threw my other Poke Balls to the ground.  
Charizard stretched his wings broadly and roared powerfully, blasting at the ceiling with fire.  
“DOOOOO! DOOOOOOOO!!” Kingdra bounced over to me immediately, overjoyed to see me.  
“Unfezant!” Unfezant stood on the floor of the Gym, looking up at me expectantly.  
“Sawk!” Sawk bowed before all of us.  
I held out the Shadow Badge. “You guys, we just got our final Badge! The Shadow Badge! We’re on our way to the Interough Conference!” I shouted happily.  
All of my Pokemon seemed delighted with the news, except for Sawk, who merely nodded slowly and then kept his serious eyes on me.  
With a sigh of relief, I fell wearily to the floor with a smile. We did it, I thought as I looked down at the Badge in my hand.

*

I sighed as I laid in the lobby of the Pokemon Center, sprawled out on the floor.  
June was sitting in a chair, her head on a wooden table, her eyes closed.  
Courtney was stretched out on the bench against the wall, breathing heavily in her sleep.  
They sure were tired, I thought to myself. Even I’m wiped out for some reason. I guess I drained myself from that battle I had, and all the excitement of having my eighth Badge and being able to compete in the Interough Conference has finally worn me out. I yawned as my eyes started to close. I didn’t want them to close. I didn’t want to go to sleep. I wasn’t even fully certain how I got on the floor, or why I hadn’t gotten up from it. Too tired, I told myself. Besides, there ain’t nothing wrong with sleeping on the floor. It’s comforting in its own way.  
Nurse Joy was in the back with Gardevoir, taking care of our Pokemon.  
I had told her to take her time caring for them.   
We were in no rush. The girls were sleeping like babies right now, and soon enough, so would I.  
Up next is Interough City, I thought sleepily. The Interough Conference.  
Ella flashed into my mind.  
Trixa followed shortly after her.  
I wonder how they’re doing. I wonder where Ella’s going for her final Badge… She hates me… My eyes opened slowly as a heavy feeling filled my chest and my heart began to beat faster. Ella can’t stand me. She’s going to get her final Badge, and I might have to face her at the Interough Conference. It’s only… I rolled over onto my side and closed my eyes. I dunno. A few weeks away? A couple of weeks? I don’t care… Whatever.  
I don’t even care about Ella.  
I don’t even really care about the Interough Conference right now.  
I don’t even have to worry about my Pokemon right now, either.  
I’m just too tired to be concerned with all this stress. I can worry about this other stuff when we leave here tomorrow.  
Or maybe… we’ll stay here tomorrow and just sleep…   
We can always leave the next day…  
I yawned and curled up in a ball, smiling comfortably.  
Or… maybe we’ll just leave the day after that…  
Or… maybe we could spend the week here… Like a vacation…  
And just sleep…  
We all deserve a little vacation…  
And the Interough Conference is months away…  
Or something…  
Sleep…  
I just need to sleep…  
All I care about…  
Sleep…


	60. Moment Of Solace

“Gary! Wake up! Gary! Gary! Come on! Wake up, man!”   
“Huh?” My eyes shot open and I looked up in surprise to someone shaking me hard. “Hey! What do you think you’re doing?” I felt angry, but the feeling faded, and I closed my eyes again.   
“Wake up, kid!”  
“June, I am sorry to have to do this, but you need to wake up, please!”  
I was shaken hard again and I groaned sleepily. “Just five more minutes… Pleeeease…”  
“Gary, get up! Now!”   
The shaking was seriously angering me and I opened my eyes. “Whaaaaat?” I groaned. I sat up, squinting at who had awoken me so rudely from such a nice sleep. “Spencer…? Spectator…?”  
“Spector,” the young man said with concern. “It’s Spector. What in the world are you guys still doing here?”  
I heard a groan from somewhere, but I lowered my head, resting it in my hands. “Can’t we talk about this later? I’m really tired right now…” I rubbed my eyes and looked up at Spector.  
He had turned away from me and was looking at another guy.  
This was his brother, Cody, or something like that. He was holding June, I think her name was, against his chest. They both were sitting on the floor next to a chair and table.   
“Is she alright, Cory?” Spector asked.  
Cory. That was the name.  
Cory stared at his brother and slowly nodded. “She’ll be alright.”  
Spector stood up and walked over to Courtney, who was lying on her back on the bench against the wall, and he shook her roughly, trying to wake her up.  
“What’s the deal with you guys?” I stretched out my arms, desiring only to go back to sleep. “What are you waking us up for?”  
“Gary…? Hug…?” Courtney mumbled in her sleep before finally crying out in surprise as she woke up. “You…! What are you doing?” Almost instantly, her eyes started to close again.  
“Courtney!” I exclaimed, my eyes widening, my body waking further as I slowly started getting to my feet. “Aaah… My back…” I held my now aching back and stood hunched over. “What happened to your face?”  
Courtney’s eyes opened wide at my words, and she turned quickly to her backpack behind her. “Ow!” she moaned, and she stretched her sides, holding one side. “My body hurts! Ugh! I really don’t feel too good today.” She managed to pull her bag from behind her and sit it in her lap.  
June moaned against Cory, but she didn’t move.  
Cory rubbed her back, staring down at her gingerly.  
Courtney dug through her bag, her face looking like she was perhaps a fifty year old woman who was getting no sleep! She had several dark bags under her eyes, and her lips were a little dried up. Her hair seemed a little more stringy than usual, a mess on top of her head, and the blonde color to it was faded. She finally pulled out her mirror, and in the next instant, she shrieked as if someone had just stabbed her in the chest.  
June and I jumped, June’s eyes popping open as she turned to look at Courtney, and she too screamed in horror.  
“WHAT HAPPENED TO MY FACE?!?!??” Courtney screeched, grabbing at her face and running her hand through her hair.  
“Everything’s alright, ha ha” Spector said lightly. “But you guys have to get out of here.” Spector swallowed hard and then smiled again.  
“ALRIGHT?!?! YOU CALL THIS ALRIGHT?!?!?! LOOK AT ME!!!!” Courtney raged, keeping her face in the mirror. “DO YOU GUYS KNOW WHAT THIS IS ABOUT?!?!”  
June turned to Spector, and then looked over at me, and I got a good look at her face. She did a double take at me, and her eyes expanded.  
We both pointed at each other and screamed. “YOUR FACE!! MINE?!?” We raced to Courtney and shoved her out of the way, grasping for her mirror. Our faces smushed against one another as we viewed ourselves. A pair of screams tore through the Pokemon Center.  
“MY FACE!!! I LOOK HORRIBLE!! WHAT HAPPENED???” I bellowed, staring at basically what I had seen from Courtney and June. Wrinkly skin, bags under my weary, tired, red eyes, and messy, dried out hair.  
“What year is this?!! How long did I sleep?! What is this?! This can’t be me! This just can’t be!!” June was going into hysterics as she pulled the mirror away from me and focused on her face.  
“HEY! Do you two know what’s going on here?” I demanded of the Gym Leaders.  
Spector and Cory, now standing next to each other, exchanged quick glances.  
“Come on, guys! Just tell us.” I was too tired to keep talking, and I sat down on the bench, desiring to get some more sleep.  
“It appears that the Litwick are feeding off of your life energy,” Cory said seriously.  
“The Lit…wick…?” I repeated. “What is that?”  
“They’re just a couple of Ghost type Pokemon that live in this town!” Spector burst out frantically. “Just get your stuff and leave! Everything’s just fine! You’ll be okay once you get out of here! It’s as simple as that!”  
“Brother, please, relax.” Cory turned to June and stared at her.  
June lowered the mirror and turned to him. She let out a low cry and turned away, sitting down on the bench with Courtney and I.  
Cory smiled and turned to me. “Perhaps it is best that you all depart. Have you received your Pokemon back from Nurse Joy?”  
“No. We haven’t seen her since we got here and left our Pokemon in her care. What time is it? What day is it?”  
“We only battled just yesterday, technically speaking,” Cory answered me. “It is currently around three o’clock in the morning. It has been several hours since our battle.”  
“I’ll go find Nurse Joy.” Spector walked over to the door in the back and opened it, closing it behind him.  
“What is this about a Litwick?” I asked Cory.  
Cory turned to me and cleared his throat. “Well, as I believe my brother explained, they are a Ghost and Fire type Pokemon which live in this town. In fact, my brother owns the final stage of Litwick, which you and Courtney battled; Chandelure. Judging from how you all look, the Litwick are still sneaking around here, somewhere.” Cory stopped speaking and looked around cautiously. “I felt a little bit weary myself when I was on my way here with Spector.”  
“What did you mean when you said they were feeding from our life energy?” Courtney whimpered, holding her mirror in her hands again.  
Cory turned to her but didn’t answer.  
A loud scream from the back of the Pokemon Center made us all climb to our feet and turn to the back door.  
“Spector!” Cory called out.  
We all ran to the door, Cory reaching it first while the rest of us shuffled after him, and he yanked it open. A shout was heard from further ahead, and we ran down the hallway in front of us, moving past a couple of doors along the way.   
One door in the middle of the hallway was wide open, and Cory reached it quickly, running inside. “Spector! Gardevoir! Nurse Joy!”  
As I reached the door, Courtney and June right behind me, I leaned tiredly against the doorframe and gasped at what was inside.  
Courtney and June also cried out when they saw what was going on.  
The room was fairly small. One side held several stands. Capsules with a soft looking blanket and pillow inside of them, sat on top. A cord was attached to the back of each capsule, trailing down and hiding behind the stands. A small computer sat on a large wooden desk on the other side of the room. Only one window sat against the wall.  
Nurse Joy was on the ground on her back, surrounded by Poke Balls, Gardevoir on one side of her, Spector at her other side bent on one knee, breathing hard.  
Cory was looking down at the three.  
Nurse Joy looked dead, her entire body motionless and wrinkled up like a prune. She had dark bags under her eyes and her lips were dark and wrinkled.  
“What happened to Nurse Joy?” Courtney moved past me slowly.  
“Spector, this has gone too far,” Cory said strongly. “The Litwick are out of control!”  
“Shut up, Cory!” Spector shouted at him, and he turned mournfully to Nurse Joy. “She’ll be fine. We just need to get her out of this place!”  
“Gardevoir,” Gardevoir said in a low voice, staring down at Nurse Joy.  
“Gardevoir, thanks for keeping Nurse Joy safe,” Spector told her. “We need to get her to the nearest hospital, pronto.”  
“Gardevoir,” Gardevoir nodded. Gardevoir and Nurse Joy both started to glow with multiple colored lights, and in the next second, they were gone.  
Teleport, I thought. I turned to Spector. “Are you sure she’s okay?” I asked him.  
“Nurse Joy was still alive, but just barely,” Spector replied, not looking up at me. “You guys should go next. When Gardevoir gets back, she’ll Teleport you wherever you need to go.”  
“We can’t leave,” June spoke out.  
We all turned to look at her.  
“Why?” Spector squinted at her.  
“Because there’s something going on here that you’re not telling us.” June took a step towards Spector and sighed tiredly. “What’s going on with the Litwick? Where are they?” She turned around swiftly towards the door and stared at the ground.  
When I looked at where she was staring, nothing was there.  
June turned back to Spector.  
“Listen, everything’s fine here, okay?” Spector got to his feet, glaring at June. “Why don’t you guys just leave already?”  
“What are you allowing to take place here?” June demanded.  
Spector took a step towards June. “Nothing is going on!”  
“Liar!” June stepped towards Spector.  
Cory stepped between them and held out his hands, placing one on each of their shoulders. He stared at June and smiled.  
June looked away from Spector and her eyes widened as she stared at Cory and swallowed nervously.  
Cory nodded and looked at Spector, his smile fading. “Little brother, please.”  
“They’re not doing anything wrong!” Spector’s face broke into sadness as he cried out to his brother. “They’re not bad! They’re only doing what comes natural to them!”  
Cory smiled at Spector and gripped his shoulder tighter, giving it a light shake. “Do you not think I know this just as well as you do? Was I not there when all of this began? Am I not your brother?”  
Spector’s eyes began to tear up and he sighed, lowering his head. “The Litwick are here, Cory. I can feel it. I don’t have the energy to fight against you any further. I’ll talk.”  
Cory’s hands slid off of June and Spector, and he stood up straight. “Great. In that case, I shall do my best to return shortly. Spector, might I trouble you to allow me to borrow your Chandelure to aide me in searching this building?”   
“Sure thing.” Spector grabbed a Poke Ball from his waist and held it out, sending out the Pokemon within.  
“Chandelure!” the Pokemon said loudly.  
“Chandelure, go with Cory for a bit and do whatever he needs you to, okay?” Spector ordered.  
“Chandelure!” Chandelure nodded.  
Cory smiled at us all, his eyes coming to a stop on June. “We shall return should everything go well.” He turned and led the way out of the room, Chandelure floating behind him.  
I saw June smiling slightly, but her smile faded as we faced each other. I then turned to Spector. “So.”  
Spector nodded. “Yes, yes. Of course. I’ll make it short and sweet, if I can. Basically, Ghyst Town was once a lot more lively than it is now. People used to live here and everyone was happy. But then, me and my brother moved in…”  
“You guys aren’t from here,” I commented.  
Spector shook his head. “Not at all. Ever since moving out of our parents’ house at eighteen, we did a lot of moving. Living in the real world is difficult. Expenses and stuff. Anyway, we were in the woods not far from this town, trying to figure out what we could do about earning money, when a terrifying scream filled the woods. We ran after the sound to find some kind of creature surrounded by a gang of Litwick. I didn’t even recognize what the thing was. It was all wrinkly and pale, like a huge piece of paper or something. Turns out it was a Pokemon. It was Gardevoir.” He looked at us silently.  
“You don’t mean…?” I started.  
“The one who works here?” Courtney gasped.  
Spector nodded. “I knew a lot about Ghost type Pokemon. I knew what the Litwick were doing. They feast on the life energy of living beings. My brother had a Frillish at the time. The same one you guys battled against, only, now he’s evolved, obviously. We, or, more specifically, Cory, saved that Gardevoir’s life by battling the Litwick. But, I felt bad for them. They were just hungry little Pokemon. They can’t help that they were brought into this world, or what they would turn out to be. They were just doing what they had to do to survive. I took pity on the Litwick.”  
I sat down, my legs slowly caving in underneath me, and I yawned loudly. I wasn’t bored by Spector’s tale. It was very interesting. I was just so damn tired…  
“Sitting sounds like a good idea,” Spector smiled wearily, his face showing signs of sleepiness. He joined me on the floor.  
“Yeah, I think I’ll rest, too,” Courtney yawned, lowering herself down.  
“I hope Cory gets back soon,” June said, going down as well. “I hope he’s okay…” Her eyes were barely open.  
“So, anyway,” Spector yawned. “I took in the Litwick. We arrived in Ghyst Town, where we discovered that there were a few Litwick roaming around freely. There was a small problem with people who were being drained of their energy by the Litwick, but they didn’t know what to do about it, so, Cory and I offered our assistance with the issue. Cory originally wanted to just battle the Litwick, but I suggested we try and work with them. Man, I can barely talk anymore.” Spector laid on his side. “I’m so weak.”  
“Yeah, I know what you mean,” I said, my hands on the floor as I leaned on them, holding myself up.  
“Long story short, the people agreed me and Cory could keep the Litwick in Ghyst Town to keep watch on them and give them shelter if we kept them under control and had them on a proper diet,” Spector told us.  
“What did you feed them?” I inquired.  
“Supplements,” Spector answered. “But it wasn’t enough for them. They wanted the real thing. Real life energy. They went right back to draining the townsfolk again, and things in this town got a lot worse. People were disappearing, or being found dead in their homes or in the streets. People started moving out in droves. The Litwick never attacked me or Cory. They seemed to have some level of respect for us. And Gardevoir, who is Cory’s Pokemon, by the way, seems to have some kind of pass with the Litwick, too. Probably because it belongs to Cory.”  
“So Cory owns Gardevoir,” I muttered.   
“That’s right. And my Chandelure is one of the original Litwick that we found in the forest,” Spector added.  
“Whoa,” I said in a worn out shock. “Whoa!” I said a little louder as something materialized nearby me in a flash of colors.  
“Gardevoir,” Gardevoir appeared, and she looked down at us coldly. “Gardevoir.”  
“Welcome back, Gardevoir,” Spector smiled with little energy, dark bags beginning to form underneath his eyes as they started to close. “Goodnight…”  
“Spector!” I reached out to him and shook him as hard as I could, but I could barely budge him. “I’m too weak. I thought Cory was… helping us…”  
“Gardevoir?” Gardevoir said.  
Hurried footsteps from the hallway grabbed my attention and I slowly turned to the door.  
Courtney was asleep on the ground, her mouth hanging open.  
June was holding herself up as she sat on the floor, her hands pressed to the ground, her arms extended, but her eyes were closed.  
“Everyone! We have to run!” Cory shouted as he appeared.  
Chandelure was right behind him.  
June turned to the door, groaning. “Cory… Help…?” she begged weakly.  
“Something terrible is happening!” Cory turned to June. “You all have to get out of here immediately!”  
My eyes widened and I struggled to get to my feet. My legs quivered under me and my entire body was in pain. “What’s going on?”  
“The Litwick are not listening anymore! They are out of control and are just attacking everything! If not for Chandelure, I would have been killed for sure! And there are people in this town, as well! Complete strangers! They are attacking the Litwick and Lampent!”  
Breathing was starting to become an exercise for me. “People? Attacking the Litwick and Lampent?”  
“You all need to leave. Spector and I will make sure everything is alright. Spector!”  
Spector was breathing heavily on the ground, snoozing.  
“Spector!” Cory ran into the room and grabbed his brother’s shoulders. He yanked him to his feet.  
“Hey!” Spector woke up and stumbled as he tried to balance himself, grabbing his brother’s shoulders. “Cory?”   
“We have a major situation at hand outside. You and I have to deal with this, once and for all.”  
“We can help! We have Pokemon!” I insisted. “We don’t have time to argue this, and you don’t have time to allow Gardevoir to Teleport us somewhere and get back here in time.” I inhaled deeply to gather as much air in my lungs as I could and I walked over to the Poke Balls on the ground. “These Poke Balls are ours. Look, those even have your stickers on them, June.”  
June moaned in response.  
I knelt down and scooped up six Poke Balls.  
Another six sat on the ground next to June’s. They must have belonged to either me or Courtney.  
We’ll sort out which Pokemon are which, later, I thought, and I clipped the Poke Balls to my belt. I ducked down again and grabbed the remaining six Poke Balls, and then walked over to Courtney, who was still sleeping on the ground. I knelt down next to her. “Courtney,” I said, trying to speak louder, but I couldn’t get myself to shout. “Screw it.” I shoved the Poke Balls into the pocket of her tight jeans and fell onto my butt on the floor, breathing hard.  
BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMM!!!!  
I nearly suffocated as my heart jumped into my mouth after the wall exploded.  
“Not bad for a Take Down, eh? Ha ha ha ha!” a voice cackled through the debris flying through the air, blocking my view of what had caused the attack. “Imagine if I would have turned it up to the max!”  
I could hear Courtney, June, Spector, Gardevoir, and Cory moan and groan around me.  
A few other voices chuckled as the air started to clear out.  
I could make out a few figures as I waited for my vision to become clearer.   
The group was made up of five men. Two were in white jumpsuits while another two wore white slacks, a black blazer buttoned up over a white shirt, and black shoes.  
The final man, who stood in front of the other men, wore a very fancy white shirt, the top few buttons left open, revealing some of his smooth chest, and black slacks and shoes. His hair was cut very short. In his arms was a big black cannon with a trigger underneath it, his finger wrapped around it. The man smiled devilishly, but once his eyes landed on me, his smile slowly faded away.  
I squinted at this man who stood in the middle of the group. Who is this guy? I wondered. Do I know him?  
The man stared at me solemnly for a moment, and suddenly, his eyes lit up. A smile spread across his face, and his teeth showed as he nodded at me. “Yes. Of course… Gary!”  
I gasped as my name was spoken. Who is he? I thought frantically. How does he know my name?  
“It’s been years since we first… and last, met,” the man spoke calmly. “Ha ha ha. Your life seemed fated to end in prison when we met in Celadon City, but now…” The man pointed the cannon at me. “It ends at my hands. Funny how things kind of come full circle, eh?” The man grabbed a red dial on the right side of the cannon and twisted it back and forth a few times, a small screen at the top of the cannon lighting up yellow and rapidly displaying a spinning set of black numbers and letters I couldn’t quite make out.  
I inhaled in a loud gasp as a memory hit me. “You!”  
The man pressed a couple of white buttons next to the dial, and several dots on the left side of the cannon lit up gold. He nodded with a sinister smile. “Ray.” He squeezed the trigger.  
I scrambled to my feet and backed up. “Everybody, run!”  
The cannon shot out a white beam at me, and I leaped to the side.  
BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMM!!!!!  
The terrifying screams from my friends made me tremble with concern. I was flat on the ground, and I looked up at the man I now knew.  
Ray.  
Ray, from Team Solace.   
We had first met in Celadon City, when I had been under arrest for the attack that had occurred in Saffron City, as well as having been suspected of kidnapping June, and while in custody, I had met this man. Ray. He spoke to me of how evil Pokemon were, and offered me the chance to join with Team Solace, which I had, of course, refused.  
Ray, I thought furiously. What is he doing here?  
“That wasn’t so great,” one of the men in the blazers spoke, sneering down at me. “I’d have expected a lot more damage.”  
“Let’s see how they like Flamethrower,” Ray muttered angrily, twisting the dial a few times before pressing a couple of buttons.  
The lights lit up on the side of the cannon.  
I pushed myself up despite feeling that I was down to my last bit of energy and turned around.  
Courtney and June were on their backs.  
Cory, Spector, and Gardevoir were near the girls, glaring up at Ray and his goons from the floor.  
Chandelure seemed to be just fine, hovering above the three as it glared at the attackers.  
“Gardevoir, Teleport, now!” Cory ordered.  
I turned as I heard a roar behind me, and before I knew it, I was now standing in an entirely different room!  
WHOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!!!!!! BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMM!!!! were the noises I heard from another area, far away.  
“Is everybody alright?” I heard Cory ask.  
I turned to see Cory, Courtney, June, Spector, and Gardevoir on the floor of a room with a pair of dressers, a pair a bunk beds, two closed doors, and one window.  
Chandelure was floating above us as the group with me shakily got to their feet, looking around.  
Courtney was the only one who looked confused.  
“We are in another room of the Pokemon Center,” Cory told us all. He then quickly turned to me. “Gary, that man knew your name! What is the meaning of this?”  
“That’s a criminal I encountered a few years ago,” I explained. “He’s a part of those guys from Team Solace.”  
“Team Solace?” Cory gasped. “Those fiends who have been harming Pokemon and yet blaming them for the tragedies that have been taking place throughout the world? Is he really a member of that despicable group?”  
“Yeah,” I nodded. “I wouldn’t have ever expected to run into him again, but I have. The last I saw him, he was going to jail for something.”  
“Ssshhh!!” Spector hushed us.  
We all stood quietly, and I then heard the footsteps outside of the room we were in.  
“They are on their way,” Cory whispered fearfully. He turned to Gardevoir. “Gardevoir, please, get ready to apply your Psychic-”  
CRAAAASSHH!!  
The door exploded into pieces and we all screamed, turning towards it.  
Ray stepped inside, a man in a white jumpsuit accompanying him. He aimed his cannon at me and squeezed the trigger.  
The opening of the cannon became outlined in light blue.  
“Aaaaaaaaauuuuuggggghhhhh!!!!” I wailed, my eyes closed tightly as a painful burn that wasn’t quite a burn, but something much, much worse, gripped my body.  
My other friends screamed out as well.  
“None of you can escape, now. The Pokemon Center is on fire, and that fire is spreading,” Ray told us.  
I managed to slowly open my eyes as I grit my teeth, groaning sorely.  
Ray was smiling directly at me, rubbing his cannon, the light blue coloring still on the mouth of it.  
I suddenly noticed that my body was outlined in light blue as well! What? My eyes lowered, my head stuck in place, and I saw the ground below my feet. I was hovering over the floor! “Hey! My feet!” I shouted. I looked back to Ray with fright.  
“You and your friends won’t be going anywhere in the midst of this Psychic attack you’re under.” He patted his cannon.  
The pain I was feeling was like a boiling hot, thick, pasty spread slathered all over my body. I’d never felt anything this intense, and I didn’t understand what was going on.  
“A lot has changed since we last had the chance to talk, Gary,” Ray said to me, his eyes focused on mine. “Team Solace has returned, and we’re accomplishing things we did not have the chance to fulfill last time. How lucky I am to have been freed from prison to join in this triumph.”  
Freed from prison? I thought, growling against the pain I was suffering from.  
“Whilst in prison, I was able to recruit more members. Once the attacks on the jails began and we were freed, I could inhale the air of victory for my team.”  
I gasped almost instantly as I understood what Ray was talking about.   
The attacks on the prisons that had occurred a few weeks ago. The prisoners who had escaped and been saved by white and black aircrafts and other vehicles, clearly machines of Team Solace. Ray must have escaped from prison during those attacks!   
“I could walk on the ground of success for Solace,” Ray said easily. “Everything was greater than I could have ever imagined. Even our weapons are a great deal more impressive than I had expected.” Ray raised the opening to his cannon into the air, and then lowered it sharply.  
I screamed as I ascended higher into the air and then crashed hard to the floor. June, Courtney, Spector, Chandelure, Cory, and Gardevoir also screamed behind me, but I couldn’t look back to see what was wrong with them as I shivered painfully. The pain surrounding me began to fade, but not quickly enough. I coughed a few times and groaned, desperate for the burn to go away.  
“That there was Psychic attack,” Ray smirked, hoisting up his cannon. “You can thank Team Solace’s latest invention for performing the fantastic moves that you’ve been witness to so far.”  
The opening of the cannon was no longer outlined in light blue.  
I stared at Ray in confusion, not understanding what he was talking about.  
“Perplexed, Gary?” Ray asked me, smiling even more broadly, pleased with my confusion. “The answer is in this weapon I hold. The future of Team Solace. The future of this very planet as we know it! This device can launch a form of just about any Pokemon attack. From Tackle, to Fire Blast, to Shadow Ball, to Future Sight, to even Charm or Growl. This baby is capable of delivering a version of nearly every possible move a Pokemon can do. However, this device also allows me control of the severity of the damage done, producing a move that surpasses the strength the Pokemon could reach, and resulting in some truly dire destruction.”  
I stared at his cannon, my arms shaking as I held myself up by them. My breathing was forced, my body only doing so because I had to in order to live.  
“Heh, heh, heh. Too long, Gary. Too long…” Ray shook his head at me, grinning. “I recall offering you the chance to side with Team Solace back when we first met. Back then, you turned my offer down. Now, especially if you knew what I knew about the future, I think it would be in your best interest to side with us. There is so little your young mind doesn’t-”  
“Screw you!” I screamed, finding a new strength inside of me. I pushed myself up and tried to balance on my legs, but I fell forward onto my knees. I flinched in pain, but kept my furious eyes on Ray. “I’ll never join Team Solace! EVER! You’re better off just killing me now before offering me that again! Nothing’ll ever make me join with you… freaks! You guys are crazy!”  
“Of course we are,” Ray replied simply. “All the true geniuses are considered such at some point in time until their vision is truly comprehended. By then, they’re usually dead, and the appreciation they deserved is given to them far too late. This is where Team Solace differs, Gary. Team Solace is here to claim the praise that is rightfully ours. And if you won’t side with us, you’ll just as easily be killed.” Ray was now scowling, and he pointed his cannon at me. He twisted the knob a few times and then pressed a couple of buttons, and the lights on the other side lit up. “To demonstrate the severity of the error you’ve chosen for yourself, how about you have a taste of Lick attack?” He squeezed the trigger.  
A gray beam flew from the mouth of the cannon.  
Before I could build up the strength in me to move, I was hit. My eyes closed tightly as a feeling I could only describe as cold, slow, and… death, wrapped around my body like a slithering snake, and I gritted my teeth. I fell backwards and dropped onto my back as a terrible chill swept over me. I tried to speak, but I could only choke out. I suddenly felt like I was about one hundred years old. Sick, tired, exhausted, unable to breathe properly, and staring at death. I didn’t even have the energy to open my eyes and look at Ray as he cackled evilly.  
“Gary! No!” Courtney screamed with panic from behind me.  
“Gary!” June shouted with her.  
“What have you done to him?” I heard Cory yell.  
“I already answered that,” Ray answered heartlessly. “Lick attack.”  
My body clenched tightly and I shivered on the ground as a prickly feeling traveled all over my body.  
“He’s even suffering from Paralysis, as well,” Ray added with a snicker.  
“Why are you doing this to him? Stop this, right now!” Cory demanded.  
Silence took over suddenly, which took me by surprise.  
“You know, the sad part of this all is, you don’t even appreciate the good we’ve done today,” Ray spoke softly.  
Ray’s words stunned me so much, I actually managed to open my eyes and looked towards him, though it took so much effort to do such a simple act.   
Ray had a disgusted look on his face, and the opening to his cannon was now lowered towards the floor. “After all that’s been done to keep you, him, her, them, and countless people across the planet safe, there still remains people Team Solace is unable to reach. Has it truly gone over yours heads the fact that your lives have been saved? You all would be dead if not for the interference of Team Solace!”  
“What are you talking about?” Spector groaned, out of my sight.  
Ray kept his stare behind me solemnly. “If not for the arrival of Team Solace today, you’d all have been killed by the Litwick in this town. There’s just about no one left in this entire town except for you five. Even with the aide of your Pokemon, you underestimate the number of Litwick in this area if you had hoped to make it out of here on your own. Without adequate power like this…” Ray slowly rubbed the cannon in his grasp. “…your odds of survival were near and dear to none.”  
“What do you mean?” I growled weakly. “What did you do? Have you attacked the Litwick?”  
“Only as necessary,” Ray smirked. “Look at you. Even before we arrived, you were all helpless. Half asleep. Complete victims to be taken into the Ghost World. There wouldn’t have been a thing you could have done to fight it.” Ray’s eyes turned cold and focused on mine. “Gary; come to terms with the fact that Team Solace saved your life today.”  
I shivered on the ground and pain traveled throughout my body. I struggled to keep my eyes open as they watered, blurring my vision. No, I thought in a pained rage. That isn’t true. They haven’t done anything to help me in any way! I’d rather die than be saved by Team Solace. I coughed repeatedly and blinked hard to get the tears from my eyes. No, I told myself. No. They’re speaking the same crap Team Solace has spoken since the day they first came to be. It’s all lies. They’re full of complete crap and nothing else.  
Footsteps moved quickly down the hallway, and soon, a man in a white jumpsuit, along with two men in black blazers, appeared at the opening Ray had made earlier. The men glared silently at us all.  
“I hate to see a young child I consider such a dear… friend… in such a state as this,” Ray said as he turned the dial on the cannon, the screen lighting up again and showing words and numbers that moved too quickly for me to make sense of. He exchanged glances with one of the guys in the white jumpsuits before turning back to me, and he sneered. “In fact…” Ray lifted his cannon and pressed a couple of buttons, the dots lighting up again, and he held his cannon tightly under his right arm, aiming it at me and my friends. His finger tightened around the trigger. “Why would I want any of you to live even a second longer?” Ray suddenly froze and his eyes tightened on something behind me. “Hey!” Ray pointed his gun at whatever was behind me.  
“Gardevoir!” I heard Cory’s voice.  
“Gardevoir!” I heard Gardevoir yell.  
Like magic, a huge, gaping black hole appeared on the floor of the room we were all in, closest to Ray. The darkness within the hole was strange. It was darker than anything I had ever seen, and something about this made absolutely no sense to me.   
Ray and one of the men next to him wearing a white jumpsuit didn’t even have time to scream as they fell inside of it, and I felt a strong pull dragging me against my will towards the hole, too!  
The two other men in blazers, and the last man in a white jumpsuit, stumbled backwards, struggling against the suction coming from the hole as they tried to get out of the way, but one of the men in a blazer lost his balance and was pulled uncontrollably downward towards the hole, screaming his head off as if he were being burned alive, and disappeared into the blackness.  
I couldn’t even fight against the vacuum as I quickly drew towards it.  
The black hole quickly shrunk, and just as I reached it, it was gone!  
I laid on the floor, shivering both in fear and from the Paralysis that was holding my body still.  
“Gardevoir…” I heard Cory gasp.  
“Voir…” I heard Gardevoir moan.  
I flinched repeated, closing my eyes tightly.  
“Was that an attack?” I heard someone whisper, but I couldn’t recognize the shaky voice.  
“Gardevoir?” Cory cried out fearfully.  
With my eyes already closed, nothing but blackness in my sight, I shivered hard. I’m not sure exactly how long it was before my body gave in, and I blacked out.

*

Gardevoir. The Embrace Pokemon and Kirlia’s final stage. When it comes to protecting the life of its Trainer, this Pokemon has no boundaries, even going as far as to utilizing the last of its Psychic abilities to create a black hole.  
I stared down at my Pokedex and rubbed my fingers against it as June and I walked down a bumpy, rocky path, led by Courtney. I had been replaying the Pokedex info for the past hour or so, every several minutes, and the girls had been quiet, not commenting or telling me to stop.  
We had left Ghyst Town almost two hours ago.  
When I had awoken after passing out, Spector told me, June, and Courtney that the two remaining Team Solace members took off in terror after the black hole had closed. He also told us that there was little that could be done with all of the Litwick. Since the time that he and his brother had taken the Ghost types into Ghyst Town, they had reproduced so much that there was no safe way to get them out of the town, and so the town would have to be labeled as uninhabitable, but he and his brother would continue to live there with the Litwick and remain the town’s Gym Leaders.  
It turned out that the lamps that were hovering in front of the buildings were Pokemon. Lampent. The evolved form of Litwick. They would wait outside of buildings while the Litwick sapped the life of the inhabitants, and the Lampent would enter during the victims’ final moments and take their souls to the Ghost World.  
Spector’s information made me dwell back on June’s friend, Fred, which in turn made me think of Aly, and then, my father. It made me think about exactly where they were at this very moment.   
Fred had returned from the Ghost World to see June again.  
But I hadn’t received the same dedication, or love, from one of my best friends, let alone my own dad.  
I wondered why…  
Spector felt certain that he and his brother were safe with the Litwick, but that no one else would be. He believed that it was Team Solace’s presence that made them go out of control to the point that they were even attacking Cory. He said that even if the Litwick were to go crazy again, he and his brother would be glad to die amongst their friends.   
The Litwick weren’t going berserk anymore. Team Solace had knocked a good portion of them unconscious with that cannon they had, and they were scattered all throughout the town.  
Spector was sad about this, but was more than certain that he and his brother would take care of things, especially when Nurse Joy was able to return back to work, if she even wanted to come back, of course. And if she didn’t, Spector said that he would understand, and it might even be better that way, with just him and his brother caring for the Ghost Pokemon.  
Leaving Ghyst Town seemed like the best thing to do after Gardevoir had died. She had used the last of her Psychic powers, using up all of her life energy in the process, to create the black hole that sucked up Ray and the other two men, and almost caught me, as well.  
None of us, not even Cory, got the chance to thank her for saving our lives.  
Cory was nowhere in sight when I had awoken.  
Spector played the strong role despite the obvious pain he was in. He was constantly wiping at his eyes and sniffled a few times, but maintained a strong face, trying not to break down. Before me and my friends had left, Spector let us know that once we were out of Ghyst Town, we’d have our energy back and would look normal again.  
Sure enough, not long after we had left Ghyst Town, me, Courtney, and June’s energy had returned, and our faces were back to their youthful, smooth selves.  
But I hardly even noticed.  
June, and, surprisingly, even Courtney, didn’t seem to notice that their looks and energy had returned, either.  
We all had too much on our minds.  
Team Solace got away. Yeah, a few members were thrown into a fate unimaginable and unknown, but they still got away. In more ways than one. A couple of the members escaped.  
But, something else troubled me far more than anything else that had occurred that day.  
It was a fact that I was trying to think up a way around accepting.  
It was the fact that.  
No.  
I couldn’t bear to accept it.  
I couldn’t live with the thought.  
The lie.  
That Team Solace had, in a sense, saved all of our lives.  
My life!  
The thought alone was enough to make me want to run in front of a truck. I felt dirty. I was in desperate need of a painful death. Team Solace didn’t save my life, I tried convincing myself. They do nothing but evil! They’ve never done one good thing. Ever!  
And yet.  
I knew.  
I feared that I knew.  
I feared to admit.  
That despite the fact that they had nearly killed me that day.  
They were the reason I was alive at this very moment.  
This thought that I refused to accept seemed to give birth to another thought, in the farthest reaches of my mind, that Team Solace was accomplishing their overall goal in some small way. I couldn’t allow them to succeed in anything they were striving for in any sense. And that’s why I held on strong to my belief that they did not save my life.  
The fact that I had to fight so hard against myself to continue believing that.  
Was just as good in my mind.  
As a victory for Team Solace.


	61. The Head Honchkrow

“We can leave this city through this exit and we’ll be on the right path to Interough City,” I pointed out on my Town Map that I had spread out on the table at the diner June, Courtney, and I had stopped by to grab some food.  
Courtney, sitting next to me, stabbed at the last square piece of blueberry waffle on her plate with her fork and shoved it into her mouth.  
June’s plate of French toast was now empty, and she was silently sipping from a cup of tea, her eyes on my map as she sat across from me.  
My plate of pancakes was nearly cleared, and I grabbed my cup of coffee and took a long sip from it. It was getting cold, and I wanted to get the last remaining bit of warmth left in the drink. “It could be a little while of walking, though. Less than a week, if we move at a quick enough pace.”  
“Isn’t there a train we could take there?” Courtney suggested.  
“I’m not taking any train,” June said quickly, anger in her voice as she glared at Courtney.  
“What’s wrong with the train? We’d get there sooooo much quicker. Are you serious right now?”  
“Let’s just walk,” I said. “We might run into some Pokemon on the way that we would have missed otherwise. That’s what being a Pokemon Trainer is all about, after all, right? Traveling, seeing the world, meeting Pokemon and Trainers. Besides, who knows how screwy the subway is after that attack in Nimbasa City earlier this year. The lines could be all screwed up and it could get confusing. Let’s just stick to traveling by foot.”  
“That’s so stupid.” Courtney rolled her eyes. “Whatever. I’m clearly outnumbered here.”  
I nodded, satisfied that June and I didn’t have to explain the truth about why we weren’t interested in traveling by train, and I started to fold up the Town Map.  
“Wait, can I see that for a second?” Courtney reached out and flattened her hand down on the Town Map. She slid it closer to her and stared at it, running her finger along a route.  
I continued eating from my plate, clearing it shortly, and I downed the last of my coffee. I was full and feeling good this afternoon. At least, my stomach was. My head was an entirely different story as I worried about what would become of Ghyst Town.   
Spector was sure that everything would be alright for him and Cory, but I certainly wasn’t convinced. He may have believed that Team Solace made the Litwick get out of hand, but the Litwick had been attacking before Team Solace got there, too.   
I felt uneasy and feared the worst when leaving Ghyst Town, but what could I do?  
Spector and Cory wanted to remain there.  
Looking at the Town Map and determining where the three of us would be going next while eating a nice lunch helped a lot in clearing my mind of my stress. “So, you guys ready?” I smiled at the girls.  
June sipped from her nearly empty cup of tea and set it down on the table with a smile. “Yeah.”  
“You know, we’re not that far from Opelucid City,” Courtney noted, and she looked up at me. “You wanted to go there, didn’t you? For your eighth Badge?”  
I nodded. “Yeah. I was trying to skip Ghyst Town and go to Opelucid, but I have my eighth Badge, now.”  
“Well, how about you go for nine? And I could go for my eleventh!”  
“Eleventh?” I stared at her in confusion. “Wouldn’t that be your ninth or something?”  
“No.” Courtney’s eyes widened and she shook her head. “I have ten from Ghyst Town’s Gym, and if we go to Opelucid, I can go for my eleventh!”  
“Wait a minute…” June mumbled, counting off on her fingers. “You should have nine Badges now. You had eight when we were in Virbank City after we found out the Flower Badge didn’t count. Then, the Ghyst Town Gym battle gave you your ninth Badge.”  
Courtney stared blankly at June before bursting out laughing. “Oh, right! That Flower Badge thing totally threw me off. I have nine Badges, and I’ll go for my tenth at Opelucid! Thanks for reminding me of that, ha ha.”  
June stared at Courtney suspiciously.  
“So,” Courtney said as she got to her feet. “Are we all game to head to Opelucid City together?”  
“What?” I frowned in confusion.  
“Why in the world would we do that?” June glared at Courtney.  
“Because we still have time to get in a little more training!” Courtney said eagerly. “What else are we gonna do? Let’s travel just a little bit longer and face off against just one more powerful Gym Leader to be sure that we’re ready! Our Pokemon could use the experience, and we could totally benefit from it, too! Not to mention, it’s a Dragon type Gym! Didn’t you say you wanted to challenge Dragons because they’re really tough?”  
“I think I said something like that…” I admitted in a low voice.   
“So let’s just make a quick run to Opelucid City! It’s not even far! Just one more Gym match, and we’ll go to Interough City and compete in the Interough Conference! Isn’t this exciting?” Courtney squealed excitedly, bouncing on her feet. “Group hug?” She spread her arms open, an ecstatic smile on her face. Before I could even move, she reached out and grabbed my arm, pulling me out of my seat.  
I cried out in surprise as I was forced to stand up, and Courtney wrapped me up tightly.  
“Wait!” June stood up and crossed her arms. “Nobody agreed to this! Gary has his eight Badges. If you wanna go and get another six Badges, then have fun, but I’m sure that Gary is trying to make sure that he gets to the Conference on time. Right, Gary?”  
“Mmmm,” Courtney moaned against me, snuggling tightly to me, and the scent from her hair infiltrated my nose.  
“I-I…” I looked down at her.  
Courtney looked up at me with wide, sugar-sweet eyes. “Please, Sugar? Surely you don’t want to lose to one Gym Leader and feel like you’re not even ready for the Interough Conference. We’ve been through so much together, you and I, gathering Badges and traveling and having so much fun.” She fluttered her eyes at me. “Why stop now?” She smiled and nudged her cheek against mine for a split second and then winked at me. “Please? What’s one little Gym gonna do? Prove how powerful a Trainer you truly are? Give you nine whole Badges instead of the boring, typical eight everybody else is gonna have? Come with me, Sugar Lumps.” Her arms slowly slid off of me and I felt her hands hold onto mine. She got down to her knees and looked up at me pleadingly. “I’m begging you, Gary. Don’t make me travel by myself. I feel like we really have something special. Like, a bond. You’re one of my best friends!” She placed her cheek against my hands and closed her eyes, rubbing on my fingers.  
“Courtney!” I cried out, pulling my hands away and backing up. “We’ll go, okay? We’ll go to Opelucid City! Just get up and stop begging!” My face was burning hot with embarrassment. It got a lot quieter in the restaurant and I knew that people were staring at us.  
“YES!” Courtney cheered, standing up.  
“WHAT?!” June screamed. “Gary!”  
“It’s just for one little Badge, and it’s not far from here,” I shrugged at June, my heart beating rapidly over how Courtney had just been acting. She’s nuts, I thought, crossing my arms to stop them from shaking.  
June scowled at me and shook her head. “You never let me decide where we go next! Especially when we don’t have to go there! You don’t have to go to Opelucid City, Gary! I can’t believe you’re doing this! What has gotten into you, Gary?”  
My heart thumped even harder. “I just want to train a little bit more before the Conference starts!” I said nervously, avoiding her gaze.  
“Excuse me,” someone said.  
The three of us turned to see a skinny waitress smiling up at us nervously. She was shorter than all of us.  
“I’m sorry, but, could I ask you three to lower your voices, please?” she asked in a tiny voice. “The other customers are becoming a little uncomfortable.”  
I looked around the diner that had now become completely silent.  
Everyone was staring at us, some of them smirking while others held blank looks.  
“I’m sorry. I was leaving, anyway,” June snapped, and she grabbed her bag from the floor and walked quickly out of the diner.  
Courtney and I turned to each other.  
She smiled and sighed, shrugging. “Should I apologize to her?”  
“Apologize for what?” I asked.  
“I don’t know. I don’t think I did anything wrong, but, I just want to keep the peace. That’s all I’ve ever wanted with us.”  
“Yeah…” I sighed, looking towards the doors June had walked through. “Let’s just get our stuff and catch up with her, okay?”  
“Sure…” Courtney replied hesitantly.

*

We walked through the humid city, the stars sparkling above us. Lights were on in buildings, but not a single person was outside except for us.   
None of us had anything to say. We just walked, Courtney leading the way with her Town Map in her hands, and me walking next to her.   
June was behind us, refusing to pick up her pace and even slowing down when I had slowed down to walk next to her.  
Courtney had then slowed down to keep up with me.  
Even when I came to a stop, June would stop walking and look away from us, across the street.  
Courtney had also stopped walking and looked back at us until I sighed in defeat and continued down the sidewalk, joined by Courtney, and June would walk after us moments later.  
Courtney and I gasped as something fluttered down from the darkness above.  
“Oh! What is that?” Courtney cried, stumbling back.  
The creature stood up proudly, its huge chest puffing out.  
“I’m thinking it must be a Pokemon,” I told her, and I pulled out my Pokedex.  
The large bird spread open its wings and let out a loud, sharp cry.  
Honchkrow. The Big Boss Pokemon. This is Murkrow’s evolved form. This Pokemon controls flocks of Murkrow with a call, and the Murkrow follow the orders of Honchkrow without question, often times leading to mischievous behavior. It is referred to as the “Summoner Of The Night.”  
Cries from above made me look up, and I could see a dark cloud, darker than the night sky, approaching from behind Honchkrow.  
“What’s going on here?” Courtney gasped.  
“I think we better run!” I said loudly, and turned around to start running. “Oof! Ow! Oohh!” I was hit in the stomach, my right shoulder, and finally, my back, before I dropped to the ground. “Hey!” I pushed myself up and looked for my attacker.  
Something small and black slapped at me repeatedly, squawking annoyingly.  
“Hey! Get off of me!” I shouted as I swung at the bird.  
Courtney was next to shriek, and June’s voice called out right after that.  
I slapped away the bird, but I was now being attacked at all sides by pecking, flapping, screeching birds! My hands swung frantically at my attackers, but there seemed to be too many around me. I couldn’t see anything but the furious, black birds. “Hey! What do you think you’re doing?” I slapped at my jeans pockets as I felt something digging through them. “Get out of there!!”  
“Get away!!” Courtney screamed shrilly.   
“Leave us alone!” June begged.  
“Honchkrow! Honchkrooooooww!!” Honchkrow cawed.  
The surrounding birds around me almost immediately flew away!  
“Whoa!” I was still swinging at the area around me, only now realizing that the little birds were now soaring into the sky. “Wait! Those things are Murkrow!” I pointed my Pokedex at them. “Huh?” I looked down at my hand. There was no Pokedex in it! Both of my hands were empty! “My Pokedex?” I patted my pockets, but they were all empty. “Hey! My Pokedex!” I shouted in a panic as I looked up into the sky.  
“They took my Badge case and my mirror and my mother’s necklace!” Courtney cried. “And some of my change, too!”  
“My Thunder Badge!!” June screamed in anguish. “Get back here! I need that!”  
“MY BADGES!!!” I bellowed, my hands inside of my pockets. “They stole all of my Badges!! NNNOOOOOOOOO!!!!!” I then noticed the Honchkrow, still on the ground, looking up at me smugly. “Where are my Badges?!”   
Honchkrow laughed at me and fluttered its wings before relaxing them, keeping its eyes on me.  
“Murkrow!” one of the Murkrow in the air cawed.  
I turned to the sound to see a rather beaten up looking Murkrow flying much slower than its fellow Murkrow who were disappearing into the sky with our stuff. This one Murkrow seemed to be having trouble getting very high, flapping its wings as hard as it could, its eyes tight as it desperately attempted to escape.  
That was when I spotted the glittering object in its beak. “One of my Badges!” I stood up fast and ran after the bird as it got even higher into the sky.  
With a cry, Murkrow’s beak opened, and the Badge fell! Murkrow seemed to cough, and more shiny objects sprinkled out of its beak!  
“More Badges!” I reached up and grabbed at the falling objects as if it was raining cash. “Yes!” I caught only two Badges, but I quickly scooped up the remaining six happily. “I got them all back!”  
“Murkrooooow!” Murkrow cried out weakly and dropped from the sky.  
“Murkrow?” I gasped as it plummeted for the concrete. “Murkrow!” I ran forward, shoving my Badges into my pockets and then quickly reaching up for the crow.  
Murkrow fell right against my chest.   
I cupped my arms and held the Pokemon close to me. “What happened to you?”  
Murkrow was breathing hard in my arms. Up close, I could see that several spots on its body were bald, and there were wounds all over it. Murkrow’s beak even looked cracked, a single line going along the side of it. Its eyes were swollen.  
“There’s something wrong with this Murkrow!” Before I could turn around to June and Courtney, I heard Honchkrow’s angry screech. As I turned, I saw Honchkrow fly at me, its wings glowing purple, and it slammed into me with Night Slash. I choked out and groaned as I was knocked down, Murkrow wailing as it took the blow directly. “What are you doing?” I gasped at Honchkrow.  
The intimidating bird circled me in the air and then came down, landing on top of my stomach. My body flinched and I groaned lightly under the weight of Honchkrow as it took a few steps forward on top of me.   
“Murkrow!” Murkrow cowered in my arms, trembling.  
“Honchkrow!” Honchkrow’s left wing extended and it smacked Murkrow out of my arms.  
Murkrow tumbled on the ground, and before I even realized it, a swarm of black birds attacked from above, pecking the single Murkrow with their beaks, clawing with their talons, screaming loudly. The number of Murkrow had to be around thirty, at least. There were far too many Murkrow to be attacking just one, and a few of the Murkrow were attacking one another while trying to get at the already injured Murkrow.  
Behind the enraged Murkrow, sitting on the ground, was Courtney’s pink Badge case, her pink mirror, a shiny white necklace made of marbles, a Thunder Badge, and some change. Far away from the collection of items the Murkrow had stolen was a familiar red object that brought a smile to my face.  
“Stop it! Leave that Murkrow alone!” June ran forward, holding her bag closed. “Why are you doing that to that Murkrow?” June was staring in shock at Honchkrow. “How can you order them to do this? What did that Murkrow do? Just leave her alone!”  
Honchkrow was looking back at June firmly. “Honchkrow! Honchkrow!”  
“You don’t forgive mistakes…?” June said slowly. “What do you mean? What mistakes?”  
“Honchkrow! Honch! Honchkrooooooow!!” Honchkrow flapped its wings angrily and took a step towards June. “Honchkrow! Honchkrow! Krow! Krow! Honchkrow!”  
“You can’t do that!” June cried, her eyes wide. “That isn’t fair! Release her if that’s the problem, but you can’t just keep beating her up like that! That’s not right! Just because she didn’t accomplish a theft so long ago?”  
Honchkrow looked over to the gathering of fighting Murkrow, and it let out a cry.  
The Murkrow started separating, removing themselves from the fight until they all were standing on the ground, looking down at one Murkrow. All of the Murkrow were breathing hard and some had new bald spots on their bodies, the feathers pulled out during the scuffle.  
The Murkrow on her back was breathing hard, moaning her name tiredly, and I could see that a couple of spots on her feathers were wet.  
Honchkrow turned to June. “Honchkrow! Honchkrow! Honchkrow!”  
“So, because she failed to steal some stupid object a long time ago, you just plan on keeping her in your flock and abusing her for the rest of her life as punishment?” June yelled, squinting in disgust at the Honchkrow.  
“Honch!” Honchkrow nodded.  
“Is that what’s going on here?” I said in disbelief, turning from June to Honchkrow.  
June nodded. “Yeah. This Honchkrow has the Murkrow do bad things at night. Thefts, random attacks, whatever he decides. That poor Murkrow failed to carry out a theft and returned with nothing, and since then, she’s been getting abused daily. Honchkrow controls this entire flock. The Murkrow won’t go against the leader.”  
“You Murkrow outnumber that Honchkrow about fifty times over!” I shouted at them. “You don’t have to listen to that big bully!”  
The Murkrow stared at me silently, coldly.  
I shook my head at Honchkrow. “Why are you having them do bad things in the first place? Why can’t you just behave? Or, if you’re so big and bad, go do those things by yourself! Stop scaring the poor Murkrow into doing what you won’t!”  
Somehow, it got even quieter after I stopped speaking.  
“Um, so, I guess that’s sorted out…?” I said uncertainly. I pushed myself up to my feet.  
“Honchkrow!” Honchkrow’s sharp voice startled me.  
The Murkrow all soared at me instantly, screaming out.  
Even the female Murkrow who had just been attacked flew at me with rage on her face.  
I stumbled away from them in fear and ran past June, and then past Courtney. Something about the look on Courtney’s face caused me to look back as I ran, and I came to a stop.  
“I don’t have a clue as to what’s really going on here, but I do know that I won’t stand for what I can confirm with my own two eyes,” Courtney said seriously. She grabbed a Poke Ball from her waist and tossed it. “Swoobat, let’s make things just a little bit easier for us! Use Attract!”  
“Swooooobat!” Swoobat’s body was surrounded by pink hearts and it spun in place, crying out softly. “Swoobat!”  
The hearts flew towards the oncoming Murkrow, and several of them stopped attacking as their eyes took the shape of pink hearts and throbbed with love. It seemed that maybe a little less than half of the Murkrow were under Attract’s spell.  
The female Murkrow that had been getting beat up was also in love, flapping her wings joyously with the others who had been caught by the attack.   
Even she was about to attack me when Honchkrow ordered, despite us trying to stand up for her, and despite her getting attacked daily by the Murkrow and Honchkrow, I thought to myself. She’s still loyal to the orders of Honchkrow, no matter what…  
The Honchkrow stood tall, glaring at Swoobat, Attract failing to work on him.  
Swoobat’s a boy, I acknowledged.  
“Alright, now use Amnesia on the rest of them!” Courtney ordered.  
The rest of the Murkrow that had not fallen for Swoobat continued flying at Courtney, squawking out in rage, prepared to attack.  
“Swooooobat! Swoobat!” Swoobat’s eyes glowed light blue as he stared ahead at his opponents.  
Several of the Murkrows’ wings were glowing purple or light blue while a couple of other Murkrow had glowing pink eyes, their bodies a pale purple. All at once, the Murkrow stopped attacking and dropped to the ground. They all cried out softly and looked around, seeming confused.  
“Amnesia?” I questioned, turning to Courtney.  
“It raises the user’s Special Defense while also causing the opponent to forget its moves for a bit.” Courtney kept her eyes on the Murkrow, and then she looked over at Honchkrow. “Now, it’s time to take down the leader. Honchkrow, I really don’t like what I see from you! Let’s battle!”  
“Honchkrow.” Honchkrow glared at Courtney.  
The Murkrow who were suffering from Amnesia let out surprised cries as they seemed to come to their senses, and many of them flew into the air to attack Swoobat.  
“HOOOOONCHKROOOOOOOWWW!!!” Honchkrow bellowed out.  
The attacking Murkrow immediately halted just feet away from Swoobat and turned to their leader.  
Honchkrow nudged his head.  
The Murkrow then flew away from Swoobat and landed on the sidewalk behind Honchkrow.  
Even the Murkrow in love managed to hobble away from Swoobat and stand behind their boss, stupid looks of admiration and love for Swoobat on their smiling faces.  
“Wait, Courtney,” I said, and I stepped in front of her and Swoobat, my eyes focused on Honchkrow. I grabbed a Poke Ball in my hand and pressed the center button, increasing its size. “Allow me.”  
“But, I can handle this, Gary!” Courtney argued.   
I nodded. “I know, but I also held that Murkrow.” I stared at the bruised Pokemon who was captivated by Swoobat at the moment, swaying on her talons as she gazed so lovingly at him. “I can’t allow Honchkrow to get away with that. I have to battle him! Sawk, I’m going with you!” I threw his Poke Ball.  
“Sawk!” Sawk appeared and stared seriously at Honchkrow. “Sawk!” He bowed deeply and then took a karate stance.  
“Sawk, let’s go! Start off with your Bulk Up!” I ordered.  
Sawk flexed his muscles and they bulged out strongly against his karate gi, threatening to rip whatever fabric it was made out of.  
“What’s that move do again…?” Courtney asked me.  
“It raises the Attack and Defense stats,” I answered.  
“Oh, yeah… I forgot, ha ha,” Courtney replied.  
“Honchkrow!” Honchkrow attacked with Wing Attack, hitting hard with the Super Effective move that sent Sawk stumbling backwards.  
The Murkrow behind Honchrow all cried out in celebration from the attack.   
The Murkrow who had fallen for Courtney’s Swoobat were no longer in love and were urging their leader on.  
Sawk shook his head and held Honchkrow in a serious stare. “Sawk!” he spoke strongly.  
“Now use Focus Energy!”  
Sawk glared silently at Honchkrow, bouncing his shoulders and feet, hopping in a kind of square pattern, and his body was outlined in white for a moment.  
Honchkrow stood on the sidewalk and smiled sinisterly at Swoobat. “Honchkroooow!”  
“Now, let’s do one more Bulk Up, Sawk!” I insisted.  
“SAAAAAAAAAWK!!” Sawk shouted with surprising anger, and he ran like a madman at Honchkrow with one arm raised. He leaped into the air and his hand started to glow white as he attacked with Brick Break.  
“Honch!” Honchkrow flew around the attack and ended up behind Sawk, but Sawk whipped his body around quickly, a strange, scary rage on his face.  
The Murkrow clan was cheering for Honchkrow.  
“Sawk!” I couldn’t believe how enraged Sawk looked. “I said to use Bulk Up! Don’t use other attacks until I say!”   
“Saaaawwwk!!” Sawk leaped at Honchkrow and delivered a flurry of punches at the bird’s stomach with his Close Combat.  
“Sawk! That isn’t what I just said at all! Why aren’t you listening to me?”  
Honchkrow tumbled through the air, groaning in pain from the powerful move, but his wings spread wide and he regained his focus, hovering in the air as the Murkrow encouraged him. He flapped his wings a couple of times and then flew forward with incredible speed, using Aerial Ace, and he knocked Sawk to the ground.  
“Sawk…” Sawk groaned painfully as he struggled back up.  
“Don’t tell me this thing is disobedient…” I groaned impatiently.  
“No, Gary. Sawk is suffering from Taunt attack,” June explained. “He’s only able to do damaging moves and may not listen to you for a while.”  
“Oh! It’s Taunt. Hmm.” My eyebrows furrowed and I nodded. “Fine with me! Try another Close Combat attack, Sawk!”  
Sawk leaped high into the air and raised his right leg, kicking Honchkrow in the side of the face.  
Honchkrow’s scream was loud as he dropped like a rock, and Sawk landed on top of him and pummeled him determinedly with a barrage of punches.  
The Murkrow were shouting at Sawk, stepping towards him and flapping their wings threateningly.  
“Again, Sawk! Close Combat!”  
Sawk ignored the Murkow trying to distract him and he attacked Honchkrow with Low Sweep, swinging his foot low to the ground and kicking Honchkrow in his side.  
Honchkrow shakily got back up to his talons, his enormous chest heaving hard.  
“I said to use Close Combat,” I grumbled angrily. “But this should be fine.” I dug in my pocket for a Poke Ball. “Poke Ball, GO!” I tossed the Poke Ball at Honchkrow.  
The Poke Ball bounced off of his body and opened, pulling the Pokemon inside before landing on the ground. The red button glowed as it shook once.  
POP!  
“Honchkroooooww!” Honchkrow was released from the Poke Ball and growled angrily at me.  
The Murkrow went nuts seeing their boss free.  
I grit my teeth as I kept my eyes on him.  
Honchkrow then fired a beam made of black and purple circles at Sawk.  
Sawk was forced backwards from the Dark Pulse attack and he slid on the ground. He shivered in pain from the damage he took. “Sawk. Sawk…” he moaned weakly.  
“Sawk, you okay?” I called out to my Pokemon. “Can you keep going?”  
Sawk shook his head and placed his hands on the ground, flat. Grunting, he pushed himself back up to his feet and then looked back to me. “Sawk…” he nodded.  
“Sawk,” I nodded back. “Are you alright, now? Are you free from Taunt?”  
“Sawk Sawk!” Sawk confirmed.  
“Excellent! Then let’s finish off that Pokemon with one more Close Combat!”  
Sawk turned back to Honchkrow to attack.  
Honchkrow vanished from his spot and reappeared in front of Sawk, tackling him down.  
“Wait! How did Honchkrow move so fast? Was that Quick Attack?” Courtney said, worry in her voice.  
“That was Sucker Punch,” I told her.  
Sawk leaped to his feet and delivered a sharp punch at Honchkrow’s face, adding on swift kicks and extra punches that were thrown out with precision and expertise.  
Watching Sawk fight reminded me of my Primeape.   
Primeape never fought like this. He was a brute of a fighter, swinging wildly but strongly, attacking uncontrollably but determinedly, hitting mercilessly to take down his opponents no matter what.  
However, Primeape and Sawk had a very similar, matching aggression when battling and a determination in their eyes that made it impossible not to compare the two.  
I wondered how a battle between the two Fighting types might turn out.  
I thought back to when I first met my Primeape as just a little Mankey out on Route 1, where our lives had been threatened, to his evolution when battling Aurora, to his battles at the Pokemon League in Kanto.  
Honchkrow took a punch to the chest and rolled on the ground, sprawled out on his back, his eyes closed.  
“This time, you’re mine! Poke Ball, go!” I threw another Poke Ball at Honchkrow.  
The Poke Ball sucked in the Pokemon and hit the ground.  
It shook once, the red button glowing in the night.  
POP!  
Honchkrow burst free from the Poke Ball easily. “HONCHKROW!!” he screamed at me.  
The Murkrow went berserk once again.  
“Oh, come on!” I yelled back. “Maybe I need to put the thing to Sleep or something. Do I have any status Pokemon with me?” I tried to remember.  
“Hoooooonch!!” Honchkrow raged at Sawk.  
“Sawk, Counter!”  
“Sawk!” He took his karate stance.  
Honchkrow opened his beak and attacked Sawk with another Dark Pulse.  
“Saaaawk!” Sawk was tossed back.  
“Oh, no! Stupid!” I slapped my forehead one hard time. That was too risky! He did a special move, not a physical one! “I’m sorry, Sawk. That was all my fault! I shouldn’t have had you do that.” Sawk’s looking really low on health, now, I noticed. He might not be able to keep on going. “Sawk, use Reversal!”  
Sawk groaned, sitting on the ground, Flinching.  
“Sawk, get up!” I urged him.  
“Sawk… Sawk.” Sawk couldn’t get up, and he was now unable to defend himself.  
“Screw it! Poke Ball, I know you can DO IT!!” I threw the Poke Ball at Honchkrow.  
“Honchkrow!” Honchkrow easily batted my Poke Ball right back at me!  
The Murkrow were now laughing, several of them actually rolling on the ground.   
“No way!” I gasped. “That can’t be!”  
Honchkrow looked in rough shape, but somehow, he had the strength to keep going, refusing to be caught. “Hoooooonch!!” Honchkrow flew at Sawk with blinding speed and knocked him onto his back with Aerial Ace.  
“Sawk!” I called out to him.  
Sawk was baring his teeth, his eyes tight, his arms shaking as he struggled to push himself up.  
That Honchkrow can’t win, I thought as I watched Honchkrow call out loudly, flying high through the air.   
His wings glowed white and he turned around and flew towards Sawk, ready to end the battle with Wing Attack.  
Sawk managed to push himself up a little and his eyes opened. He gasped in surprise. “Sawk?”  
Honchkrow slammed into Sawk’s head with his right wing.  
Sawk laid still on his back, defeated.  
“NO!” I shouted angrily, glaring down at Sawk. “Sawk!! Come on!!”  
The Murkrow were ecstatic now, some of them flying a few feet in the air while the others stayed on the ground, flapping their wings and walking around with cheerfully, all of them crying out victoriously.  
Honchkrow’s cry made me turn to the powerful crow and I realized that the Pokemon was now dive bombing me!  
“Gary, get out of the way! He’s using Fly!” June screamed to me.  
“Gah!” I took a step back, but there was really nowhere for me to run.  
The Murkrow continued to scream with joy as Honchkrow got nearer.  
I heard a grunt from behind me.  
Something small caught my eye as it flew through the air.  
A Poke Ball?  
Honchkrow needed only another two seconds before he was sure to deliver a strong attack at my face.  
The Poke Ball flew fast.   
Honchkrow’s eyes bulged as the Poke Ball slammed into his stomach, and he let out a choked cry.  
The Murkrow went silent and the ones in the air landed amongst the others, watching.  
The Poke Ball opened and pulled Honchkrow inside. It then hit the ground.  
The red button glowed, and the Poke Ball shook.  
It shook again.  
It shook some more.  
It shook repeatedly.  
PING!  
The red light faded.  
Honchkrow had been captured!  
But, by who?  
I turned back and stared at June.  
June was staring at Courtney.  
Courtney had a huge smile on her face. She giggled excitedly. “I did it! I caught a Honchkrow!”  
“Courtney??” I couldn’t believe it! “You caught him?”  
Courtney laughed and ran past me, stopping in front of the Poke Ball. “I caught a Honchkrow!” The Poke Ball glowed white in Courtney’s hand, and finally, it vanished. “Ha ha! Awesome!” She turned to me, her eyes lighting up like headlights. “You okay?”  
I nodded. “Yeah! I am! Thank you, Courtney! You kinda saved me there, ha.”  
“Aww, wasn’t nothin’.” She opened her arms wide. “Hug?”  
I laughed and walked over to her, hugging her gratefully. “Thanks so much. Good catch. Congratulations!”  
“Thank you, Sugar Lumps. Juni, won’t you come here and join in this hug?” Courtney asked June, squeezing me even tighter.  
“Courtney, don’t you already own a Honchkrow, since, you supposedly own every Pokemon in Sinnoh and Johto?” June asked, ignoring Courtney’s request. “Murkrow were originally spotted in Johto, and Honchkrow were first discovered in Sinnoh. Why would you catch a Honchkrow if you already have one?”  
Courtney released me with a giggle and turned to face June. “June, I own multiples of a lot of Pokemon! It never hurts to capture more than one of the same kind of Pokemon. That’s what Prof. Birch told me when I went on my first journey through Hoenn. He told me that it helps research when you capture multiples of the same kind of Pokemon. This is how discoveries about Pokemon are made, and evolutions are uncovered, and new moves, and so much! Besides, we had to get rid of that Honchkrow. It would never have left the poor Murkrow alone.”  
We all turned to the Murkrow who were all staring at us blankly.  
“Sawk, get some rest, okay?” I recalled my fainted Pokemon and then walked over to the flock of Murkrow, my friends following behind me. “Murkrow, you’re all free, now. Honchkrow is with us, and you guys can go off and do whatever it is you want.”  
The Murkrow turned to each other and muttered softly amongst themselves. They all faced us.  
“Murkrow!” a Murkrow said loudly, happily, and it flapped its wings, flying into the night sky.  
More of the Murkrow also followed that Murkrow’s lead, crying out before flying into the darkness above.  
There were only six Murkrow left, one of them being the female who had been getting abused.   
She walked up to me and rubbed her beak against my leg.  
I knelt down to her, smiling. “Will you be okay?”  
“Murkrow…” She stared me in my eyes warmly, smiling. She suddenly leaped into the air and pecked the top of my head hard, repeatedly.  
“OW!” I fell back and watched as the Murkrow all laughed and flew into the air, leaving us behind. I sighed, rubbing my head, but I still managed to smile up at them all. “BYE, MURKROW!” I shouted after them. “TAKE CARE!” I snickered. “And try to behave yourselves,” I muttered.  
Courtney and June reached down and helped me to my feet.  
“Well, at least I finally have my stuff back.” Courtney walked over to the items still on the ground. She picked up her Badge case and opened it, her back to me, and she closed it back tightly.   
Courtney’s Swoobat grasped at Courtney’s necklace that was on the ground and started to fly to his Trainer, but the necklace slipped out of his grip. “Swoooobat!” Swoobat looked back and spotted Courtney’s pink mirror. He went down and grabbed it, ascending into the air, and he flew towards Courtney. “Swwooooo?”  
The mirror fell from Swoobat’s clutches and headed for the pavement!  
With a desperate cry, Courtney leaped and slid on the ground, catching her mirror in her hand at the last second before it smashed against the street. She breathed a sigh of relief and looked up wearily at Swoobat. She let out a single, light laugh as she sat up. “Swoobat, hon, I’ve got this. Thank you for your help, though, okay?”   
Swoobat blushed, his cheeks growing red as he was returned to his Poke Ball.  
Courtney nodded with approval at her Swoobat’s Poke Ball before attaching it to her waist. She then walked over to the necklace Swoobat had dropped and picked it up. She cradled it tenderly before slipping it into her pocket. Finally, she walked around to pick up the change from the ground that had been taken from her as well.  
June walked over and picked up her Thunder Badge. She blew on it and wiped it on her shirt as she walked over to the red object that belonged to me.   
I walked over to her eagerly as she picked it up and turned around.   
“Here ya go.” She held out my Pokedex.  
“Sweet!” I smiled at it, but after a few seconds, my smile faded away.  
“Well, since that’s over, let’s keep moving on to Opelucid City!” Courtney said eagerly.  
June grunted, and I knew she wasn’t happy about being reminded that we were headed there.  
I didn’t say a word as I stared at the Pokedex.  
“Gary?” June said. “Is something wrong with your Pokedex?”  
I sniffled and opened up the little device. I played around with the buttons, looking for something.  
“Is it working? Did it break?” Courtney asked me.  
“Here we go,” I said.  
Murkrow. The Darkness Pokemon. This Pokemon loves a good prank, but they typically have a very foul sense of humor, sometimes getting travelers lost, or stealing shiny objects which attract them. This Pokemon is capable of repeating human words.  
I closed the Pokedex and looked up at Courtney and June with a smile, squinting at them playfully. “I wonder if we changed anything tonight.”  
“What do you mean, Gary?” June asked me curiously.  
“We stopped a big bad Honchkrow that was bullying the flock it runs, and saved a poor little Murkrow from being beat up on, but…” I rubbed my sore head as I looked up into the night sky, my smile fading slightly.  
“What?” Courtney asked me.  
“Pokemon are Pokemon, you know. They have their personalities and… They just are who they are. I mean, I just feel like, for all that we did to help those Murkrow…” I looked down to the girls. “I don’t really think it’s over.”


	62. Opelucid City's Terra Alert

“This is really it, you guys! Opelucid City! We’re here! Yay!” Courtney cheered, her Town Map in her hands. “I am so ready to battle some Dragon types! How about you, Gary?”  
I turned to Courtney and stared into her excited eyes. “I’m ready,” I nodded with less enthusiasm, worry in my chest that had nothing to do with battling the Gym Leader here.  
Courtney then turned to June. “Juni, how about you get a little Badge, too?” Courtney asked her. “Let’s all get the Legend Badge!”  
“No, thanks,” June grunted, crossing her arms and looking to the ground. “I’ll just wait for you two to finish up here, and maybe go to another town for another Badge, or whatever you guys wanna do together. I’m just here as dead weight.”  
“What do you mean, June?” Courtney’s voice lowered and sounded somber, lowering her hands.  
“Just whatever, okay?” June snapped, frowning now.  
I sighed quietly and placed my hands over my eyes. I didn’t even know what to think to myself. I just knew the girls were once again stressing me out, and it wasn’t any easier to handle in the summer heat, the sun above us sapping our energy. My hands slid away from my eyes and I looked at the city in front of us.  
Buildings made up much of the city, with lines of trees planted in front of them. A huge tower stood high over the other buildings, and it looked like a radio tower.  
“After this, we’re going straight to Interough City, right?” I said firmly to the girls. “No more stops?”  
“Right!” Courtney said happily.  
“Don’t ask me anything,” June replied angrily. “My opinion on things clearly means nothing to you.”  
“June,” I said hesitantly.  
“No!” June said sharply, looking up into the sky.  
I sighed and stayed quiet. I could understand June’s anger. Even back in Kanto, I was always the boss, refusing to go off course for stupid sights and insisting that we went straight for Gyms. Now, I was traveling with Courtney for a Badge I didn’t need. Something I’m sure I wouldn’t have done for June. But, why?  
“June, this is a really great thing for Gary and I,” Courtney reasoned. “We’re going through one last little battle against some tough Pokemon from a Gym Leader before the Interough Conference! You don’t want us to be underprepared, do you?”  
“It’s not about that,” June grumbled.  
“Then, what is it?” Courtney inquired.  
June didn’t answer, but she did sniffle. “Come on,” she finally spoke softly. “You guys go and get your Badges. We don’t have a lot of time to waste, you know.”  
“Are you gonna join us?” Courtney asked.  
June shook her head. “I don’t want to. I’m simply not interested, Courtney.”  
“Awwww. Such a pity,” Courtney said sadly. “Oh, well.” She turned to me and smiled. “It’s just you and me, Gary.”  
I couldn’t smile back, but I managed to nod. “Let’s do it.”  
Courtney suddenly giggled, and it ended in a happy sigh. She reached out and grabbed my hand.  
I looked down at my hand in shock, and I was suddenly pulled forward.  
Courtney wrapped her arms around me and pressed her cheek tightly against mine. “The Interough Conference is so close! Let’s go all the way. Let’s make it to the finals, and give it all we’ve got.”  
I couldn’t respond back, taken by the perfume that filled my nostrils and took over my body. A smile crept over my face out of my control, and I closed my eyes, enclosing my arms around her in a hug, as well.  
“June, come on and join in on some of this lovin’,” Courtney giggled.   
I exhaled softly, but inhaled quickly, desiring more of this ridiculous scent Courtney was wearing. I almost… No… I definitely desired to open my mouth, wrap my lips around her neck, and sink my-  
“Juni?”   
Courtney’s voice broke through my thoughts, and my eyes opened wide.  
June was walking away from us, her head down, through Opelucid City.  
I pulled away from Courtney. “June!”  
June’s pace picked up noticeably.  
Courtney turned to me sadly. “Come on, Gary. She’s leaving without us.”  
I looked towards June and walked after her, Courtney by my side.  
“This is interesting,” Courtney spoke up as she looked down at her Town Map. “The Gym is located inside of a Pokemon Academy, according to this map.”  
“So, a Gym inside of a school?” I asked.   
“Pretty much,” Courtney nodded.  
Nobody said anything after that as we looked around at the stores and other buildings on the blocks around us.   
“Some of these buildings look ready to crumble,” Courtney said softly, keeping her eyes on a building as she walked past it.  
I also stared at it. It was made of brown bricks, and the bricks were covered in cracks. The texture of the bricks actually seemed to be more moist than solid and dry, which was weird, and it almost looked as if the building was leaning slightly, but maybe it was the hot sun playing tricks on my eyes. I squinted at the building for a second longer before staring at the other buildings on the street we were walking down.  
Many of them seemed to be old and ready to collapse at any second. Vines were growing along the walls of several of them, while the paint on the bricks was faded. It almost looked as if these buildings were made of dirt!  
I sincerely hoped nobody was in those buildings. “Weird that so many buildings look like crap, huh?”  
“Yeah,” Courtney agreed. “And yet, look across the street! Those buildings look like something out of a sci-fi movie!”  
“Mhm,” I nodded, squinting across the street.  
Many buildings across the street were made of what looked like steel, or maybe chrome! Whatever it was, it glimmered brightly under the sun, making it hard to stare at.   
Each sidewalk also held several stores, tall buildings, wide buildings, and both tall and wide buildings that looked completely normal, made of concrete. They weren’t old and tarnished, and stood out strangely against the futuristic and the weak buildings.  
I closed my eyes as they started to sting staring at the sparkling, nice buildings, and I looked away.  
“Gary, where are you going? We’re headed this way!” Courtney called to me.  
I stopped walking blindly and pressed my hands against my eyes, rubbing them. A loud honking forced my eyes open with surprise, and I turned to my left to see several cars honking at me impatiently! I was standing in the middle of the street! “Oh! Sorry!” I ran back to the sidewalk and rejoined my group with a nervous smile.  
Courtney smiled back at me sympathetically while June rolled her eyes with attitude and looked away from me.  
“We’re going this way, Gary,” Courtney pointed ahead of her. “The academy isn’t that far away.” She squealed with excitement.  
A loud roar made not only Courtney’s eyes widen, but mine, as well as June’s, and a distant explosion made us all cry out and jump.  
“What was that?!” I exclaimed.   
“A Pokemon!” June said strongly, glaring ahead. “I’m sure of that much.”  
Courtney sucked her teeth and I caught her rolling her eyes.  
June suddenly took off, running down the block we were standing on.  
Courtney and I exchanged glances before running after her.  
People started running in various directions, some heading towards the direction June was going, while others were tearing down the street in the opposite direction.  
“JUNE!” I called to her.  
She didn’t slow down, and before she reached the end of the sidewalk, another much louder explosion erupted, causing me to stop in my tracks with fear. June ran fearlessly across the street to the other block, dodging around people running towards her as she ran towards what they were trying to get away from.  
“JUNE! What are you doing?!” I shouted.  
She reached the other sidewalk and vanished from my sight amongst the crowd as she continued running.  
“What is wrong with her??” Courtney yelled.  
I ran past Courtney and continued after June, completely trusting in June’s determination.  
Another loud roar preceded another explosion.  
As I crossed the street, Courtney’s footsteps pounding after me, I began to fear how dangerous it might be to be following June, who was tracking down the terrifying roars of a Pokemon and repeated explosions. June wasn’t too far ahead of me when I finally spotted her, running like she had limitless energy, and I now saw what she was so focused on. It is a Pokemon! I realized as I stared at the towering threat.  
“It’s a Torterra!” Courtney screamed. “What is it doing?”  
“Torterra’s out of control!” June finally came to a stop, keeping her eyes on the Pokemon.  
Crowds screamed and ran in all directions as Torterra started attacking the city.  
A few cars started to pull off as well, honking loudly as they tried not to hit any of the people running through the street.  
“What does that thing think it’s doing?” I shouted angrily.  
Torterra roared again and the tree-like rising on its back shook hard, several leaves shooting off and colliding into a parked car, flipping it easily.  
The black car smashed loudly into the ground and slid into a brick building, the car alarm now blaring.  
Torterra’s body suddenly started to glow light green and sparkle beautifully under the sun.  
“He’s upset!” June cried. “He’s upset about something!”  
“NO SHI-!” Courtney had begun screaming angrily at June.  
A white beam fired from Torterra’s mouth and smashed into another building made of gray stones.  
BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!  
The building was grounded easily, dropping as smoke filled the air consistently.  
The three of us screamed amongst the yells of others trying to find safety, only we maintained our ground, refusing to run away.  
A desperate voice grabbed my attention and I squinted through the smoke to see a blonde girl running towards the vicious Torterra! She was wearing a dark blue dress and white sandals. “Torterra, please, stop!” she pleaded. “What’s happened to you?”  
Torterra roared, not paying any attention to the girl who was possibly twelve. He stood up slowly on his hind legs, and then he collapsed on his front legs.  
The ground rocked powerfully, and everybody who was still stupidly in the area hit the ground hard, the Earthquake attack proving to be too much to handle.  
Several more car alarms were now blaring along with the first one.  
It sounded like a building nearby also went down with us, but I couldn’t see it.  
I was groaning painfully from my side on the ground, curling up into a tight ball, my body twitching sharply. Pained cries and groans filled the air, but I was unable to open my eyes to the noise, trying to will away my own pain. Torterra’s next, presumably frustrated roar, wasn’t enough to get me to open my eyes, but I heard yet another explosion, and I started to choke as the air around me became less breathable. I was hacking hard, and I pulled my shirt over my mouth and nose, squinting through the clouded air.  
Courtney was standing up, staring at Torterra.  
People were littered around the area, struggling to get up from the ground or remaining motionless, while a few other people ran past me.  
“TORTERRAA!!” Torterra’s mouth opened and an orange ball of energy started to charge in his mouth. “TERRAAAAAAA!!!” An orange beam fired from the ball, and the Hyper Beam hit the roof of a small store.  
The impact from the attack annihilated the entire top half of the wooden building.  
“What’s wrong with that thing?” I coughed repeatedly, and I kept choking after speaking, slapping my chest repeatedly.  
“It’s confused!” June choked out, getting to her feet. “That Torterra is confused!”  
“Confused? Like, with Confuse Ray or something?” I stared at Torterra’s eyes as he roared and remained still for a moment, recovering energy due to using Hyper Beam.  
His eyes weren’t red, which is the sign for a Pokemon suffering from Confusion.  
“No, not like that,” June shook her head. “I think he doesn’t understand something. I think he’s scared! I think that Pokemon may have just evolved!”  
“What’s to be scared of?” I stood up slowly, my shirt sliding off of my face, and I swiped my hand through the air, trying to clear the air in vain. “That’s not a good reason to attack this city! People are getting seriously hurt out here! We have to stop that thing!” I grabbed Charizard’s Poke Ball with a smirk and raised my hand into the air. “And I know just who to use to stop him!”  
“Gary, you-!” June started.  
“Nooo!” Courtney screeched, turning to me, interrupting June. Her eyes were filled with worry. “You can’t do that, Gary! Pleeease!”   
I slowly lowered my hand as I looked into Courtney’s pleading eyes. “But…”  
“She’s right, Gary,” June agreed. “We can’t just attack him like that.”  
“But it’s hurting people!” I argued. “We don’t have time to be rationale! We need to take it out now, and we can take it to a Pokemon Center later. I don’t want anybody else getting killed out here! There’s no doubt that people have been, you guys.”  
June lowered her eyes and covered her mouth with one hand.  
At that moment, looking at June, I remembered the Golbat that had been held against their will, starving, before being set free on a town by Team Solace.  
The Golbat killed quite a few people that day, but June’s Electivire didn’t help matters any by electrifying everyone.  
I had a feeling June was thinking about that right now. I hoped I was wrong.  
“Please, don’t hurt my Pokemon!” a voice cried.  
I turned to see a familiar face running towards us.  
It was the same blonde girl who had run towards Torterra just a little while ago. She stopped in front of me, a few inches shorter than me, and waved her arms in front of me, coughing hard. “Please! It doesn’t understand! It just evolved! It doesn’t mean any harm!”  
“TORTERRAAAA!!!” Torterra roared, and we all gasped and turned to see that Torterra was on the move again. He opened his mouth and fired a green ball of energy from it.  
The Energy Ball crashed through the window of a concrete building as people scrambled all over the place, trying to get away. Another Energy Ball slammed into the first car that had its alarm going, and the alarm was silenced as the car blew up against the building it was still inside of.   
The building came down upon itself loudly.  
Torterra continued shooting more Energy Balls, and a couple of the attacks flew towards the four of us.  
We all split up with a shout and avoided the hits.  
I stopped and turned to the girl. “If we prolong this any further, you’re gonna have a lot to answer for, girl!” I spoke sternly. “I’m battling this thing!”  
“Just give me a chance!” the girl shouted back at me from several feet away. “I can calm my Pokemon down!”  
“Can’t you just return him to his Poke Ball?” I suggested.  
The girl shook her head. “It smashed it after it evolved. It was an accident. I can do this!” She turned to Torterra and started to cautiously walk over to him.  
“No.” June grabbed the girl’s shoulder and stopped her. “It’s too dangerous. Please, allow me to try and calm him down.”  
“But, I’m its Trainer! It won’t listen to some stranger,” the girl told her.  
June smiled and nodded. “Trust me. I can get through to your Torterra. Just allow me to speak with him.”  
“Speak…?” The girl squinted at June in confusion.  
June looked towards Torterra and released the girl’s shoulder.  
Torterra let out a roar and closed his eyes as he charged forward and leaped at a concrete building. The building seemed to sway as Torterra crashed through it, most of his body inside of it. The Pokemon roared again and stomped repeatedly as he struggled out of the building.  
June gulped nervously and brushed aside her hair with her hands. A determined look came over her face, and she moved bravely towards Torterra.   
Torterra opened his mouth and charged up for another Hyper Beam.   
The blast hit the street and tore through it, raising up the concrete around the blast as it traveled a good distance ahead, smashing into still parked cars and noisily toppling over street signs and trees.  
June gasped and froze in place.  
“He did Hyper Beam! This is your chance to stop him, June!” I called to her.  
June looked back at me and smiled nervously, nodding. She took a deep breath and walked towards the Pokemon again.  
“What is she going to do to my Pokemon?” the blonde girl asked me.  
“She’ll take care of him. I promise,” I nodded reassuringly with a confident smile, keeping my eyes on June and Torterra. “June does this kind of stuff all the time. Just watch and see.” From out the corner of my eye, I saw Courtney cross her arms, and I looked to her.  
She was sneering at June, a look of disapproval on her face.  
“Torterra!” June called out. “Please, relax!”  
Torterra growled as he turned to June.  
June smiled and took slower steps towards Torterra. “My name is June. I’m from all the way in the Kanto region. It’s nice to meet you, Torterra.”  
Torterra kept his eyes on June and didn’t say anything.  
“I understand that you just went through an evolution,” June continued. “Right now, things must be really different, huh? You’re taller than you were, and heavier, and oh so powerful!” June stopped about a foot away from Torterra and let out a relieved sigh.  
Torterra continued to silently glare at June.  
“I’m not here to harm you or anything,” June told the Pokemon. “I know you’ve got so much energy in you now that you’ve evolved. I know you’re confused about all of this, but everything’s gonna be okay, sweetheart.” She raised her hand and placed it on Torterra’s head. “I want-huh?”  
Torterra’s eyes narrowed angrily, and a low growl got even louder and more vicious.  
June gasped as she lifted her hand and took a step back.  
“TERRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!” Torterra charged into June and sent her flying.  
June shrieked as she soared backwards and ended up sliding hard on her back. She wrapped her arms around her stomach, curling up into a ball as she uttered a loud wail.   
“June!” I ran to her and got down to my knees. “June, are you alright?” I already knew the answer. It was a stupid question. I didn’t lay a hand on her, afraid of hurting her if I did. Torterra’s roar made me look up and my eyes widened at what I saw.  
Torterra was on more of a rampage than ever! He was running into a chrome building, seeming to be trying to knock it over as he dented the building with his powerful tackles. He then seemed to get even more agitated and he stood on his hind legs. He fell forward and rammed his front legs against the building repeatedly, determined to take it down.  
“He’s using his special move. Thrash attack,” the blonde Trainer said softly.  
“Special move?” I asked.  
“Torterra was bred with that move,” the girl explained.  
Torterra was severely denting the wall of the building, and the entire structure was leaning back. In another couple of minutes, I was certain he would topple over the entire thing.  
I got up and squeezed my Poke Ball that was still in my hand. “Well, June tried, and even she wasn’t able to get through to him. No more talking!” I raised Charizard’s Poke Ball.  
“Let me try!” the girl pushed me back lightly and ran towards Torterra. “Torterra, listen to me! Hey!”  
Torterra turned furiously at the sound of his Trainer and landed on all fours as he faced her.  
“Torterra, it’s me! Abigail! Please, don’t do this anymore! This is enough!” Abigail begged.  
“NO! DON’T!” Courtney ran towards Abigail.  
“TORTERRAAAA!!” Without hesitation, Torterra charged towards Abigail in a rage.  
Abigail stopped running and opened her mouth, letting out a shriek.  
Courtney leaped and tackled Abigail out of the way of the rampaging Torterra.  
Abigail was forced onto her back as Courtney landed on top of her.  
Torterra ran past them but came to a surprisingly quick stop and turned around. “TORTERRA!!”  
Courtney got to her feet quickly and stared strongly at Torterra. She quickly raised her hands towards Torterra. “Torterra, you don’t have to do this!” Courtney shook her head slowly. “You’re in a rage right now, and I won’t leave your side. We’ll get through this together, okay?”  
Torterra roared and charged at her.  
Courtney jumped out of the way again, almost too easily.  
Torterra looked back at Courtney and turned to her.  
“Courtney!” I was ready to send out Charizard.  
“Gary, I’ve got this!” Courtney said strongly. “Leave this up to me!”  
“June and Abigail said the same damn thing!” I shouted angrily. “Enough already! That thing is dangerous and June got knocked down!”  
“June’s crazy for thinking she can even speak to Pokemon in the first place!” Courtney said sharply. “Torterra’s scared right now after its evolution, and with it now using Thrash, it’s not even thinking straight! Just leave this to me!” Courtney jumped out of the way as Torterra lunged at her.  
“Courtney, you’re freaking nuts!” I yelled. “Don’t be stupid! Battle him at least!”  
June groaned from the ground and uncurled from her position. “Courtney…?” she whispered.  
“Grotle goes from nearly two hundred and fourteen pounds, to around six hundred and eighty-three pounds!” Courtney said, jumping to the side again as Torterra tried to attack. “That kind of rapid weight gain is too much to get used to that fast. Torterra’s not gonna be the fastest Pokemon. I can take care of Torterra. The poor thing just needs to let out all of this energy inside of it!”  
“TORTERRAAAAAAAA!!!!” Torterra leaped into the air and tried landing on Courtney, but Courtney dodged this, too, running before Torterra even lifted off the ground! He landed powerfully with a BAAAAAAAMMMM!!! Moaning and shaking his head, he got to his feet. His eyes opened, and we all gasped.  
“He’s Confused!” June warned. “Courtney, you have to get out of there! It’s too dangerous! JUST RUN!!”  
Abigail got to her feet and immediately took off running. She reached June and I. “What is that girl doing? Why isn’t she running?”  
“COURTNEY!” June screamed. “YOU HAVE TO RUUUUN!!”  
“Just butt out, June!” Courtney snapped rudely.  
June’s eyes widened in shock. “Well!” She crossed her arms, still on the ground. “Then let her die!” She looked to the side, away from Courtney, but I could see her watching Courtney and Torterra from the corner of her eye.  
“Torterra, it’s okay, now! You’re just Confused, but we can break through that!” Courtney said incredibly calmly but loudly to Torterra. “I told you I would be here for you through your Thrash, and I still am. We’ll get through this Confusion together, too. We’re almost there!”  
Torterra’s head suddenly gleamed like metal, and he ran at Courtney.  
“Iron Head!” I called out.  
Courtney didn’t move, keeping her focused eyes on Torterra.  
“She’s insane!” June burst out, watching Courtney. “What is she trying to prove out there?”  
Torterra ran past Courtney and went right through a building as if it were made of dust!  
The wooden building instantly collapsed, and dust rose from the destruction. It was definitely a very old building that was ready to be demolished. A strong enough storm might have even done the job.  
“Torterra’s too Confused to even aim straight,” June stated. “He’s just attacking almost blindly. He’ll end up hurting himself and more people!”  
Torterra’s voice ripped through the air as he ran past a building next to the one he had just grounded, the horn on the side of his face chipping at the corner of the brick building.  
“Torterra, are you alright?” Courtney asked the Continent Pokemon.  
Torterra roared and stomped in place, enraged. Two blue rings surrounded his body. The rings glowed white and then took the shape of sharp stones and turned gray as they circled Torterra. The red in Torterra’s eyes gave way to green, and with a roar, he attacked with Stone Edge.  
Courtney screamed and dropped to her knees, covering her head with her arms.  
The stones flew out in random directions, a few flying over Courtney while others smashed into buildings, cars, trees, and through windows.  
Torterra stampeded towards Courtney as she continued to cower from the Stone Edge attack.  
“Courtney!” June shrieked. “RUUUUUN!!”  
Courtney lowered her arms and ran a hand through her blonde hair easily. “Torterra, it’s okay! I’m not leaving you! I promise! I’m going to stay right here! We’ll get through this!”  
“TORTERRAAAAAAAA!!!” Torterra opened his huge jaws.  
Courtney extended her hands towards Torterra and waited. “You won’t hurt me. I believe in you.”  
“Your friend is about to get bitten!!” Abigail screamed in a panic.  
“COURTNEY, MOVE IT!!” I bellowed. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!”  
“You won’t hurt me, Torterra. It’s gonna be okay, now,” Courtney said firmly. “Come here, Torterra.”  
Torterra’s jaws widened as he reached Courtney, and his mouth closed around her right hand.  
The first thing I heard was the crunch.  
The scream that followed from Courtney’s mouth was surprisingly louder than all of the explosions and roars caused by Torterra today.  
I actually stumbled backwards in shock and tripped, falling over.  
Abigail covered her mouth with her hands.  
June covered her eyes with her hands.  
Courtney’s mouth hung open after her long scream had finally ended, and she looked on the verge of tears.   
I was surprised she hadn’t cried immediately. I felt like crying just from the crunch I heard.  
Courtney sniffled, but to my surprise, a smile crossed her mouth! “It-it’s okay, now,” Courtney said shakily.  
“What the…?” June said in disbelief.  
“She’s actually smiling??” Abigail gasped.  
I could hear the sound of multiple sirens from far away, joining in with the car alarms that were still going, but I didn’t turn away from Courtney and Torterra.  
The red in Torterra’s eyes faded away, his Confusion gone, but he didn’t let go of Courtney’s hand.  
“You see?” Courtney said. “Ha. I’m still here. I didn’t leave. Everything’s okay, now. It’s no wonder you were so scared, Torterra.” She raised her other hand slowly, shakily, and placed it carefully on Torterra’s head.  
Torterra closed his eyes as she touched him, and then his eyes opened again. He slowly opened his mouth.  
Courtney removed her hand from it and sat it down on the street. “Ow!” she cried out.  
“Torterra…” Torterra said gently, looking down at Courtney’s hand.  
Courtney shook her head. “No, don’t worry. It’s fine.” She rubbed Torterra’s head.  
“He’s changed!” I gasped. “He’s not rampaging anymore! I can’t believe it!”  
June’s mouth hung open, stunned by what she was seeing.  
“She really did it?” Abigail said, shocked.  
The sirens were getting louder and closer, blaring horns accompanying them.  
Ambulances, police, and fire trucks, I thought, still watching Torterra and Courtney.  
“It’s no wonder you were scared, huh?” Courtney laughed lightly. “You must have been terrified of this new strength you have. Ha, you snapped my hand in one bite! You’re so strong, aren’t you?”  
“Torterra… Torterra,” Torterra said sadly, keeping his eyes on Courtney’s hand.  
“Hey, it’s fine! You didn’t know what to do with yourself, honey,” Courtney said kindly. “Evolution must be scary. You know, the same thing goes for humans. We evolve, too!”  
“Terra?” Torterra looked at Courtney’s face.  
Courtney nodded. “Yeah. We grow up, ha ha ha. Our bodies change, and we start understanding who we are as people, and how to live with other kinds of people who look and think differently to us. And, we start taking care of ourselves the more we grow up, and we don’t depend on our parents as much anymore. We go out into the world as Pokemon Trainers, or doctors, or teachers, or whatever it is we want to be when we grow up. I’m not an adult, but my mom used to tell me that adulthood is very difficult, and that I should enjoy my childhood while I still have it. One day, I’ll evolve into an adult, and I’m just hoping it isn’t as scary as my mom made it sound. But, even if it is, it’ll be okay, because, like you, I have my friends by my side no matter what happens, and they’ll never leave me, just like I’ll never leave you.”  
Torterra carefully nudged the front of his face against Courtney’s.  
Courtney laughed and rubbed his head some more.  
Her words warmed me up on the inside, and I couldn’t help but smile. I could even feel my eyes start to tear up. I looked down at June.  
She turned to me, trying not to smile, but one was shakily spreading out on her face. She wiped at her mouth and looked away from me.  
“It’s amazing how well she gets along with my Torterra,” Abigail said. “It’s like they’ve known each other for years or something. She’s really good with Pokemon, huh?” She walked away from June and I and towards her Pokemon.  
The police cars were the first things I saw drive into the area, ambulances approaching behind them, followed closely by fire trucks, the vehicles coming to a stop close to us all.  
Torterra noticed the cars and trucks, but once he saw his Trainer, he let out a thrilled yell at her. “TORTERRAAAA!!” He stomped away from Courtney and stopped in front of Abigail.  
Abigail wrapped her arms around his head as the police officers exited their vehicles with their guns drawn, EMTs and firefighters leaving their trucks, too. “Torterra!” She kissed his head.  
“NOBODY MOVE!!” several cops shouted out, pointing their guns at Torterra. “THAT TORTERRA IS UNDER ARREST!!”  
Abigail sighed sadly. She turned to the officers and nodded her head. “It’s okay! I understand. I’m so sorry that this happened. We’ll do whatever you say. Just, please, don’t shoot!”

*

“Grass types are my favorite type of Pokemon,” Courtney said, smiling slightly. “I really, really love them so much. I want to learn everything I possibly can about them, and I always have since I was really little.” She stared at her right hand that was in a black hand splint, which looked like a really ugly mitten with Velcro straps. “I just hope everything will be alright for Abigail and Torterra. It wasn’t its fault. It had just evolved.”  
“Courtney, I’m pretty certain people died,” I told her with a sigh. “I can understand Torterra was stressed out or whatever, but, a lot of things got destroyed, and a lot of people got hurt, too. It’s just a bad situation for everybody.”  
Courtney nodded, looking down. “Yeah, I know…”  
“Courtney,” June said.  
Courtney looked to June expectantly.  
June was staring at the floor of the crowded Pokemon Center, and she sighed. With a smile, she looked up at Courtney. “That was really brave and more than just a little bit crazy of you to handle Torterra like that. I mean, you broke your hand in the process, ha… But, it was very inspiring and beautiful. You saved the day.”  
“Well, sort of,” Courtney laughed. “Thank you, Juni.” She got to her feet and walked over to June. “Hug?” She extended her arms.  
June smiled and stood up, getting out of her seat, and she carefully hugged Courtney.   
When they pulled apart, Courtney turned to me. “Come here, Sugar Lumps,” Courtney giggled. She spread open her arms.  
I got to my feet and exchanged hugs with Courtney, too. Immediately, I could smell her perfume, but the scent in her hair was becoming my favorite scent from her.  
She hugged me even tighter. “Besides, if anyone was crazy out there today, it was you, Juni. That wasn’t the time to be pretending to be able to talk to Pokemon, and you aggravated Torterra even worse.”  
“What?!” June said in surprise. “Pretending?! I told you that Torterra was going through problems because he had evolved!”  
Courtney broke her hug with me and turned to face June. “All you did was take an obvious guess,” Courtney shrugged casually. “Anybody could have assumed that one. You even said it yourself. You said that you think Torterra just evolved. You never said it told you that.”  
“He didn’t tell me that, but I could hear the distress in his voice!” June cried desperately. “He was confused and scared! I heard him!”  
“You didn’t hear anything from it before it threw you several feet through the air?” Courtney smirked.   
June growled as an angry look came over her face.   
“Walking up to a scared Pokemon like that, talking to it without knowing a single thing about it as a Pokemon.” Courtney shook her head. “I probably wouldn’t have gotten bitten if you hadn’t infuriated Torterra with that. You really made things worse.”  
“Wait a minute! I didn’t-!”  
“Excuse me, but are you Courtney?” a deep, gruff voice asked.  
We all turned around, unsure of who was speaking or who they were speaking to, but the answer became evident immediately.  
A towering man stared down at us with serious, scary yellow eyes. His face was covered in the most bizarre, white beard I had ever seen in my life. It covered his entire mouth and cheeks, and went up just past his nose. It also reached up along the sides of his face, connecting with his much more normal looking, thick white hair. The man was clearly old, but looked so powerful! His chest stood out like cannons in his black suit, and it was easy to see that his arms were massive in the sleeves.  
“Yes, I am…” Courtney answered hesitantly. “Are you the police or something…?”  
The man laughed, his voice booming inside of the building, and it was at that moment that I realized just how quiet it had gotten.  
When the three of us had gotten here after what had occurred earlier with Torterra, the building was crowded with people discussing the destruction that had taken place. Now, it was quiet enough to hear my heartbeat. Even the news on the TV had been muted as a newscaster spoke about the incident that had just occurred here.  
“No,” the man said, still chuckling. “I’m not the police. However, I am the mayor, as well as one of the two Gym Leaders, of this city.”  
The three of us gasped at once.  
“My name is Drayden.”  
“Drayden! This is such an honor!” Courtney jumped swiftly to her feet in front of the man. “I came all the way out here, me and Gary, to battle you today for a Badge!”  
“Hmmm. I see,” Drayden nodded. “I’m sorry to have to say this, but, neither me nor my wife will be able to battle you anytime soon. As mayor of this town, I need to tend to this situation with Torterra and what has happened to the city.”  
“Awww,” Courtney said, her face falling in despair. “I understand, of course, but…”  
“However, if you don’t mind going just a little bit further from here, you’ll find another Dragon Gym Leader. An apprentice of mine. You may have heard of her. She was the previous Pokemon Champion of Unova. Her name is Iris.”  
“Iris?” Courtney questioned.  
Drayden nodded. “That’s right. She is now a Gym Leader, after having lost her title as Pokemon Champion to the previous Fighting type member of the Elite Four of Unova, Marshal. Rather than choosing to become a member of the Elite Four in his place, she opted to return to her previous position she held as a Gym Leader. But, instead of inheriting my Gym, she requested to open a Gym in her hometown of the Village Of Dragons, and I respectfully obliged.”  
My heart stopped.  
“So, if you wish, you can find Iris there. And it’s not far from here, either. You’ll be there by the evening.”  
“Ah! That sounds fine, then. Wow. I’ll be battling a previous Pokemon Champion…” Courtney’s voice was starting to sound nervous. “This is kind of more than I expected! Wow! Ha ha…!”  
“You’ll definitely find you and your Pokemon’s bond and strength tested as well as pushed to the maximum level,” Drayden informed her. “But, I came here originally to thank you, Courtney. Both me and my wife give our most sincere gratitude. Clair would be here herself to thank you, but she’s busy at the police department with Abigail and Torterra. We both appreciate your great show of bravery in taking charge of the situation with Torterra, and all by yourself. You didn’t even use a Pokemon to battle Torterra, as I was told by Abigail. I’m sorry about what happened to your hand.”  
“Eh, it’s okay,” Courtney beamed at Drayden, shrugging nonchalantly. “I’m just glad Torterra is okay. Will it and Abigail be in trouble?”  
“We’re handling the situation adequately as we speak,” Drayden told her.  
“Please, Drayden. Don’t be too harsh on her,” Courtney pleaded. “Torterra had just evolved. It didn’t know what it was doing. It was just scared. I understand that a lot of people are hurt and that things got destroyed, but, please, please, Drayden… Could you…?”  
“I understand the situation quite clearly, Courtney,” Drayden said. “Trust that things will be taken care of.” His eyes crinkled and his beard shifted as he smiled at her.  
Courtney smiled back and nodded. “Okay, Drayden. And, thank you!”  
Drayden nodded. “It was a pleasure to meet you. I wish you both good luck against Iris. Give her my best wishes, as well. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must return to the police department. Thank you again.” He turned away and walked out of the Pokemon Center.  
“Wow! We just met Drayden! How cool is that?” Courtney squealed.  
“He talks so…” June sighed dreamily. “I’d love to end up with a man who speaks in that kind of a voice. And that build of his? Mm mm mmmmmmm… That wife of his sure is lucky.”  
“And they’re both the Gym Leaders of Opelucid City! How romantic is that?” Courtney gushed.  
The two girls continued to blab on, and the conversations of the people around us started up again excitedly.  
But none of that mattered to me right now.  
The Village Of Dragons, I thought, my heart beating rapidly.  
It’s in Unova?!  
No way.  
But…  
That means…  
This isn’t my first time being in Unova…  
My eyes lowered to the floor as memories filled my head.  
Will he still remember me?


	63. Salt Water: Closing Wounds

I can’t believe this, I thought as my head turned from side to side, scanning the location I was now traveling through. Is this really the Village Of Dragons?  
There weren’t a lot of houses, but the few that dotted the area were made of wooden planks. Strange, painted designs were on every side of the houses and on the roofs, as well. Most of the land was made up of grass and a few trees and shrubs. There were only a couple of people walking by. There were also some Dragon type Pokemon who strolled past us or were sleeping in the grass. In the far distance were icy mountains that were high enough to poke the clouds in the night sky.  
Am I really back here? I thought to myself. Have I truly been here before? Yes. There’s no doubt that I have. But, how?  
“This place has such a totally peaceful aura!” Courtney sighed happily. “Just look at all the Dragon type Pokemon! And this place is so cute, too! I almost feel like I want to just stay here forever! Who knew Dragons could be so peaceful?”  
It’s been… Years… Memories were flooding my head even faster the deeper my feet carried me through this place.  
“All Pokemon can be peaceful,” June said with attitude, watching a Bagon sniff at the ground and then look up at her. She smiled at the Pokemon as it looked away from her and walked off.  
Marcus… I remembered.  
“I know. I just mean, like, when is the last time you’ve seen a Dragon like that, which looks so threatening, but feel so safe and at ease?” Courtney pointed at a Salamence laying lazily in the grass, keeping its eyes on us calmly.  
The Pokemon then closed its eyes slowly.   
“I mean, that’s just beautiful,” Courtney commented.  
June didn’t seem to have a response to this, and she just lowered her eyes as we traveled the dirt path.  
A Fraxure was chasing an Axew in the grass while a Gible sat on the ground, a large boulder in its gaping mouth as it gnawed on it determinedly.  
The Village Of Dragons, I thought to myself as my eyes swept over the area. It’s not much different than I remember it. Then again, what do I really remember about it? An old man? Me and my mom, dad, and sister walking this exact same path?   
Me, my mom, my dad, and Melissa…  
My mom and dad chatting with Marcus while me and my sister happily looked around at all the Pokemon, all of us walking down this exact same path…  
A loud, angry cry made me jump, and I looked up into the sky at the noise, June crying out, and Courtney gasping.  
“It’s a Dragonite!” I pointed, and I stumbled backwards.  
The Dragonite flew down at us swiftly, headfirst, a threatening glare on its face. Quickly, its feet switched places with its head and it descended to the ground, landing heavily.  
I heard the grunt of Dragons in the area as the peace was disrupted.  
Courtney pulled out her Pokedex as she and June backed up quickly.  
Dragonite. The Dragon Pokemon. This is Dragonair’s evolved form. This Pokemon lives by the sea, and an island is believed to exist somewhere that is inhabited by only Dragonite. This Pokemon is highly intelligent and very altruistic, although an infuriated Dragonite is said to be very destructive and will attack in a blind rage.  
Dragonite growled dangerously, glaring down at us.  
“Wow. That thing sure does look mean,” Courtney said nervously, slowly slipping her Pokedex back into her pocket. “Do you think it’s gonna attack?”  
Dragonite grunted and its eyes shifted to Courtney.  
Courtney cried out in fright.  
“Don’t worry, children. That Dragonite belongs to our Gym Leader, Iris,” a voice spoke out in a familiar accent. “You’re completely safe. He won’t harm you.”  
The four of us turned and saw a man walking towards us.  
My eyes were instantly locked on him.  
The man held a white, wooden cane in his right hand, walking towards us quickly. On his face was a huge, white beard that was perhaps a short version of Santa Clause’s. The silver hair on top of his head displayed black streaks through it as well. His outfit was a fairly raggedy, brown, button up shirt, a black pair of pants, and black sneakers. His blue eyes, as deep as the sea, glanced over me and my friends for a moment before glancing at Dragonite with a smile. “Now, now, Dragonite. It’s okay. These children couldn’t possibly pose any threat against you. Take it easy, alright?”  
Dragonite turned to the old man, but he quickly looked back at us and let out an angry noise.  
This is the Dragonite of Iris? The Gym Leader? I wondered, looking up at the imposing Pokemon. Crap! I’m expected to beat this thing?  
Dragonite’s eyes shifted over to me, and my heart stopped.  
I swallowed nervously, and before I even realized it, against my will, I took two steps back. No, Gary! I shouted in my head. Why did you do that? You can’t let this thing intimidate you like that!  
“Wow…” I just barely heard June whisper.  
The old man walked up to Dragonite and stood in front of him. He crossed his arms and turned to us, keeping his smile.  
My eyes were once again locked on him.  
The man looked from June, to Courtney, to me. His smile faded immediately as his eyes widened, staring at me. He blinked repeatedly.  
It’s him… I knew. And he recognizes me.  
The man’s eyes remained on me. “Bairns…” he spoke to us in a barely existing Scottish accent. He wiped at his nose. “Who are you three?” His eyes never left mine.  
“M-my name is June,” June answered hesitantly.  
“I’m Courtney, looking for Iris for a Pokemon battle!” Courtney said. “Is this really her Dragonite?”  
“Gary,” I nodded, keeping my eyes on the man I was sure I knew.  
The man continued staring at me. Slowly, a smile crossed his face. “Well, as if I didn’t know it was you.” He walked over to me slowly and stopped in front of me. With his left hand, he reached out and gripped the side of my face, pinching my cheek.  
“Ow! Come on!” I cried out.  
“Gary, my boy! How long it’s been!” He released my face and gripped my shoulder hard, pulling me in and then releasing me just to wrap me up with his left arm in a hug. “Gary, I cannot believe this! You’ve actually returned! It’s been ages!”  
“Marcus, I know,” I smiled, hugging him back, trying to match his powerful grasp on me. “It’s good to see you again.”  
Marcus let go of me and stared up at me with a weak smile and longing sadness in his eyes. He was just a few inches shorter than me. “Gary, how have you been, lad? How has life been for you?”  
“It’s been…” I paused, meaning to finish the sentence with “great.” Sadly, the false word refused to come out. For anyone else, I was sure I would have been able to answer that question with a pleasant lie. But not with Marcus.  
Marcus’s face got a little more serious, his eyes tightening. “What brings yah back here, lad? I’ve heard well that yah’ve become a Pokemon Trainer. I heard of your travels in Kanto, as well.” Marcus gripped my shoulder again, staring strongly into my eyes. “Gary, I heard yah barely survived.”  
I stared back at him, unable to just shake off the truth of his words. I was never able to when it came to Marcus.  
He seemed to always be aware of the truth, and drew it out of you against your will with his steel blue eyes.  
All I could do was nod. I already knew I didn’t have to explain anything. I knew that Marcus was well aware of what had occurred.  
We were both on the same page.  
Marcus nodded at me and gave me a strong shake, finally releasing me.  
I still couldn’t believe it was Marcus in front of me. I couldn’t even believe I was back in the Village Of Dragons after all this time.  
Marcus looked behind him at Dragonite and smiled. “Go on, now. Nothing more for you to see, here.” He rubbed Dragonite’s belly slowly.  
Dragonite grunted angrily, but with a nod, he turned and stomped away.  
Marcus turned back to us. “So, again, Gary, what brings you back here? I see that you’re here with a couple of lasses this time,” Marcus chuckled, turning to the girls. “I might be reaching outside of my limits by calling them both your girlfriends, but surely one of them…”  
I sighed wearily and lowered my head. “Neither of them are my girlfriend, Marcus.” At this point, I was beyond exhausted of that question.  
“What?? Two beautiful young girls by your side, and you’re not with either of them??” He looked at both girls with shocked, wide eyes. His eyes reverted back to me. “Are they dating someone else?”  
“One is,” I sighed impatiently, covering my face with one hand, and my other hand waved lazily at Courtney.  
“And this beautiful, fiery haired lass? She’s available to you?” Marcus exclaimed.  
“Marcus!” I shouted at him, my face burning up as my hand dropped from my face.  
“Well, I know very well you don’t already have a girlfriend,” Marcus told me simply.  
My teeth tightened against each other. Gee, thanks, I thought angrily, scowling.  
“And you’re traveling with this incredible looking young lass, and are not dating her? I mean, you’re not a… not… good looking kid, Gary.”  
What does that mean?? I thought, feeling hurt by his words.  
It seemed like he was just trying to be nice.  
I already knew I wasn’t a great looking kid to begin with! I almost wanted to cry at this point, being so embarrassed in front of my friends. We never should have come here, I thought sadly. I just knew it!  
“What, have you gone gay, my boy?” Marcus questioned.  
Courtney burst out laughing behind me.  
“NO!” I shouted desperately, my fists tightening at my sides. “Will ya stop already??”  
June giggled by my side, covering her mouth with her hands.  
I turned to her angrily.  
She looked up into the sky and lowered her hands, but she shivered as she smirked, snickers escaping from her.  
Courtney continued laughing as I glared at her.  
“Marcus, we came here to battle Iris, the Gym Leader,” I said to Marcus with a sigh. “Is she around to battle?”  
“Aaahhh… So you’re traveling through Unova to collect Badges, eh?” Marcus nodded approvingly. “How many do yah have so far?”  
“Um, all eight, but I’m just coming here for a little training and thought I’d get my ninth since there’s still a bit of time before the Conference starts,” I explained.  
“Ha ha ha ha ha!! You’ve come to the Village Of Dragons to challenge Iris for training?” Marcus laughed. “Now, that’s quite the jest, lad. Are you unaware that Iris was once the Pokemon Champion of this region?”  
“Yeah,” I nodded. “I’m not taking her lightly or anything. I just want to kind of test me and my Pokemon out more than anything else. You know, to be sure we’re prepared for all kinds of challenges at the Conference.”  
“Aaaah… I see.” Marcus placed his hand on my shoulder and gave it an affectionate, but strong, squeeze. “Eight Badges. Do tell me, how’s your mother been? She must be proud, eh?”  
I lowered my eyes to his black sneakers and took in a shaky breath. I couldn’t lie. Not to Marcus. My mouth remained closed as I refused to answer.  
“Come to my place for a moment and give her a call, why don’t you?” Marcus offered. “It’s been some time since you last spoke to her, hasn’t it?”  
I took a moment to try and remember when the last time was that I had called her. Crap, I thought. I can’t even remember? The last time I recalled speaking to her was way back in Spart Town! But, it couldn’t have been that long ago, could it? I looked up to Marcus. “Maybe a little later,” I muttered.  
Marcus stared into my eyes. “Before you leave, okay?”  
I wanted to say “no,” but his powerful eyes seemed to hold me still, as if by some kind of telekinetic power. I didn’t answer him.  
“Um, excuse me,” June’s voice appeared nervously. “Mr. Marcus?”  
Marcus turned to June and smiled warmly. “Yes, lass. Excuse me for my rudeness. It’s been so long since I’ve seen young Gary, here. I was quite pleased to finally see him again and I completely forgot my manners.” He released my shoulder and walked over to June. Marcus nodded and bowed slightly before her and then extended his hand. “My name is Marcus. Just Marcus. No formalities for me, please.”  
He’s always been like that, I thought to myself with a smile.  
Even when I was younger, he refused to be called anything but Marcus. No “Mister” or “Sir.” Just Marcus.  
June took his hand and they shook gently. “It’s so nice to meet you, Sir. I mean, Marcus. I’m June.”  
“The honor’s mine,” Marcus nodded once. He turned to Courtney and stepped to her. “Marcus, of course, is my name. I apologize for our late greeting.” He bowed slightly at Courtney and shook her hand.  
“It’s really nice to meet you, Marcus. My name is Courtney!” Courtney beamed at him.  
“Do you two lasses also have your eight Badges?” Marcus asked them politely.  
“I actually have nine Badges, and this is going to be my tenth!” Courtney bragged.  
“I’m just here traveling, not collecting Badges,” June said casually, lowering her eyes. “My opinions and feelings not mattering to anyone at all,” she muttered.  
“Hm?” Marcus asked June.  
Courtney and I stared at June, and I was sure that Courtney had heard June just as clearly as I had.  
“Just enjoying the sights and learning about Pokemon Trainer relationships with their Pokemon and how to be a better Pokemon Trainer, myself! Maybe one day I’ll go off on my own journey and collect Badges and compete in a Pokemon League.” June cleared her throat. “And do what I wanna do.” She cleared her throat even louder. “And go where I wanna go.” She hacked loudly.  
“Are you okay, there, June?” Marcus asked her with concern.  
June smiled and nodded, patting her chest gently. “I’ll be just fine.”  
I rolled my eyes, looking away from her as Courtney stared at her in confusion.  
“So, Marcus, who are you to Gary?” June asked.  
“Yeah! I was wondering that, too,” Courtney chimed in.  
Marcus and I exchanged glances for a moment.  
With a sigh, the smile on his face turning a little uncomfortable, he answered the girls. “I was a very good friend of Gary’s father. We met maybe twenty years ago or so at Highfront University. I was studying for my profession, a doctor. Gary’s father was studying a similar profession in hoping to become a professor of Pokemon.”  
My eyes widened. I never knew that… I thought in awe. Is he serious?  
“Oh, wow! So, you’re a doctor?” Courtney asked Marcus.  
“Yes,” Marcus nodded. “Gary’s father didn’t manage to complete his required courses, struggling greatly with math, primarily, and he was disheartened to return. Even Denise, his girlfriend at the time, Gary’s mother, was unable to pull him out of his slump, and he simply never returned.”  
So, my dad sucks at math, too, I thought. I didn’t fall far from that tree.  
“We kept in contact with each other, though,” Marcus said. “We spoke almost every day, either calling each other or meeting up when we were available. He worked a number of jobs, trying to make his way in the world, but refusing to ever return back to school. I think math scared him a bit. He gave it his all. We had studied together, but whenever he seemed to have a grasp on it for a second… it was something you could see on his face. It’s as if it just… slipped away. It’d just vanish. Every time I saw that look, it was devastating for us both. So, in a way, I could understand why he gave up. He made his money, though, him and his girlfriend, and lived happily. They were a beautiful couple! They later moved to Pallet Town, and only a day later, he proposed to her.”  
“Awwww!!” June and Courtney squealed.   
“That’s so beautiful!” Courtney bounced on her feet.  
“How wonderful!” June cried with delight.  
“To add to that, it was one month later that they were married, and two weeks after that before…” Marcus turned to me as he paused.  
I stared back at him silently.  
“…she realized she was pregnant.”  
I swallowed uncomfortably and looked to the ground.  
Nobody spoke after that.  
An Axew walked by us and turned its head as it looked up at us. “Axew.” It looked away and continued walking by.  
A loud roar from something above made the four of us look up, and I could see a beast flying, its dark color blended in perfectly with the dark sky.  
“Long story short, me and Gary’s father maintained our friendship despite the distance between us, and he visited me here with Gary, Melissa, and Denise a few times,” Marcus told us, drawing back our attention. “Of course, I also visited them when I was able to. Most of the time, we’d call to fill each other in on what was going on in our lives.”  
“You mean… Gary’s been here before??” June gasped, turning to me in shock.  
Courtney was next to gasp and whip her head in my direction. “You’ve been to this place before??” Courtney exclaimed, her eyes and mouth wide at me. “And you never told me?!”  
“Gary, why didn’t you say anything??” June demanded, raising her hands as she shrugged her shoulders. “You’ve been quiet about this all this time?!” She shook her head slowly. “You have been to Unova before, then! You told me you’ve never been here!”  
I refused to stare at June or Courtney, glaring at the ground, angry and embarrassed, wishing more than ever that we had never come here.  
“Gary hasn’t been here since he was a small child,” Marcus spoke up. “I almost didn’t recognize him at first. Did yah forget about me, Gary? Ha ha ha ha!!” Marcus laughed heartily, leaning on his cane.  
I looked up at him and shook my head hard. “No! It’s just… Like you said, it’s been years! I haven’t even thought about this place in so long! I honestly didn’t even know the Village Of Dragons was in Unova! I was in complete shock when we were on our way over here…”  
“You have some history here, Gary,” Marcus acknowledged. “A connection, thanks to the friendship of me and your father.”  
I closed my eyes, emotions soaking them, and I lowered my head as I nodded.  
“That’s really nice that you two had such a good relationship,” June said softly to Marcus.   
“Yeah. It’s so sad it ended…” Courtney added.  
June shot Courtney a short glare, and even I looked at Courtney for her odd choice of words.  
Courtney lowered her head and looked away, possibly regretting what she had said.  
“Very sad. Yes…” Marcus was giving me a hard stare. He blinked and shook his head slightly, and his face softened. “Well, anyway, it’s Iris that you all wish to battle, yeah?”  
I didn’t answer. I just looked him in his hard, blue eyes.  
“Yes! Me and Gary are gonna battle Iris and win the Legend Badge!” Courtney declared eagerly.  
“You sure are confident, aren’t yah, lass? That’s good! Good energy!” Marcus said cheerfully. “I’ll happily take you kids to her Gym.”  
“Yay! Thank you so much!” Courtney said excitedly.  
“Yes. This is very kind of you, Marcus,” June added.  
Marcus’ eyes seemed glued to mine for a moment before he turned away from me. “Follow me, then, children.”  
Together, we walked, led by Marcus, Courtney and June captivated by the various Dragons around us and the beauty of the village at night.  
“Look at the Swablu!” Courtney gushed. “They evolve into Dragon types, too!”  
“Look at that little Pokemon!” June pointed.  
“That’s a Shelgon! They evolve into Salamence and can fly!” Courtney informed June.  
“And look at that Haxorus! She’s so tall!” June gasped.  
All the while, I was silent as I lingered behind the others, my head down, disinterested in what they were making such a fuss about.  
“Hey! What’s that over there?” June practically shouted.  
“Statues?” Courtney asked.  
Courtney and June’s feet came to a stop, and I looked up and stopped, too.   
Marcus was staring past the girls, his eyes on me. He squinted at me before turning around.  
Ahead of us, the dirt road split down a few different ways, and from a distance, I could see two towering statues standing next to each other on a platform. Both the statues and platform were made from white stone.  
Marcus turned back to us, beaming proudly. “Well, this is where I live.” He pointed at a house to his left.  
It looked very much like the other houses we had seen.  
“And much further up lies the elder’s house.”  
“The elder?” Courtney asked. “Like, an old person?”  
Marcus laughed.   
June smirked at Courtney with sympathy and shook her head.  
“She indeed is the oldest person in this village, and serves as the matriarch here,” Marcus explained.  
“What’s a matriarch?” Courtney inquired.  
“Simply put, the oldest female within a community, runs the community,” Marcus said to Courtney.  
“Wow! Talk about girl power! We need more of that!” Courtney laughed, bringing out laughter from Marcus.  
Even June managed to laugh a little at what Courtney said.  
I refused to crack a smile. I wasn’t even in the mood to talk.  
Marcus’ laughter faded as his eyes landed on me again. “And, as you’ve all noticed, right up ahead are the statues of the Legendary Pokemon of Unova, Zekrom, the Dragon representing ideals, and Reshiram, the Dragon who represents truth. These Legends are held in high regard in this village. A little ways further up, you’ll probably run into Iris. There’s a beautiful lake that she loves to battle by. Or, perhaps you’ll face her a little deeper in the woods. Wherever she decides.”  
“Then, let’s go already!” Courtney jumped in the air, bursting with excitement. “I wanna see that statue!”  
Marcus walked past Courtney and June and stopped by me, a stern look on his face. “Yes. That’s a good idea,” he said, not taking his eyes off of me. “Perhaps it would be best if you two went ahead and found her yourself.”  
Confusion spread across my face as I stared at Marcus.  
“I think Gary and I have some things to discuss.” Marcus was focused on me.  
“Huh?” Courtney stared at Marcus and I. “What do you mean?”  
Marcus placed one hand on my shoulder and smiled. He turned to Courtney. “It’s been a really long time since I’ve seen this young man. I feel like there are some things we need to get off of our chests. Privately. I’m sure that Iris will be enough of a challenge for you, and that you’re more than strong enough to hold off Iris’ Pokemon long enough that, when you return here, Gary and I will be done with our little talk, and we can all go and see his battle with Iris, next.”  
“I can wait! We can all stay together and talk, and then all go off to Iris together and battle her!” Courtney suggested. “Hey! What are you doing, June?”  
“Thank you, Marcus, for showing us around,” June smiled, pulling Courtney back by her shoulders as Courtney struggled to get out of her grip. “We’ll be sure to find Iris by ourselves, and we’ll be back after a decent amount of time.”  
“Why can’t we stay together?” Courtney squirmed in June’s hands. “June, stop it! Why are you doing this? What’s going on?”  
June easily continued pulling Courtney back, a few Pokemon in the area, including, to my surprise, a couple of Patrat, watching the two girls who were making so much noise.  
“Can I at least get a good luck hug before the battle???” Courtney called, reaching out to me.  
Feeling the hard stare behind me, I turned to Marcus.  
Silently, he released my shoulder and walked to the front door of his house. He held the door open and turned to me. Marcus then gave me a slow nod.  
I hesitated for a moment before I found myself able to step towards him, and I walked to the front door and stopped, looking inside.  
The house had several button up shirts on the floor along with a couple of pairs of black pants, and a pair of black shoes on their sides. Three wooden chairs sat in the middle of the small room, and there were three open doors against the walls.  
Beyond one door was a simple kitchen with a white fridge and metal sink visible from where I stood. The sink was full of dirty dishes.   
The second door was shown to contain a bedroom, also a mess, with clothes and dirty plates everywhere. Even on the floor. A tiny TV sat on the edge of the bed, someone speaking from it.   
The last door was the bathroom. The floor looked like it was crying for a mop, and an open tube of toothpaste had a line of toothpaste oozing from the opening and smearing the sink top. A can of shaving cream without a top sat near a toothbrush. In the sink laid a razor that needed a good rinsing.  
“Heh heh heh,” Marcus laughed, moving quickly to close the bathroom door.  
I walked inside of his house and closed the front door behind me.  
“Following reports on the missing Mamoswine that mysteriously disappeared from the Pokemon Research Lab in Viprehpan City, the search has finally, but sadly, come to a close,” I heard the voice of a woman speak from Marcus’ TV in his bedroom. “A collection of fifteen Mamoswine were all found decomposing inside of a cave known as Desert Cave, a cave ironically known in Unova for containing quite literally nothing of interest.”  
Marcus was now staring into his bedroom, listening to the news from the doorway.  
“A foul smell was reported filling the city. Police investigated the source of the odor and were unable to get any closer to the smell that was confirmed to be coming from the cave located to the far west of Viprehpan City. After specialists in gas masks were called in to check out what exactly was going on, they ran out in horror, reporting that the cave was being heated by some kind of mechanical device that was purposely placed in the cave. The Mamoswine were found chained to the cave and unable to break free, where the Ice type Pokemon were left to die. Though Mamoswine are able to handle warmer temperatures, prolonged exposure can be critical to their health, and it’s being reported that the temperature in the cave neared one hundred and fifty degrees and rising by the time the Pokemon were located. The Pokemon, whose species has dwindled greatly since the end of the ice age, are suspected to be victims of Team Solace, but as of right now, there is no evidence confirm-”  
Marcus had walked over to the TV and cut it off. Sighing, he left the room and closed the door behind him. He walked over to the kitchen and stopped at the doorway. “Um… I’ll grab us some cups of water. Take a seat, lad.” He walked into the kitchen.  
I sighed and turned to the three chairs, but I didn’t feel like sitting. Not anymore. Not after what I’d just heard on the news.   
Desert Cave.   
Several Mamoswine were left to die in conditions that would have burned out most humans, let alone Ice type Pokemon.  
I suddenly wasn’t feeling so well, and I decided to stumble over to one of the chairs and I sat down in it with a relieved sigh, my stomach churning nauseously.  
Marcus came out of the kitchen with a tall glass of water. He held it out to me and I took it slowly.  
I sipped from my cup gingerly, staring into the crystal clear liquid.  
Marcus quickly walked back into the kitchen and came out shortly with a second glass of water. He groaned as he carefully sat down in a chair across from me, resting his cane next to him, and he drank heavily from his glass before he lowered it onto his knee, half of his cup now empty. He inhaled deeply and exhaled loudly, and his eyes lifted to the ceiling. “A damn shame what those crazy bastards are doing to the Pokemon,” he spoke gruffly.  
I turned my eyes to the floor and simply nodded, my heart beating from the anger in his voice.  
“Let’s take our minds off of it for now,” Marcus suggested, easing his tone. “You’ve dealt with them enough, as it is. It really is good to see you again, Gary.”  
“Thanks,” I said in a voice lower than a whisper. I cleared my throat to speak louder. “Thank you. I’m glad you’re here. I’m glad we got to meet again.”  
“What is it you wish to tell me, Gary?” Marcus asked.  
I looked up and saw his eyes, feeling the pull from them that insisted on me opening up to him.  
Marcus always did this. Not just to me, but to everyone he spoke to. He always had a way of communicating with people with just his eyes, and once he did that, there was no fighting him. It was as if he knew what you were going to say long before you said it, but he wanted you to say it anyway.  
I swallowed hard, inhaling and exhaling shakily, and I lowered my eyes. My heart was beating so hard, I felt ready to throw up.  
“It’s about your sister, isn’t it, Gary?” Marcus insisted.   
How does he do that? I wondered as I swallowed again.  
“And your father, too,” Marcus added.  
“You know what happened to them, don’t you?” I asked, looking up to him.  
Marcus stared at me, but he didn’t answer.  
“You do know…” I realized, my eyes widening.  
“Gary, why did you come to Unova?” Marcus asked.  
“NO!” I set my glass on the floor and got to my feet, glaring at Marcus. “What happened to them? What happened to my dad? Why is he dead? Why is Melissa in Unova?”  
Marcus’ eyes widened and his glass fell from his hand.  
The glass didn’t break, but the contents spilled on the floor.  
“Wh-wh-what did you just say?” He gulped. “Melissa is where?”  
“Melissa is in the Unova region, Marcus!” I said strongly.  
“That’s impossible, Gary.” Marcus shook his head. “You must be mistaken.”  
“I held her!!” I shouted angrily, stepping towards him. “Me and June both found her, and we held her, and fed her, but she’s really sick right now! I think she’s losing her mind! I lost her in the woods, and I haven’t seen her since!”  
“How did you find her? When??”  
“It was months ago. June and I were heading to Spart Town, and we found her in the woods, surrounded by some people who were bothering her or something. She’s lost her memory or something. She doesn’t have any idea how she wound up in Unova, or where her Pokemon have gone, and she was petrified of me!”  
“Dementia…” Marcus muttered, lowering his eyes, furrowing his eyebrows thoughtfully.  
“Excuse me?” I cried angrily.  
Marcus looked me in my eyes. “Gary, sit down, please.”  
“NO! I wanna know what you know! Tell me! What do you know about my dad and sister, Marcus?” I demanded.  
“Sit down, Gary!!” Marcus barked.  
His tone caught me off guard, and I stayed quiet and didn’t move. His cold stare didn’t take long to work its way with my body, and as if I was being forced backwards, I slowly took a couple of steps until I bumped into my chair and sat down in it.  
“You’re far too emotional, Gary,” Marcus said seriously. “You must relax.”  
“Relax about what? I want to know why you won’t tell me what you know about my dad and sister, damn it!”  
“Because you’re a young man, Gary! You don’t need to know everything right now!” Marcus was now definitely angry.  
His glare was frightening me, but I couldn’t stop. Not if he knew about Melissa. Not if he had information on my dad. “You can’t keep this from me,” I said, keeping my tone low, but strict. “I’m not leaving until you tell me what you know. Where’s Melissa? Why is my dad dead? Just tell me!”  
Marcus stared at me intently as he raised his right hand and slowly rubbed his chin. He inhaled through his nose for a while and then exhaled through his nose as well. “You deserve some peace of mind, I suppose. Are you sure you’re ready for this bit of information, though, Gary? This-”  
“YES!” My eyes watered up from impatience. “I’m at the end of my life, it feels, Marcus. You don’t understand how any of this feels. It’s terrible! I can’t breathe, or think, or function sometimes! I live in denial and hope, and misery and anger. I want to forget them but I can’t and I don’t want to! I want to accept what’s happened, but how can I when I don’t even know what’s going on? I don’t know why my dad is dead, and Melissa is still out there! How am I expected to just to be okay with all of this? My own sister saw me and wanted nothing to do with me! I haven’t seen her in years, and she thinks we talked just the other day! I can’t keep this up anymore, Marcus! I’m not able to live like this! You’re the only one who can help me now! Why won’t you?! You can’t just expect me to leave here without any answers if you have them!!” As tears flowed down my face, I blinked constantly to keep Marcus in clear view.  
Marcus nodded slowly at me. “Your sister is dead, Gary.”  
The tears picked up as if they were faucets that Marcus had just raised the pressure on. “But she isn’t…” I croaked.  
Marcus kept his gaze on me. “Gary, if, and that is… a fantastic… if… you really saw Melissa in Unova by some incredible miracle... She is suffering from dementia due to a disease she has, and she is dead by now.”  
Silence entered the room, an unwelcome guest that made a discussion that was at its peak level of discomfort, reach new heights.  
“What disease?” I whimpered, wiping at my eyes as the water continued running from them.  
“There isn’t a name for it right now, but I do know that it acts in a very similar manner to acute leukemia.”  
This all seemed impossible to me. There was no way. Was there? My sister couldn’t be dead. I’d seen her! I’d touched her!  
“The first time I met you and Melissa, you were five, and she was six,” Marcus told me. “I noticed something about Melissa when I first met her. She seemed a little pale, and there were a couple of red spots on her body. It could have been anything, or nothing, but, as a doctor, I asked your dad if I could do a little check up on you kids. I just wanted to be sure you were all okay. He quickly agreed. I took blood samples from you both, and you were the squirmiest little bairn around needles, screaming and carrying on before I had even stuck your hand.” Marcus laughed lightly. “Everything seemed fine with you both, and all that was left was to run a test on the blood, which I did after you all had left. You were fine, but I was confused by what I had found in Melissa.”  
I licked my dry lips and fought the urge to look away from Marcus. I had to know everything. He had to tell me to my face, and I had to be sure I understood everything.  
“I didn’t really know what I had found, but I immediately knew that it was not good,” Marcus said darkly, lowering his hand from his chin to his lap. “I informed Ron, and he was devastated. He demanded I not tell your mother a thing. It would be our secret until I knew for certain what it was. Your father didn’t want to worry your mother over nothing. It became clear rather quickly that Melissa was suffering from some form of cancer. I updated your dad secretly over the years as I learned more about it, and he would send me pictures of her. She looked fine. Pale and a little thin, but healthy enough. I got to see Melissa a few more times, during visits either from your father or to him. Every time I saw her, I felt so scared for her. I hugged her so delicately, as if she were made of a collection of confetti. She was suffering from something she wasn’t even aware of. None of you knew. But, she seemed just fine. Happy and healthy and just a normal kid.” He paused and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.  
Keep going, I thought with pain in my heart. Please, don’t stop now! The tears continued to slide down my face, the sadness of what I was hearing supplying my eyes endlessly.  
“To this day, Gary, I have no idea what your sister was suffering from.” Marcus sniffled and his eyes opened. He wiped at his eyes as they glistened. “Melissa had always shown an interest in becoming a Pokemon Trainer at a young age, so it was no surprise when she started talking about beginning her own journey when she was eight. Ron explained to her that she had to wait until she was ten, but he told me that he had no intentions of letting his daughter become a Trainer, and that he would figure out some way to deter her from wanting to become a Trainer, even if it meant keeping the both of you from becoming Trainers, which killed him on the inside.”  
His choice of words about my dad’s feelings cut me deep.  
“Killed him on the inside. Killed him…”  
I took a shaky breath and let it out silently.  
“I got a lot of useful information thanks to your dad. He kept me informed on Melissa’s health, and everything that was going on. She never had to go to the hospital for anything, thankfully. Though, in my opinion, she did wind up sick more often than I would have preferred. During that time, I worked on a cure, but with such a disease as this one that I was unfamiliar with, nothing sufficient could be created for her. Even to this day, no cure is available to even keep the disease at bay. It’d be appreciated if you kept what I’m telling you about this disease, a secret, mind you. Until I know more about it, I don’t want to spread a public panic, you understand.”  
I could only barely nod, my flowing tears finally slowing down.  
“It was when your father started informing me of certain things that I began to note all of the similarities to acute leukemia. Small things like her having cold symptoms like sneezing and coughing, to coughing up actual blood in more serious cases, to her skin becoming sensitive to bruising and bleeding easily, sometimes when she was merely bumped into at school. Other times it was just at her father’s touch. He might be playing around with her or grab her arm a little too tightly, and when she would pull away, her arm was bleeding and his hand was coated in blood.”  
I jumped at his words and choked.   
Marcus stopped talking and stared at me with wide eyes. “Gary? What’s wrong, Gary?”  
I was breathing hard now as I remembered when June had asked Melissa about the strange people who had been with her when we had found her.  
Melissa had freaked out with a terrifying scream. She then tried to run away and I grabbed her hand, but she broke free and escaped, and my hand was left smeared in blood.   
So that’s what happened, I thought as I began to feel my eyes burn up behind fresh tears. Melissa… My eyes finally lowered as I leaned forward, my head facing down, and I could see my tears fall to the floor beneath me.  
“Gary, it doesn’t get any easier from here, boy,” Marcus said, pain in his own voice.  
I lifted my hand to wipe at my eyes, but my open palm froze in front of me, and I stared at it, reflecting on the fact that my dying sister’s blood had once been on it. “Just finish this already,” I whispered as I wiped my arm across my eyes. I pressed my arm against my eyes and decided that I would cry against it silently for a moment. When Marcus didn’t speak after a while, I got angry and lowered my arm. “Just speak!” I shouted at him, holding back the wave of tears I could feel urging to come out, like a wave of water slamming against the inside of my entire body.   
Marcus stared at me solemnly. “Your father died a year before Melissa’s journey began, and he could no longer prevent her from going on her desired quest. And, of course, neither you nor your mother knew what was going on. I have to live with the role I played in that for the rest of my life.”  
“Do you know how he died?” I sniffled.  
Marcus nodded slowly.  
I waited for him to speak.  
“Your father loved you, Melissa, and your mother. He loved his family very much, to the death of him. But, he was a very unstable man, in a way that was revealed to me during our time at the university.”  
I was glued to every word that came out of Marcus’ mouth as he spoke, so close to finally knowing the truth about everything.  
“Your father left you, your sister, and his wife, initially, to seek a cure for Melissa. He believed he could find it and save his daughter. Part of it was out of the obvious desire to save his daughter’s life, but he also told me that it was to allow her to go on her desired Pokemon journey. He wanted that for her, but he would not send her out in that condition. I tried to explain to him that there was no way to cure this disease, yet. I told him that I didn’t even know what it really was. But he wouldn’t hear me out. We got into a really bad argument, and it got physical. That was the last time I saw him. Your mother has been good to keep the means of his death a secret from you, and she herself is a strong woman for living with it all this time.” Marcus rubbed his chin, staring at me. “Suicide isn’t looked at as a disease by many people, Gary.” Marcus stared at me, and silence spoke to us again for a long moment. “When a man can find the love of his life, have the kids of his dreams, love them all with all he has within himself, live a rather comfortable life, and still throw it all away… I find that, personally speaking, a mental illness. How proud he would have been to see you today, Gary. How in love he was with your mother. How desperately he wanted to be with your sister until her dying day, and yet, left her, you, and your mother…”  
Before I could stop myself, I grabbed my glass from the floor and smashed it at Marcus’ feet in fury.  
Marcus jumped and looked down, and then looked back up at me.  
“You’re a damn liar,” I growled at him.  
“Gary,” he spoke calmly.  
“You’re a damn liar!!” I raged, and stomped towards him, ready to swing at his face.  
Marcus got to his feet, reaching out for his cane.  
“SIT DOWN!!” I shoved him back to his chair and he toppled over, crying out in surprise as he hit the floor.   
Marcus’ cane fell.  
I quickly lifted his chair, fire in my eyes, and raised it over my head, ready to beat the life out of this man. “WHY?! HUH?! WHY ARE YOU LYING???”  
Marcus looked up at me with wide eyes of fright. “Gary, I told you you weren’t ready for this!”  
“He would never do that!! He did not commit suicide you lying-!!”  
“Gary!” He reached up helplessly as I brought the chair down swiftly and broke one of the legs off on the floor, right next to his head.  
The leg bounced along the room and rolled towards the bathroom door.  
“You think I won’t do it?!” I screamed like a maniac, raising the chair over my head again. “You think I won’t hit you next time, damn it?! My dad left for the family, to make us more money so we could live even better!! He loved us! He’d never kill himself!! HE LOVED US!! I WANT THE TRUTH ABOUT MY DAD!!!”  
“Gary, he did love you!! He loved you all!!” Marcus called out desperately.  
“THEN DON’T LIE ABOUT MY DAD!! I’LL KILL YOU!!”  
“Gary, if you care so much about your father, then don’t run away from him and what he did!” Marcus said strongly, bravely. “Don’t disrespect his memory! Accept it! Your father killed himself because he was mentally unstable and unable to cope with his life!!”  
I closed my eyes and shook my head furiously. “Our lives were good! He loved us! You’re making no sense!” Just to shut him up, I knew I had beat Marcus over the head and silence him once and for all.  
Gary, stop! a tiny voice in the back of my head pleaded. What is wrong with you?! I shook my head and let out a scream, glaring down at Marcus, ready to beat him to death.  
“Your father didn’t leave to make life better for the family by earning more money, Gary! None of this was about finances or any of that! It was all about making Melissa happy!”  
My arms shook from the chair above my head, but I held onto it, staring at Marcus. “Then why kill himself?” I asked shakily. “Why, if he loved her so much, would he leave her like that…?”  
“You don’t understand suicide, Gary,” Marcus said in a clear, though nervous voice. “I hope you never do. It changes people’s perspectives and makes them undervalue the things they once lived for. Success becomes pain. Laughter is like crying. You seek things you don’t even need or really want and treat it like the air you breathe, taking for granted what you have. Sometimes, you’re well aware of your blessings but still yearn for much more. It becomes an addiction of sorts. It’s as if nothing in this world is ever good enough. As if everything is a wrong turn, even when it’s exactly what you want. Many people become addicted to the feeling. Gary, I don’t understand it myself. Just, please, don’t do something regrettable about something you don’t understand. If I had the answers, I’d give them to you. I only can tell you what I know as best as I can!” He swallowed hard, staring up at me warily, lowering his arms slowly.  
I started lowering my own arms, keeping my angry eyes on Marcus as some sense started seeping into my brain. My face softened as I began to calm down, and I dropped the chair next to me. What came over me? I thought. I nearly lost my mind completely. What the hell…?  
Marcus sat up and stared at me. “I’m sorry, Gary.”  
“For what…? I just attacked you,” I said in a shameful, low voice. “For no good reason.”  
“You’re going through a lot right now, Gary. You’re a young man taking in quite a lot, all at once. Not everyone would have stopped as you did, I’ll bet. I must say, I’ve never known you to be that way, though I do recall your father saying you had your mother’s tempter and were quite the handful in elementary school, ha ha ha.”  
“I’m sorry, Marcus,” I told him sincerely.  
Marcus nodded, smiling a little bit.  
“She’s dead,” I said in a low voice, looking at the floor. “You believe that she’s dead.”  
Marcus didn’t answer me.  
I collapsed to my knees painfully, but I didn’t utter a sound. Marcus came into my view as I lifted my eyes to him. “It’s okay. You can tell me. You think that she’s dead.”  
Marcus stared back at me silently.  
“And my dad… He killed himself…”  
Marcus remained silent.  
“So that’s it?” I asked him. “My dad was a punk and my sister was insane?”  
Marcus’ throat widened as he swallowed. “Gary, don’t be mad at your father.”  
“He abandoned us all, and killed our family. He didn’t even tell me and mom about Melissa. After all these years, I now know that my dad was just a coward.”  
“He was not mentally sound, Gary.”  
I shook my head and looked away from him.  
“He was not well. He was ill, Gary. There’s no rush to accept this, so, please, try to be calm when thinking about your father. You’re a very good and highly intelligent lad. Your mother and father knew it, and I saw it in you at such an early age. Don’t hold your father’s actions against him. If anything, don’t do that to his memory, however hard it may be for you. Ronald deserves more honor than that. He loved you all more than either of us will ever understand. Enough to be so dissatisfied with how life was for all of you, that he gave his life trying to make it better.”  
I let out a hurt cry and placed my hands over my face. No longer able to hold in the pain, I bawled painfully. I was now five years old, if not younger, crying. I had nothing anymore. Everything was dead for me. I was truly alone in this world, and it had officially been confirmed to me tonight. As I wept, I thought of my Melissa.  
She would call home during her Pokemon journey, either crying about failing to obtain a Badge or Pokemon, or her success at acquiring a new Badge or capturing a brand new Pokemon. Most of the time, it was for the former.  
I never really noticed that she looked sick or anything. Was she a little skinnier than I had remembered when last seeing her when she called?   
Mom was always worried about how Melissa looked, or how well she was, or what she was eating.  
I sobbed painfully, knowing that I had seen my sister during her illness, and that nobody, not even her own mother, knew what was going on.  
“Mommy, I’ll get my eight Badges, and I’ll compete in the Pokemon League and make you both proud of me,” Melissa had told me and my mom during her last phone call home.  
“Melissa, I’ll be proud when you just make it back home, safe!” my mom had insisted.  
“I’ll become the Pokemon League Champion, and then, the Kanto region Champ,” Melissa smiled. She had coughed a few times.  
“Melissa, are you okay, baby?” Mom had asked with concern. “Are you coming down with a cold?”  
Melissa shook her head and smiled. “I’m fine, mom. Just you wait and see when I’m the most powerful Trainer on the planet. The whole world will know my name!”  
“And then, I’ll be coming after you, sis,” I said challengingly to her through the screen. “I’ll be even more powerful than you and Ivysaur, and I’ll be the Champion!”  
“Ha! You’ll probably choose a Charmander as your Starter, just to try and beat me and Ivysaur,” Melissa smirked at me.  
“I haven’t decided who I’ll choose at Prof. Oak’s Lab!” I said angrily, especially since I had been considering choosing Charmander.  
“You better choose the Fire type,” Melissa taunted me. “You’ll need all the help you can get to beat me, and you’ll still never beat me!” Melissa’s face had then gone serious. “It’s a lot harder out here than you think, little guy…”  
I had no idea how serious Melissa was, or any idea what she had meant at the time. Now, I understood. I felt like vomiting as I screamed out my tears as loudly as I could, hoping that with each outward shout, I would just die, but every inhale of air informed me that I was still alive, to my dismay. I was like a newborn baby, just screaming my heart out to the world. Gasping in pain, I stared at a blurry Marcus through my tear-filled eyes. “Am I going to die next…?” I gasped out shakily. “Am I sick, too?”  
Marcus didn’t say anything immediately. “No, Gary. I couldn’t find any signs of what I found in your sister, in you. Again, I do not know how the disease works, but, from what I could tell, you did not have it.”  
I nodded weakly, barely able to even perform the action.  
“Gary, why did you come to Unova?” Marcus asked me slowly, sternly. “Why are you here?”  
I stared back at him.  
My mind reflected on the attack at the Kanto Pokemon League about three years ago.  
My mom locking me inside of my house.  
Rotom attacking her when it took over the fridge.  
Porygon-Z attacking Prof. Oak.  
Charizard and Rotom taking June and I to the airport.  
Virgil driving June and I to Prof. Juniper’s lab.  
June and I meeting Prof. Juniper, Ella, and Trixa for the first time.  
Trixa defeating Ike for her first Badge.  
Me catching my Pidove.  
Me defeating Cress for the Trio Badge.  
Defeating Prof. Russell for the Iron Badge.  
Me yelling at Trixa and her leaving the group.  
June and I meeting Ruko for the first time.  
June, Kai, and me escaping Castelia City, the bugs, Burgh, and the mutant creatures he had created.  
Jumping off of a cliff with June and her Eevee as a Cacturne prepared to attack us.  
Earning my Badge against Dana and her powerful Pokemon.  
Finding the Exeggutor burning on an island as me, Tympole, June, and her Vaporeon swam for our lives to Nimbasa City with Captain Billy.  
The attack from the Aggron on the subway in Nimbasa City, crippling June and I temporarily.  
Meeting Ella again and earning my Badge against a crazy Elesa.  
Beating Clay in Driftveil City.  
Ella and me going on a date I ruined due to my concern for June.  
Finding Melissa…  
Losing Melissa…  
Earning my Badge against Row in Spart Town.  
Team Solace releasing the ancient Pokemon at Twist Mountain.  
Defeating Roxie’s Poison type Gym.  
Courtney and I teaming up against Cory and Spector to win our Shadow Badges.  
“I don’t know…” I whispered to him. It was the first time I had ever lied to him, especially while staring into his eyes that seemed to already know everything.  
Marcus stared deeply at me without saying a word. Finally, he simply nodded.  
“This is it, isn’t it, Marcus?” I asked him quietly. “This is the end of our conversation. The end of the answers I’ve been seeking for so long.”  
Marcus nodded. “I’m sorry, Gary.”  
I shook my head. “I’m not satisfied with that, Marcus. There’s still so much more I want to know. This isn’t the end. It can’t be! This isn’t satisfactory for me.”  
“It isn’t meant to be, Gary,” Marcus replied.  
I shut up at his answer and glared at him.  
He looked back at me calmly.  
“So, my mom knows about his suicide?” I asked him.  
“I know, don’t I?” Marcus answered. His eyes closed and he shook his head slowly. “What she must be going through, knowing that her own husband that she had two kids with, committed suicide, must be pure Hell for her, every single day. She’s a stronger woman than either of us will ever comprehend.”  
My eyes lowered. I suddenly was filled with more regret than ever before. And what have I done to ease that pain? I asked myself. Run away from home, leaving my mommy to be attacked by a Pokemon? Disrespect her numerous times when all she was doing was being worried about me and my wellbeing? Not call her except for when I felt like it? When I’ve accomplished things that only upset her? What kind of son am I? My eyes began to water again as self-loathing thoughts began to fill up my mind.  
The door to Marcus’ house burst open, startling us both.  
“Gary! Gary!” June screamed furiously, running into the house, holding something in her hands.  
“June! Stop!” Courtney begged, running after her.  
“She’s been a liar all along, just like I knew! Courtney beat Iris, and I saw it!! I saw the inside of her Badge case!! This lying little thing only just now earned her eighth Badge!!” June ran up to me, holding out Courtney’s open pink badge case with dark red hearts on it.  
This was the first time I was seeing the contents of Courtney’s Badge case. Inside sat eight Badges, containing the Toxin Badge, the Trio Badge, the Shadow Badge, and five other Badges I didn’t recognize.  
“June, I hate you!!! Do you know that?! I cannot stand you!!” Courtney was now crying, trying to grab at her Badge case with her left hand, her right hand in its splint at her side, but June kept it away from her, running around the house. “Give it back!!” Courtney’s tears littered the floor as she chased after June.  
“I’ll give you it back, but then, you have to keep away from Gary and I!!” June screamed, keeping away from Courtney. “We no longer want anything more to do with you!!”  
“I hate you, June!! I hate you!!!” Courtney screeched.  
“SHUT UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUP!!!!” I bellowed furiously, getting to my feet.  
Silence befell the room as Courtney and June came to a stop and turned to me in shock.  
Marcus looked up at me with wide eyes.  
This was the last straw for me. “You stupid kids!!” I screamed at June and Courtney. “I just found out that my sister is dead due to an unknown disease, and my dad killed himself trying to find the cure for her, and my mother has the worst son in the history of mankind, and you two dumb little-!!” I somehow managed to hold my tongue from calling them one of the foulest words I could think at the moment. “WHEN ARE YOU TWO GONNA GROW UP?!!!” I stomped towards them, and the girls gasped and moved away from me. I stormed swiftly past them and stopped at the front door of Marcus’ house. I turned back and glared furiously at June and Courtney, and then I turned to Marcus. My eyes began to instantly tear up as I stared at the face of the man who once brought a kind of joy to my life in some minor way as a friend of my dad’s, but now was the bearer of a powerful pain for me that I would carry for the rest of my life.  
Marcus closed his eyes and lowered his head. His lips spread apart as if he were about to speak, but they then closed. Perhaps he knew that he had said all that was needed.  
Though he couldn’t see me, I nodded at him. I grabbed the doorknob and opened the door, taking three steps forward. My hand yanked hard on the door, slamming it as hard as I could behind me, but the loud slam wasn’t enough for me. My head turned first, followed by the rest of my body, and I faced the door. My foot rose, and I kicked the door with one good hit.  
I kicked it a second time.  
A third time.  
Each kick made me feel like I needed to throw out just one more kick to release my anger adequately, but I never reached the feeling of justice I was seeking in my heart. After a while, I could feel the stares around me. That didn’t stop me from attacking Marcus’ door. I felt more inspired to promote attention to this man, now.   
He deserved it, at the very least, for his part in the destruction of my family, the bastard.   
I kicked at the door continuously, my anger building with each kick, my head swirling with memories of Melissa and my dad. I kicked harder each time my foot connected with the door, wanting to knock it down. After several more kicks, I lifted my foot and inhaled deeply. “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!” I shouted as loud as I possibly could, all the energy I had left within me building into my leg, and I thrust my foot into the door, determined to smash it to bits.  
The wooden door actually made a crack sound against my foot.  
I breathed heavily, angrily, not feeling fully satisfied with the crack I could see in the door where my foot had landed, but I was out of energy and no longer desired to destroy this door, a small sliver of calm starting to sneak into my mind, body, and soul. I looked around and glared at the small number of people in the area accompanied by perhaps four times as many Pokemon of varying types.  
They all were staring at me sternly, but not saying a word.  
I glared back them bravely, daring any person and any Pokemon, from the tallest man in the village, to the most aggressive looking Haxorus, to say even one thing to me as I clung to my slowly dwindling adrenaline, my heart like a bouncing Igglybuff in my chest. I walked over to the collective around me, and they all kept their eyes on me as they stepped aside, giving me room as I walked past. Nobody stopped me, but I could feel their cold stares on me as I walked away from them.  
Unsure of where I was headed.  
But knowing I was leaving the Village Of Dragons.  
Without June or Courtney.  
And knowing that I would never return here again for as long as I lived.


	64. Swooning Swoon Swoobat

I was lying on my back, staring through the treetops at the moon that lit up the clearing beautifully.   
The sounds of insects, birds, and various kinds of wildlife surrounded me, rustling the grass and flying by where dark clouds were hiding amongst the night sky, the moon revealing them just barely.  
My stomach grumbled loudly, but I didn’t move a muscle. I had officially decided that today was the day I would stop eating for the rest of my life. My plan was to just lay here, motionless, until I died. Yesterday had been a failed attempt at this very same thing. I didn’t eat all day that day until night came, having gone over sixteen hours without food. At that point, I couldn’t take it anymore, and I ate and ate and ate and ate and ate. I was so hungry that even while stuffing my face with food, I couldn’t feel it satisfy my stomach, and so I just kept on eating. I knew I should have stopped eating for a few minutes, and eventually, I’d begin to feel full, but I was dying! I just had to eat! And so I continued to do so. I was so satisfied when I finally began to feel full, I wondered why I even tried to starve myself in the first place. And then, I remembered.  
Melissa.  
Dad.  
All hope I had of ever finding my sister was now blown up.  
Finally receiving the answer to how my father died was the biggest disappointment of my life.   
At that moment, I knew that I should have just continued starving. Today is my last day on Earth, I thought. Or, maybe I’ll survive three days. That’s the limit without food or water, right? Three days? After three days, I’ll just die. It might be painful and difficult, but it’s better than the torment I’d have to live with after learning the truth about Melissa and my dad. How will I ever tell my mommy? Tears rolled out of my eyes and down my cheeks as I blinked. Something was coming towards me through the woods, but I didn’t budge, keeping my eyes on the moon.  
“Gary?” I heard a voice that I hadn’t heard in a long time speak shakily.  
I ignored it, staring at the moon that appeared to be so close to the planet I was resting on.  
She walked closer to me, but stopped a few feet away, keeping her distance.  
I began to wonder where June was. I hadn’t spoken to Courtney nor June since yelling at them in the Village Of Dragons a few days ago at Marcus’ house. I didn’t even care if they never followed me again. I was done with them, and I had considered myself traveling alone.  
They both had followed me from a distance, and neither girl had said a word to me, wisely choosing to leave me alone to my thoughts. They were nowhere in sight for the past three days I had woken up, but I would always hear their footsteps and whispers behind me and I felt their presence.  
I hadn’t turned around to view them, but knowing they were there was more than enough to agitate me. I just wanted to be left alone. Instead of whipping around and raging at them, I kept quiet and cried silently, sniffling every once in a while.  
Tonight was the first time in about three days that one of the girls had said anything to me.  
I preferred the silence.  
“I’m worried about you, Gary,” Courtney spoke to me softly.  
My eyebrows furrowed, knowing that Courtney was trying to engage me in conversation.  
“I know that you’re going through so much right now, but I want you to know that I miss you,” Courtney told me. “I hate knowing that you’re trying to deal with this alone. I respect your privacy, but knowing you’re in so much pain draws me to you. I want to help you. I want to be here with you, Gary. You know I can empathize with you on the loss of family members.”  
“You don’t know anything about what I’m going through,” I said in a low growl. “You’re your own person, and you handle things differently than me. Your parents died, and not in the same way my sister and dad died. You can’t empathize with me in any way. We’re completely different people. Just go away.”  
“I can’t,” Courtney said in a low voice.  
I didn’t say anything. I didn’t want to know why she couldn’t just get up on her two feet and get the hell away from me forever.  
“You’re my friend. You can tell me to go away, but you can’t expect a friend to do that,” Courtney said. She slowly moved closer to me and got on her knees.  
Against my will, my eyes moved over to her, and I stared into her tear-filled eyes. Upon seeing her eyes, even I couldn’t tear away from her, and my head turned to face her on its own.  
“Gary, I love you.”  
My eyes stretched wide as far as they could go, and I sat up with a start. I leaned back as I stared at Courtney as if she had just appeared in front of me out of thin air. My mouth hung open to stutter out a reply, but instead, no words were spoken.  
Courtney snickered and cocked her head. “Gary! As a frieeeeeend!”  
“Oh-I mean, yeah! I know! I just-”  
Courtney burst out laughing. “I have my Andrew, Gary. I’m sorry.”  
“Sorry for what?” I glared at her.  
Courtney smiled back. She opened her arms. “Come here, Gary.” She wrapped me up in her arms and rested her head against my shoulder.  
I wanted her to get off of me, but, at the same time, I didn’t. In fact, the feeling I had of me wanting her to get off of me was a lie. I wanted to believe that I didn’t want her hugging me, but I wasn’t that stupid to believe that. I liked Courtney holding me like this. Funny feelings filled my entire body in different ways. Courtney’s scent was in second place to the feel of her arms around me.  
In this heated season, she was wearing a pink tank top, and her bare arms were touching my arms in my red, short sleeved shirt. Our skin touching each other so intimately was giving me chills this warm night, and I was loving it, fighting off the urge to smile.  
Courtney nuzzled her head against my shoulder and let out a gentle moan. “You feeling any better tonight, Gary?”  
“No,” I lied, trying to remain as cold and unmoving as I liked people to believe I was.  
Courtney lifted her head from my shoulder and stared sadly into my eyes. “Oh…” She lowered her eyes.  
Good. Now get off of me, I thought coldly, looking away from her, trying to distance myself from her emotionally.  
Something warm, wet, and familiar pressed against my cheek, and the sound that followed it confirmed what it was.  
My eyes expanded and I let out a stunned gasp. I turned to Courtney in shock.  
“How about now?” she asked me calmly.  
I swallowed hard and sat there, frozen in shock at the kiss I had just received.  
Courtney smiled and nodded. “Good enough answer for me,” she whispered, and rested her head against my shoulder again.  
We remained like this, her head against me, my eyes looking down at her in disbelief, confused by what had just happened.   
The silence I loved so much had returned, but this time, I would have preferred some kind of conversation to explain what had just taken place.  
“June and I got into another argument,” Courtney informed me, speaking softly. “I don’t know exactly where she is, but I know she must be around somewhere.”  
I didn’t say anything, but my eyes did finally move from Courtney and focus on the ground. I suddenly began to wonder how many bugs must be crawling on me right now on this warm night. Millions, I assumed, and my skin started to prickle and itch. With Courtney on me, I tried to ignore the disgusting feeling of bugs on me, trying to convince myself that it was just my imagination, but it wasn’t working. But I didn’t want Courtney to let go of me, either, so I handled the feeling for as long as I could.  
“I asked her about Electivire again,” Courtney admitted. “I thought, maybe, with you so mad at us and our constant bickering, we could just talk about her Pokemon and try to build a better relationship. But, she went all crazy on me and looked ready to hit me, so I ran away from her and finally found you. What did she do to that poor Pokemon, Gary? Pokemon don’t behave that way for no reason.” She lifted her head.  
I stared into her pleading eyes.  
“What did she do to it, Gary? Did she abuse it? Did she mistreat it somehow? Does this have to do with her thinking she can read Pokemon? What happened? That Pokemon is suffering from something that she did to it! It isn’t right that she harmed this Pokemon in some way. I love Pokemon, and so do you, Gary. We love Pokemon! You have to share with me what she did to that poor thing. Whatever she did to it can’t be tolerated. What did she do to poor Electivire?”  
I stared at Courtney for a very long time, and Courtney didn’t speak a word to me, patiently waiting for the truth about Electivire and June’s history together.  
“I won’t say a word to her about it, Gary. I promise. But as a Pokemon Trainer, you can’t just allow her to do what she did to her Pokemon. You have to speak, for the sake of that troubled Pokemon. It’s not fair to Electivire. This is a secret, between me and you, Gary. What did she do to Electivire?”  
I stared at Courtney, looking her up and down, and then I looked away. “It’s not as bad as you think, Courtney. It really isn’t that big of a deal.”  
“Then just tell me what it is,” Courtney insisted. “June won’t tell me because she hates me, and you won’t even tell me. It must be a bigger deal than you say.”  
I kept quiet, considering the situation I was now in. If June isn’t comfortable telling Courtney the truth, then how is it my duty to spill the truth? Then again, these two are constantly fighting, and it’s usually June acting stupid with Courtney for no reason. She just doesn’t trust her after all we went through with her in Kanto, but Courtney has changed. She doesn’t seem to be a liar anymore… Wait… The Legend Badge! I turned to Courtney. “You lied about having more Badges than you really did, Courtney,” I said, staring at her sternly.  
Courtney nodded as her arms slid down my back and off of me. “I did. I don’t deny that one bit. I can’t, ha.”  
“Why did you lie about that?”  
“I have no good reason for lying to you about that, Gary,” Courtney told me seriously. “And the reason is unimportant, because it doesn’t change the fact that I lied. I guess I just wanted to seem intimidating and strong to you. Whatever. It was just me being stupid and trying to show off. That’s the truth, and I’m sorry for lying. I only had six Badges when I started traveling with you, and the Gym in Ghyst Town was my seventh after finding out the Flower Badge was fake, and the Legend Badge was my eighth Badge. I’m so sorry, Gary. I can understand if you don’t trust me anymore and want me to leave. I just wanted to kind of seem cool to you. Like, an actual challenge. It’s no excuse. I know.” Courtney looked away from me and wrapped her left arm around her right shoulder. Her right hand, in its black splint, rested gently on her lap. She gave a little shiver.  
Sympathy for her took over and I reached out and grabbed her bare, smooth shoulder.  
She jumped at my touch and turned to me in surprise.  
My heart, and more, was going wild at the feel of her skin, and a rush flowed through my blood as I stared into her deep, captivating eyes. “It’s okay, Courtney,” I said hesitantly. “Just forget it.” I inhaled through my nose and exhaled loudly through it as well. I felt immediate regret telling Courtney that, but I shook off the feeling.  
“No, Gary.” Courtney shook her head. “You don’t have to say that. I can tell you’re mad at me. I can go.” She started to get up.  
I grabbed her other shoulder, which made my heart grip itself with excitement, and stared into her eyes seriously. “It’s okay, Courtney.”   
Courtney’s lips began to quiver and her eyes filled with tears. “I’m so sorry to you, Gary. I’m so sorry I lied to you both!” She wrapped her arms around me and sobbed against my chest.  
I hugged her and rubbed her back. “Courtney, don’t cry, okay? It’s okay.”  
“It’s not okay! It’s not okay at all! I’ve tried to rewrite my image in your eyes, but I lied anyway for no good reason! You two can never trust me again!”  
“Can’t I trust you, Courtney?” I asked her.  
Courtney continued crying, louder than ever. “I can be trusted! I just made a little white lie. But, I can’t ask you two to trust me ever again!”  
“I believe in you, Courtney.” My heart was being fired at my chest from the inside and reflecting back into the same cannon, just to be fired out again. This firing was happening by the nanosecond. Courtney crying was painful for me to have to deal with. I hated seeing her cry. It was heartbreaking for me. I had to hold back my own tears watching Courtney sob. “Can I trust you to keep a secret? I’ll tell you a secret, because I trust you, Courtney. But only if you really will keep it a secret.”  
Courtney shivered in my hold, rubbing her head against my chest. “I can… But, why trust me, Gary? Why??”  
“Because…” I paused, thinking on my words. I inhaled deeply through my nose. “I love you, too. As a friend, of course.” My heart’s already spastic beating increased dramatically. “I love all of my friends. I trust that you’re an honest person in your heart, Courtney.”  
Courtney looked up at me and wiped at her eyes with her left hand. “Really? You do believe in me?”  
I nodded. “I do, Courtney. I hope you won’t prove me wrong.”  
“Never, Gary!” She wrapped her arms around me tighter than ever. “Never would I. Not to you. Never.”  
I inhaled again, the smell from her hair weakening me, convincing me against other thoughts that were flowing through my head, and I swallowed nervously. My arms wrapped gently around Courtney’s body, and the feel of her slim body in my arms seemed to coincide with my decision to tell her the truth. “June evolved her Electivire before he was ready to evolve.”  
Complete silence took over the clearing. The sounds of rustling grass, flying birds of the night, scampering animals, and buzzing, chirping insects, all went mute. It was as if the entire planet and all life on it had gone quiet to listen to me.  
“When she was a Gym Leader, she was having trouble winning battles. She’s never won a battle as a Gym Leader. She was extremely disappointed in her Elekid, and later, Electabuzz. So disappointed, that when she did receive an Electirizer, she went against her Pokemon’s wishes and evolved him. He hates her for that. He knows June knew he didn’t want to evolve, but that she evolved him anyway. That’s why Electivire is so furious and angry all the time. He’s giving June the strength she wanted him to have all this time. It’s just kind of backfiring at her…”  
Courtney didn’t say anything.   
At once, sounds returned. Insects flew through the air and chirped and made other kinds of noises, creatures rustling the grass, animals running through the clearing, and a few large birds crying out and flying by.  
With nothing more to say, and the feeling of regret heavy in my heart, I quietly breathed in and held my breath, staying silent, paying attention to the noises around us.  
“I won’t tell anybody, Gary.” Courtney’s hug tightened. “I promise.”  
I closed my eyes and silently let out my breath.

*

Courtney was by my side as we walked through the woods, every tree holding apples in their branches, some apples on the ground around us.  
June was behind us both, following us silently.  
The three of us were continuing on our way to Interough City. The Interough Conference would be taking place in a little over a week, and according to the Town Map, we should be there in about a week, tops.  
This wasn’t what was on my mind, though.   
I had spent the rest of last night with Courtney. Just me and her. It was weird. With her pleading eyes, sensual touch, and enticing aroma, I was even convinced to eat, and honestly speaking, I was glad to be eating again. Eating is a pleasure not to be passed up on.  
I didn’t see June until I had awoken this morning.  
She seemed to be both agitated and depressed, sitting against a tree trunk far away from where Courtney and I had been sleeping together.  
I was surprised by how close Courtney actually was to me when my eyes had opened. One might have thought we were cuddling!  
Right now, I felt so emotional, but not a single tear would come out from my eyes. I had done plenty of crying the day I had left the Village Of Dragons, and enough crying the following days before Courtney joined me last night. But today, the sun high above us in a blue sky filled with clouds, the temperature feeling somewhere in the high nineties, if not over one hundred degrees, the air muggy and disgusting, filled with gnats and other flying insects, I couldn’t force a tear out of either eye. Even though I was traveling with the girls, I felt like allowing tears to flow from my face. I didn’t need their sympathy. I just was feeling emotionally distraught and felt like I wanted to let it all out, alone or not. My body seemed to have other plans, not allowing me to do so. Perhaps I had run out of tears? How weird to be so unable to show emotion considering the things running through my mind; considering the fact that I wanted to drop to my knees and bawl in front of June and Courtney.  
Am I really mad at my dad? I pondered. Yes, was the quick response. He left the family selfishly. But what do I really know about suicide? What do I really know about what was going on in my dad’s head? Marcus called suicide a disease.  
“When a man can find the love of his life, have the kids of his dreams, love them all with all he has within himself, live a rather comfortable life, and still throw it all away… I find that, personally speaking, a mental illness,” Marcus had told me.  
Maybe, I considered. But that still… Doesn’t make it right… Or fair… Finally, I could feel my eyes start to tear up again, but the tears suddenly began to back away behind my eyes again.  
“Your sister is dead, Gary.”  
The sudden realization that I was completely worn out from the massive collision of the news I had received from Marcus made me worry that I was probably going to be calm for a short time, like the calm before a storm, and that I might eventually explode in a rage or a wave of tears, any day now. I sighed quietly.  
“Swoobat!”  
“Swoobat!”  
“Swwoooooooobat!”  
“Swoobat!”  
I looked up in confusion at the cries in the area, and I saw that we were now in a large clearing that was filled with Swoobat!  
The Swoobat were all flying easily through the air, crying out softly at each other.  
“No way! Look at all the Swoobat!” Courtney cried out happily.  
“Wow!” June whispered from behind us.  
We all came to a stop as we observed the Swoobat flying around.  
Some of the Pokemon seemed to be in pairs, while others were flying about by themselves. The tails and noses of all of the Swoobat were shaking for some reason, and pleasant notes were traveling through the air.  
I smiled as I stared at the Swoobat. For some reason, my body was suddenly filled with an overwhelming feeling of joy, any troubles I may have had at any point in my life, now set aside and replaced with peace and happiness at the sight of these happy Swoobat. I pulled out my Pokedex.  
Swoobat. The Courting Pokemon and Woobat’s evolved form. They produce a variety of sounds from their tails, some of which have the power to destroy concrete. A courting male emits sound waves that fill anyone who hears it, with happiness.  
Courtney turned to me with a smile. “Do you think we’ve found ourselves in the middle of a courtship or something?”  
“It’s possible. We’re pretty lucky if that’s what this is!” I told her joyously.  
“That’s exactly what this is!” June exclaimed, walking up to us eagerly and smiling at Courtney.  
“This is so beautiful!” Courtney gushed, looking around at the Swoobat. “I can’t resist letting my own Swoobat be a part of this!” She grabbed a Poke Ball from her waist with her left hand. “Who am I to interfere with the chance of true love?” She enlarged the Poke Ball and tossed it into the air.  
The Poke Ball popped open and out came Swoobat.  
“Swoooobat!” Swoobat looked around happily at the Swoobat above him.  
“Swoobat, go out and find that special someone, honey!” Courtney urged her Pokemon with delight.  
Swoobat turned to Courtney. “Swoo? Swoobat!!” Swoobat flew around, his tail now shaking hard.  
I wore a shameless, proud smile on my face. “I’m so glad we wound up here!” I turned to Courtney. “Imagine if your Swoobat finds a mate!”  
Courtney beamed right back at me. “Imagine? My Swoobat definitely will find a mate! I couldn’t be any happier if Swoobat found the love of its life today!”  
“He’s totally trying to find the one!” June pointed up into the crowd of Swoobat.  
Courtney’s Swoobat was flying by numerous Swoobat who were flying by themselves, but as he stopped by one, it would turn its head and fly away. Courtney’s Swoobat seemed sad for a second every time this happened, but he would smile again and approach another Swoobat. After about five or so Swoobat rejected him, he started to keep his sad face.  
The other solo Swoobat were starting to find mates, happily flying around each other in circles or finding a tree branch to rest on next to each other.  
Courtney’s Swoobat stood out with the sadness he now was wearing on his face. Suddenly, he looked up and let out a thrilled cry. “Swwwwwooooooobat!! Swoooowoooowooooooobaaaaaat!!” He flew towards a Swoobat that was looking around and smiling at all of the other Swoobat.  
This Swoobat that had grabbed Courtney’s Swoobat’s attention stopped looking around and its eyes seemed to focus on another Swoobat. “Swooo…”  
Courtney’s Swoobat flew up to the Swoobat he seemed to like, and he flew around it, letting out a gentle cry, his tail vibrating harder than ever.  
The Swoobat he was trying to attract didn’t pay him any attention, its eyes focused on the other Swoobat.  
This third Swoobat was looking back at the Swoobat that Courtney’s Swoobat was attracted to, adoringly.   
The tails and noses of both of these Swoobat were shaking as they stared at each other.  
“Uh, oh,” June said sadly.  
Her sad tone was destroying the positive feelings within me, and I turned to her in shock, surprised that anyone could sound so sad at such a wonderful time as this.  
Courtney was also looking at June with pained sadness.  
June looked ready to cry, staring at the Swoobat that Courtney’s Swoobat was so interested in. “It looks like that Swoobat is completely unaware of Courtney’s Swoobat, and has her eyes set on that other male Swoobat. That’s so sad. Your Swoobat seems to really like that girl.”  
“What’s that Swoobat got that mine doesn’t?” Courtney questioned sadly. “Don’t give in, Swoobat!!” she called out. “You’re the better Swoobat! Show her you’re the true gem out of all of these Swoobat!!”  
Courtney’s Swoobat turned to his owner and gave her a determined nod before facing the female Swoobat with a big smile. “Swoo-! Swoo?” Swoobat watched the female Swoobat in confusion as she and the other male Swoobat flew towards each other and met in the air, gently flying around each other in soft circles, crying out to each other happily, both of their tails shivering underneath them.  
Seeing the two Swoobat so happy with each other made me feel warm on the inside, and yet, I couldn’t forget about Courtney’s Swoobat as he let out a sad cry and lowered his head. I turned to him sadly.  
“Swoobat!” Courtney cried. “Oh…” She sighed. “No fair. My Swoobat really likes that other one… But is it fair to force love if that girl already has found what she likes?”  
“Maybe she doesn’t know what she’s missing from your Swoobat, Courtney!” June suggested brightly. “Maybe a display of power is needed!”  
“Power?” Courtney turned to June.  
“Yeah! Maybe have him show off his moves and impress that girl with his strength! Girls love a little muscle on a man!” June giggled.  
Courtney smiled brightly. “Yeah!” She turned to Swoobat eagerly. “Swoobat, show off a few of your moves for her! Show her that Gust attack of yours!”  
Swoobat nodded at Courtney happily and ascended. “Swwwooooobat!!” Swoobat flapped his wings and created a gust of wind that blew through the area, grabbing many of the Swoobats’ attention.  
The female Swoobat that Courtney’s Swoobat was trying to impress paid no mind to Courtney’s Swoobat and continued to snuggle with the other male Swoobat.  
The other male was glaring at Courtney’s Swoobat, but was snuggling the female Swoobat back with pride.  
“Then try your Acrobatics! That’ll really show off your power, Swoobat!” Courtney called out to her Pokemon.  
“Swoobat!” Swoobat moved with blinding speed as he flew past the Swoobat of his dreams and the male she seemed so enamored with, using Acrobatics with as much power and speed as he could muster.  
The female Swoobat had her eyes closed, leaning upon the male Swoobat, completely ignoring Courtney’s Swoobat.  
The male Swoobat leaned back upon the girl, but his eyes were open, eyeing Courtney’s Swoobat angrily.  
“I don’t think he’s grabbing the right Swoobat’s attention,” I said in dismay.  
“I see what you mean,” Courtney agreed with disappointment. “The female is totally snobby.”  
“Or Unaware…” June commented.  
Courtney’s Swoobat continued flying around, trying in vain to impress the female Swoobat with his Acrobatics attacks. As he flew towards the pair once more, he let out a startled cry and flapped his wings frantically, and I immediately knew that something had gone wrong. In the next second, Courtney’s Swoobat crashed into both the male and the female Swoobat, knocking them both out of the air, and the three of them collapsed to the ground.  
The other Swoobat in the area all looked down at the three Swoobat, their sweet notes no longer traveling through the air.  
I instantly started to feel less relaxed and good about life, and instead more tense, stressed, and concerned for Courtney’s Swoobat.  
The three Swoobat moaned in pain in the grass.  
The other Swoobat in the area began to laugh and point with their wings at the three Swoobat.  
“Oh, Swoobat,” Courtney moaned, resting her left hand against the side of her face and shaking her head. “Such a Klutz, as always. This isn’t gonna work out at all…”  
Courtney’s Swoobat shook his head and managed to his feet shakily. “Swoooooo…” he said wearily as he stared up sadly at the laughing Swoobat. His eyes turned to the female and male Swoobat he had accidentally knocked down, and he cried out in shock. “Swoobat!”  
The pair got up from the ground and shook their heads before turning to Courtney’s Swoobat angrily.  
“Swoobat! Swoooobat!” the female uttered.  
“Swoooooooobat!!” The male Swoobat flapped his wings and rose into the air. A dark ball appeared in front of him and sparked with dark static. “Swoobat!”   
The Shadow Ball flew out at Courtney’s Swoobat and knocked him back, causing him to tumble repeatedly until he slammed into a tree. “Swooooo…” Swoobat moaned painfully.  
“Swoobat!” Courtney called, and she, me, and June ran towards her Pokemon.  
Swoobat was on his back, a dizzy look on his face. Once the three of us reached him, he shook his head and got to his feet. He gazed down sadly. “Swoobat…” His nose vibrated.  
At once, a sinking, depressing feeling reached my heart.  
“Swoobat, my poor Pokemon!” Courtney said sadly.  
The cheerful noises in the area coming from all of the other Swoobat contested with the heart wrenching feeling in my heart. I wanted to feel at peace with everything in the world, but seeing Swoobat so miserable, I was in the middle of sadness and joy, wishing I could cheer up Swoobat so we all could be happy! I suddenly found myself smiling. “Don’t you worry, Swoobat! There’s plenty of other Swoobat in the area! Why not choose another one? Who needs that one?”  
The four of us turned to the female Swoobat that Courtney’s Swoobat had been trying to attract.  
The male Swoobat that had attacked Courtney’s Swoobat now had one of his wings around the female Swoobat, the two of them roosting comfortably on the grass. The female smiled happily and flapped her wings, flying away from the male, and the male cheerfully chased after her. Both Pokemon flew around each other in circles in the air, their tails shaking hard, the sight of pure love.  
I smiled at the sight, almost in tears over the beauty of the two lovestruck Pokemon.  
“Swoobat.”  
I looked down at the distractingly sad noise beneath me and remembered that Courtney’s Swoobat was still there, his head down, and I spotted the tears falling from his eyes and disappearing into the dirt.  
Courtney smiled and got down to her knees, rubbing her Swoobat’s back. “Swoobat, I can tell that you like that Swoobat a lot. I know you’re better than that guy she’s with, and she’s just not seeing it. It’s her own loss.”  
Swoobat sighed in despair and lowered his head even further.  
“Swoobat, let me tell you a little something about love, honey,” Courtney told her Pokemon. “If you really love something, you have to prove it. You can’t back down if it’s what you truly want. When it comes to love, things don’t just come to you. Sometimes, you have to go to it, and show ‘em what you’re really made of.”  
Swoobat looked up at Courtney in awe.  
“You have to fight for what you want, if you truly want it,” Courtney nodded. “Make her feel like a jewel, and show her that you’re worthy of being the one to make her shine for the rest of her life. She’s the one you want, right?”  
“Swoobat!” Swoobat nodded.  
Courtney stood up and took a deep breath, puffing out her chest. She pointed sharply at the Swoobat pair and winked at her Pokemon. “Then let her know, Swoobat! Fight for your woman!”  
“Swooobat?” Swoobat looked up at the two Swoobat above.  
The female seemed to be oblivious to what was going on beneath her, gazing at her love.  
The male, on the other hand, was glancing back and forth between the female and Courtney’s Swoobat.  
Courtney’s Swoobat looked up at the two Swoobat and he narrowed his eyes with determination. “Swwwwwoobat!” With a strong shout, he flapped his wings and flew into the air.  
The male Swoobat turned around and glared at Swoobat. “Swooooobat!”  
The female finally turned around and stared down at Courtney’s Swoobat. “Swoobat.” She squinted her eyes at him angrily.  
“Swoobat, go get him!” Courtney ordered.  
“Swoooobat!” Swoobat yelled.  
“Use your Gust attack, now!”  
Courtney’s Swoobat flapped his wings and blew a Gust at the opponent, forcing him to struggle against the attack to not get blown back.  
The rival Swoobat suddenly flew forward, his body outlined in black, and he slammed into Courtney’s Swoobat.  
Courtney’s Swoobat was knocked back and fell. His wings spread wide and flapped quickly, managing to keep himself from crashing, and he flew back up to match the other Swoobat.  
The female Swoobat backed up, focusing as the two battled.  
The other Swoobat in the area were also watching eagerly, their tails and noses no longer shaking, the pleasant noises in the woods now gone.  
I suddenly felt a lot more… Normal… For lack of a better word. I didn’t feel so unusually happy and pleasant and emotional anymore. I wondered exactly why and when I had started feeling that way, and what stopped the feeling.  
“That was Assurance that that Swoobat just used!” June stated. “That Dark type move is Super Effective to a Psychic type. Your Swoobat’s in trouble!”  
“Ugh!” Courtney had an angry look on her face. “Swoobat, we’re not out, yet! Use your Air Slash!”  
The other Swoobat opened his mouth and a white orb of energy with a pale, pink center charged in front of it.   
From the orb, a pale, pink beam surrounded by a bright, white energy fired out at Courtney’s Swoobat.  
“Dodge that Hyper Beam!” Courtney screamed.  
Her Swoobat swooped underneath the attack and flew forward.   
The Hyper Beam slammed into the ground near Courtney, June, and I, causing us to scream as a powerful explosion rocked the ground and blinded us in a flash of white light and dirt that arose from the impact.  
I covered my face with my hands against the bright light, my eyes closed.   
The other Swoobat all screamed and I could hear their wings flapping frantically.  
Once the light started to fade, I peeked through my fingers as I heard a loud voice from a Swoobat, and I squinted, blinking away the flashes, and spotted a Swoobat flying towards another Swoobat.  
The flying Swoobat’s wings were glowing light blue. He came to a stop in the air and wrapped his body with his wings. His wings then opened, and multiple light blue saw disc-like energy blades flew from them at the other Swoobat.  
The opposing Swoobat cried out from the Air Slash attack, his body flashing white from where he was hit, showing that the attack was a Critical Hit, and he started to droop down in the air, slowly descending.  
“Swoobat! You did it! Don’t stop, now! Shadow Ball!” Courtney cheered.  
Her Swoobat flew towards the enemy Swoobat and charged up his Shadow Ball.   
The other Swoobat in the area were all in the air, flapping their wings rapidly, watching the battle with great interest.  
One Swoobat was high in the air above the rest, watching the battle with a stunned look, but I couldn’t be sure if that was the female being fought over or not.  
The rival male Swoobat was hovering in the air, twitching in pain. No. Not twitching. He was Flinching! The Swoobat was stuck in the air, Flinching, unable to dodge the Shadow Ball!  
“Swwwooooooooooooobat!” Courtney’s Swoobat tossed his Shadow Ball at the other Swoobat. The second the Shadow Ball flew from Courtney’s Swoobat, his face fell in shock, and he wailed out as his Shadow Ball curved! “Swoooobaaaaaat!!”  
The attack immediately flew off to the side and slammed powerfully into a tree nearby him. The tree quaked a little, Courtney’s Swoobat looking up at the tree meekly. He let out a loud scream, the branches shaking over him. Before he could do anything more, several apples dropped from the tree branches and took him down.  
I sighed and lowered my head, embarrassed for the poor Pokemon.  
Courtney let out a cry and covered her face with her left hand. “My Swoobat! Ooooooohhhh!!” she bemoaned.  
June could only shake her head slowly, a look of disbelief on her face.  
The other Swoobat in the area began laughing hard at Courtney’s Swoobat.  
The one Swoobat in the air above the others was the only one not laughing, looking down at the beaten Pokemon covered in apples.  
The Swoobat that had been battling Courtney’s Swoobat let out a proud cry of victory and flew towards the Swoobat that was not laughing. “Swoooooooobaaaaat!” he called out victoriously.  
That must be the female, I realized. But, why isn’t she laughing?  
As if on cue, the female Swoobat suddenly smiled huge, and she burst out laughing! Then, she flew past the male Swoobat that was soaring to her! Laughing all the way down, she flew past the male Swoobat that had won the battle, and landed on the pile of apples covering Courtney’s Swoobat! Still laughing, she used her nose to nudge the apples off of Courtney’s Pokemon and then stared down at him.  
Courtney’s Swoobat looked up at the female in confusion, getting to his feet.  
The male Swoobat above stared down in confusion at them both. “Swoo…?”  
“Swoobat?” The female Swoobat nudged her nose against Courtney’s Swoobat.  
“Swoooowoooowooooooooooooooooooobat!!” Courtney’s Swoobat’s nose suddenly started shaking like mad, and he rose into the air, his tail shaking hard.   
The female rose with the male, her tail and nose also shaking.  
“SWWWOOOOOOOOOOOO???!” the male Swoobat that had beaten Courtney’s, screeched.  
I smiled and crossed my arms, although I felt extremely confused on the inside. But, for some reason, I just didn’t care about my confusion. I was in just too good of a mood all of a sudden!  
Courtney’s Swoobat and the female Swoobat both spun around each other in circles, crying out happily to each other.  
The third Swoobat watched the two, his mouth agape, his eyes wide, his face holding horror at the sight he was viewing.  
The other Swoobat in the area began to shout out excitedly and release a joyous noise from their noses and tails.  
“Ha! Courtney’s Swoobat got the girl!” I exclaimed. “I don’t understand how, but it’s nice that he somehow came out the victor!” I laughed, pleased by the results.  
“She thinks Courtney’s Swoobat is funny!” June explained to me. “He may have ended up losing the battle with that other guy, but the way he lost was so funny to her, that she was kind of taken by him!”  
I raised an eyebrow, still not understanding, but still smiling. “I don’t get it,” I shrugged. “Must be a Pokemon thing, ha ha!”   
“I wouldn’t say that, Gary,” Courtney giggled. “Women love a man who can make them laugh.” She winked at me.  
I stared at her and let out a little laugh.  
We all looked up at Courtney’s Swoobat with the female.  
Above them both, the male that had lost out on the girl he had been battling over was now vibrating his tail and nose with a different Swoobat!  
“Hey! Looks like that other guy got himself a mate, too!” June pointed.  
“So everyone got themselves something special,” I nodded with satisfaction.   
“Yeah…” Courtney whispered.  
Something about her tone of voice made me look down to her.  
Courtney was smiling at her happy Pokemon, but her eyes glimmered behind water, and I could see that she was no longer with us. She was somewhere else, lost in thought.  
“Courtney?” My own smile faded slightly.  
“Courtney, are you okay?” June asked softly.  
Courtney blinked, and tears fell from her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. She inhaled a shaky breath and wiped her cheeks with her left hand. Her mouth opened, but no words came out. Instead, more tears rolled down her face. She closed her mouth and smiled strongly. “Swoobat…” she whispered.  
Swoobat turned at his Trainer’s spoken word. “Swoo? Swoobat!” He turned to his mate. “Swoobat!” He then turned back to Courtney and flew towards her. He flapped his wings, hovering above her. “Swoobat!” he spoke happily.  
“That’s not how you treat a lady, Swoobat.” Courtney gently shook her head, still smiling.  
“Swoobat?” Swoobat said in confusion, smiling back at Courtney.  
“You’ve just met the love of your life, silly,” Courtney said as more tears rolled down her face. “And, now, you’ve just left her alone up there.”  
We all looked up at the female Swoobat who was looking down at Courtney’s Swoobat, smiling patiently.  
Courtney’s Swoobat looked back to his Trainer.  
“There’s really no big difference between love in the human world and in the Pokemon world, you know?” Courtney told her Pokemon sweetly. “You know what one of the most important rules in love is?”  
“Swoobat! Swoobat!” Swoobat’s face seemed to get just a little more somber.  
“You never keep a woman waiting,” Courtney winked. “You two have to go off and be happy together, for the rest of your lives, and have babies and stuff.” Courtney laughed.  
Her Swoobat’s face went a deep red, and he looked up shyly at the female Swoobat.  
She was smiling and looked away from Courtney’s Swoobat, her face also a matching shade of red.  
Suddenly, the Swoobat in the area started to fly away in pairs, all going in the same direction, off the path and through the woods, their tails and noses creating such a pleasant sound through the trees. One pair would fly off slowly together, and a moment later, another pair would follow.  
The male Swoobat that had been battling Courtney’s Swoobat left with his mate, flying by us, paying no attention to us, and they disappeared into the trees.  
Only a couple of pairs of Swoobat remained, their eyes on their mates.  
Soon, one of the two pairs of Swoobat flew away into the woods.  
The female Swoobat that was alone flew in the direction that all of the Swoobat were flying off in, but she stopped at the trees and turned back, still smiling. “Swoobat!” she called out to Courtney’s Swoobat.  
Courtney, me, and June faced Courtney’s Swoobat.  
Courtney nodded at her Pokemon. “You have to go, Swoobat. It’s time.” She nudged her head in the direction the female Swoobat was waiting. “Get out of here and spend the rest of your life, free. With a beautiful girl. Make each other happy. Keep her safe, okay?” She winked at Swoobat with a small smile. “And be sure to always make her laugh.” Her lips quivered for a quick second, displaying the pain within her, but with a sniffle, she quickly brought back her smile.  
“Swoobat!” Swoobat flew into his Trainer’s chest, and Courtney instantly wrapped her arms around him.  
“Swoobat…” She buried her face against her Pokemon.  
The last pair of Swoobat flew off together.  
The happy noise that the Swoobat were making was now gone, only Courtney’s Swoobat and his mate remaining.  
My heart started to sink in my chest, bringing sadness throughout my body. The sudden change of feelings within me caused me to shiver hard.  
Courtney let out a gasp and a loud sob, and then she pushed back Swoobat and wiped at her face with her left sleeve.  
“Swoobat?” Swoobat looked at his Trainer with wide eyes.  
“NO!” Courtney said loudly, staring at her Pokemon sternly with tear-filled eyes. She shook her head slowly. “I love you.”  
There wasn’t a sound to be uttered from any source at that moment. Not a single bug. Not a single breeze from the wind. Not a single breath from any of us. Everything now seemed frozen.  
“They say, if you love something, let it go. If it was yours, it’ll come back to you. If it doesn’t, it never was yours to begin with,” Courtney told her Pokemon.  
Swoobat stared at Courtney quietly, flapping his wings.  
“You might see me one day, Swoobat,” Courtney said solemnly, sniffling as she cried quietly. “Fly the other way.”  
“Swoo?” Swoobat gasped.  
Courtney’s words stopped my heart.  
June looked stunned at Courtney.  
Courtney swallowed. “As fast as you can! Do you understand me?” Courtney screamed harshly at her Pokemon. Her voice softened and she became harder to hear as she gently croaked out to her Pokemon. “You don’t belong to me, Swoobat.” She opened her mouth, hesitating on her next words. “Y-you never did…” Her tears picked up their pace as they slid down her face. “I’m setting you free because I truly love you. Never return if you truly love me. Do you understand, Swoobat?”  
Swoobat was in tears now, and he nodded at Courtney. “Swoobat!”  
Courtney nodded. “Now, go.” She didn’t smile, but she did manage to stop shedding tears, staring firmly at her Pokemon.  
Swoobat stared back at Courtney, and finally, he nodded at her once again. He turned his back to Courtney and flew to his mate.  
Both Swoobats’ noses and tails vibrated as they faced each other, smiling with so much love, and together, they flew down the direction the other Swoobat had gone, not taking their eyes off of each other.  
Just as I was starting to feel a little more positive, the moment was interrupted.  
“Bat!” Courtney’s Swoobat slammed right into a tree, and the noise from the two Swoobat ended, along with the happiness that had started to fill me up. He slid down the trunk and hit the ground.  
“Swooooooobat! Bat! Bat!” the female Swoobat laughed gleefully, and she nuzzled her face against Courtney’s Swoobat.  
Courtney’s Swoobat smiled at her, and then he turned back to Courtney. His eyes began to tear up, and his smile broadened.  
My own eyes began to tear up watching Courtney’s Swoobat, his eyes so wide and filled with happiness, love, and sadness.  
Courtney’s face was once again streaming with tears as she smiled back at her Swoobat.  
Her Swoobat turned away from her and smiled at his mate. “Swoobat!”   
Together, they both flew off into the woods, the noises from their noses and tails bringing hope, promise, and happiness to my heart.  
“I love you, Swoobat! Remember that! I’ll never forget youuuuuu!!” Courtney called after her Pokemon with a big smile. “Take care of yourself! Take good care of her! Goodbye, Swoobaaaaaaaaaat!!”   
The beautiful sounds of the Swoobat faded away, and with it went the peace that had tried to make a permanent home in my body.  
Courtney inhaled loudly with a saddened pain and she collapsed to her knees. She lowered her head and cried loudly.  
“Swooooooooobaaaat!!” a Swoobat’s voice echoed out.  
Courtney gasped and looked up, her face soaked in tears. “Swoobat!”  
June looked into the woods where the Swoobat had all flown off, her arms crossed over her chest.  
I looked sadly down at Courtney for a moment, and then I looked up to where the Swoobat had gone. I got down to my knees next to Courtney and slowly, hesitantly, I reached out my hand and placed it on her back.  
June turned and watched as Courtney looked to me and smiled.  
Courtney wrapped her arms around me and hugged me, and I hugged her back. She sighed against me. “Thanks for always being there for me, Gary,” she whispered. “Thanks for… Everything…”  
I nodded, but I didn’t know what to say.  
June stared at Courtney sympathetically for a moment, and then she turned her head away, looking mournfully after where the Swoobat had left us.


	65. Just The Two Of Us

The three of us were breathing hard today, practically dying underneath the intense heat from the sun. If we didn’t know it already, summer was definitely here.  
June moaned every couple of minutes, dragging her feet forward through the dirt ground.  
Courtney would let out a noticeable sigh and complain about the heat every once in a while. “I can’t keep this up!” she groaned, running her hand through her damp, blonde hair that was sticking to her tired, red, sweaty face. “This is ridiculous! Don’t you guys have any Water type Pokemon to cool us off?”  
“I don’t think so,” I mumbled, too drained to remember what Pokemon I had with me.  
“June, you have that Vaporeon,” Courtney begged. “Please, just a spray on my face, or a sip for my throat. I’m dying here!”  
“It’s not that bad,” June panted, her red hair stuck to her own sweaty face, red under the sun. She swallowed and ended up choking.  
“Just fill up my canteen!” Courtney held her pink canteen upside down and shook it. Not a drop of water fell from it.  
June sighed, squinting at Courtney angrily as the sun blinded her. “I don’t wanna stop and reach in my bag for her Poke Ball. Let’s just keep moving and rest when we reach a Pokemon Center or something. I’m sure we’re not far from one.”  
“Easy for you to say! You still have water to drink! Gary and I don’t!”  
Why did she have to include me in this argument? I wondered tiredly.  
“And Gary isn’t crying like a little girl, either,” June pointed out.  
I was exhausted as it was, dying of thirst and burning up under the sun. Having these two arguing wasn’t making things any easier, and I was too worn out to yell at them to shut up. As if I don’t have my own stress on my mind, I thought to myself sadly. These two bicker over anything! I inhaled deeply, letting my breath out in exasperation.  
“All I want is a little bit of water!” Courtney argued. “I know you hate me and you want me to die, but you could choose a more humane way of going about it, like stabbing me in my sleep or something!”  
“Don’t put it past me,” June said moodily, turning away from her. She raised her water bottle to her lips and took a sip from it. She wasn’t even able to hide the smirk from her face.  
“June!” Courtney came to a stop and stomped her foot.  
June and I stopped and turned to Courtney.  
June raised an eyebrow.  
My own eyes were wide.  
Courtney looked infuriated, breathing harder than ever, her face deep red, sweat tumbling down. She opened her mouth to say something.  
A soft voice spoke as something appeared through the bushes.  
We all turned to the creature, and Courtney and June gasped in awe.  
Hmm, I thought, pulling out my Pokedex. I know that Pokemon…  
Lilligant. The Flowering Pokemon, and Petilil’s evolved form. The flower on Lilligant’s head will wilt if not taken care of. The flower has a sweet smell that relaxes those who come into contact with it. This is a female-only species.  
“Lilligant,” Lilligant said gently, staring at us.  
Both girls screamed with delight.   
“She’s soooooooo cuuuuute!!” Courtney squealed.  
“She looks like a princess! She’s a doll!” June gushed.  
They were right. Lilligant did look like someone dressed in a beautiful green dress made of fancy, robust leaves, a gorgeous, red flower on their head with a gold crown on top of it. This Pokemon was very elegant, without a doubt.  
June moved very swiftly, dropped her bag and kneeling to unzip it. She reached her hands inside and got to her feet in, at the most, two seconds time, holding a Poke Ball with an ‘M’ sticker on it.  
“Hey! Wait!” Courtney cried out at June. But she was too late.  
“Manectric!” Manectric growled at Lilligant as she was released from her Poke Ball.  
“Lilligant!” Lilligant cried out in fright.  
“Not fair, June! I saw her first!” Courtney whined.  
“Shut up!” June waved off Courtney. “Manectric, Flamethrower, now!”   
“Manectric!” Manectric opened her jaws and a stream of flames flew out at Lilligant.  
“Whoa!” Courtney stumbled backwards, taken by surprise by the attack.  
“Lilligant!” Lilligant was stunningly quick, moving out of the way of the flames.  
“Flamethrower again, Manectric! You can catch her!” June encouraged.  
Manectric attacked again and this time, Lilligant was hit!  
“Alright! We’re got her now!” June cheered.  
“Lilligant!” Like magic, Lilligant was suddenly behind Manectric!  
We all gasped.  
“How did she get there?” I asked, staring in shock at the plant Pokemon.  
Lilligant spun in place with a determined cry and a light green powder flew from the flower on top of her head, sprinkling down upon Manectric.  
“She used Substitute to dodge Flamethrower!” June realized. “Now she’s putting Manectric to Sleep with Sleep Powder!”  
Manectric yawned and collapsed. She started snoring.  
“Manectric, don’t! You have to get up! Please!” June pleaded.  
Lilligant suddenly bent slightly at her knees in a movement that resembled something a ballerina might do. She did this four times before spinning in place. She started to move even faster, and while spinning, she began moving around in a small circle as well. Her speed increased even more as she continued to dance.  
“Manectric, you have to wake up, right now!” June called out to Manectric.  
Manectric didn’t wake up, sleeping peacefully.  
“Why is she dancing like that?” I questioned, pointing my Pokedex at her.  
Quiver Dance. The user’s Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed are increased.  
“That thing has a couple of good moves,” I complimented.  
Lilligant stopped doing her dance and smiled at the sleeping Manectric.  
“Manectric, watch out!” June begged.  
“Lilligant!” Lilligant bowed at the knees again and then started to spin in place, only this time, the flower and crown at the top of her head started to glow a bright green. A matching green beam flew from the top of her head and hit Manectric.  
“She’s using Giga Drain!” Courtney said.  
“My Manectric!” June said, upset.  
Lilligant stopped spinning as she ended her attack. “Lilligant!”  
Manectric suddenly growled, her face wincing, and her eyes opened. “Manectric…” She got up and shook her head. “Manectric!”  
“Finally, you’re up!” June clapped. “We gave that Lilligant more than enough turns. Now it’s our go! Let’s warm you up with Howl!”  
Manectric growled and then lifted her head up to the blazing sun, letting out a bone chilling Howl.  
Despite the heat, I found myself shivering in place, my hands wrapped around my arms, and I stepped back a couple of feet.  
Courtney gasped as her body gave a fearful shake.  
Lilligant was watching Manectric warily.  
“Quick Attack, now!”   
Manectric lowered herself to the ground, her eyes on Lilligant, and in a flash, she was gone. She charged at Lilligant, moving from one side to the other, and leaped into the air and knocked her over.  
Lilligant slid on her back but shook her head and got back up.  
“Thunder attack!”  
Manectric howled to the sky, her fur sparking with electricity, and instantly, the area darkened as something overhead blocked out the sun and the air was cooled down.  
Me, June, and Courtney looked up to see that dark clouds had appeared from out of nowhere, covering the sky and giving us relief from the heat in a cooling shade.  
“Manectric!” Manectric fired a beam of lightning into the sky, and the clouds caught it, sparking instantly. “Maneeeeeec!” Manectric screamed out.  
A huge lightning bolt that nearly blinded me from its brightness, fell from the sky and slammed into Lilligant.  
“Lilliiiiiiiiiiigaaaaaaaant!!” Lilligant wailed as she was hit by the powerful move and fell down.  
“Manectric!” Manectric stared down at her opponent.  
“Lilligant… Lilligant…” Lilligant moaned, grunting and twitching on the ground as her body sparked.  
“She’s Paralyzed!” I smiled.  
Lilligant struggled back up onto her feet, bent over slightly, but not out of the battle yet. She cried out in pain and bent over further as Paralysis held her still.  
“Finish her off with Fire Fang!” June ordered.  
Manectric leaped at Lilligant with her gaping jaws, and they burst into flames. “Manectriiiic!” She sunk her flaming fangs into Lilligant’s side and took her down, Lilligant crying out helplessly. Manectric let go of Lilligant and placed one paw on her, growling.  
Lilligant moaned, her eyes closed tight.  
“That should do it!” June got to her knees and dug through her bag. “I’m totally gonna-!”  
“Poke Ball, go!”  
A Poke Ball flew through the air and hit Lilligant.  
“Manec?” Manectric backed up and stared as Lilligant was sucked inside of it.  
The Poke Ball hit the ground and shook, the center glowing red.  
The Poke Ball shook several times on the ground until…  
PING!  
The red light faded away to white.  
Lilligant had been captured!  
My heart was beating hard in my chest. I immediately knew that something was wrong.  
Manectric turned and looked at June.  
June was staring at the Poke Ball in shock, a Poke Ball in her own hand, in the air.  
A giggle tore through the silence and Courtney ran towards the Poke Ball. She picked it up from the ground with her left hand and laughed gleefully. “I did it!! I caught Lilligant! I caught her! Yay!” She laughed again.  
At this point, my mouth was hanging open in shock. Oh… No… I thought fearfully. I was afraid to look at June, but I had to.  
June was staring at Courtney, her eyes ready to fly from their sockets, her mouth open wide enough to catch a football.  
Courtney did a spin and turned to June. She then looked at me. “Ha ha! My newest Pokemon is a Lilligant! Isn’t this-?”  
“You bitch!” June lunged at Courtney, dropping the Poke Ball from her hand.  
Courtney’s smile faded and she ran, screaming.  
June tore past her Manectric, who stood there, watching her Trainer go after the other girl.  
Courtney ran in terror, gripping her Poke Ball tightly. “What are you doing, June? You’re scaring me!”  
“I’m going to beat the living daylights out of you!!” June raged.  
I suddenly noticed that it was getting brighter outside, and the temperature was rising back to its normal, absurdly high level again as the dark clouds created by Manectric’s Thunder faded away.  
Courtney got behind me, panting heavily while June tried to get around me. Both girls moved from one direction to the other, Courtney trying to get away from June while June tried to catch her.  
“Gary, make her stop!” Courtney pleaded in fear.  
“I’m gonna break your face!” June threatened. “Give me my Pokemon!!”   
“She’s mine! I caught her!”  
“You stole her!!” June reached around my neck to grab at Courtney, and Courtney screamed and ducked out of the way.  
“Gary, pleeeeease!” Courtney insisted. “Don’t let her get me!”  
“I’ll kill you, damn it! Give me my Lilligant!” June shoved me out of the way, to my surprise, and Courtney screamed.  
I hit the ground, looking up at June, not believing she had actually done that to me.  
Manectric and I exchanged stunned glances before continuing to watch the girls.   
The mix of heat from just watching the two girls wear themselves out was enough to make me want to collapse on my back. There wasn’t anything I could do at this point.  
June was determined to finally kill Courtney, and, in all honesty, Courtney deserved at least a good punch in her nose, in my opinion. What she had done was beyond foul.  
But I wasn’t willing to get in the middle of this. This was between them.  
And, besides, it really was hot out today, the sun draining any desire in me to do much of any kind of activity. The walking we had done today was like mountain climbing! My entire body felt sore just from traveling on foot. We had taken a lunch break a couple of hours ago, but that wasn’t much more than us baking in the sun, and it wasn’t much relief except for our sore feet and legs.  
Courtney wrapped her left arm around a tree trunk, choking from her dry throat, her left hand still gripping the Poke Ball containing Lilligant.  
June was a few feet away from her, her hands on her knees, too tired to continue chasing Courtney.  
“Just leave me alone! You took too long to grab a Poke Ball, June!” Courtney told her. “Lilligant would have gotten up, used another Sleep Powder or something, and ran off by the time you found a Poke Ball to catch her with!”  
“I had just gotten down to grab one you thief!” June stood straight, trying to catch her breath. “You know, of all the rotten things I’ve seen from you, this is the lowest of the low, Courtney! I’ve had it up to here with you!”  
“If you can’t stand me so much, then just go away! I’m tired of you always picking on me all the time! Just leave us alone!”  
“Us? You don’t belong here!!” June shouted.  
“Gary and I get along just fine! You’re the one always starting issues around here!”  
“What a load of crap!” June gasped. “You’ve stressed out both Gary and I since we ran into you in Vancteck City! Since we first met you in New City in Kanto! Lies, lies, lies! I’ve never trusted a word out of you, Courtney. Not about anything! I don’t even think you have a boyfriend!”  
Courtney smiled at first, and then she burst out laughing. “You don’t believe my Andrew exists? You think I’m so pathetic that I have to lie about having a boyfriend?”  
“I’ve never once seen you call this supposed boyfriend of yours,” June accused. “You’ve been traveling with us for months, and I have yet to see you make even one call to anyone!”  
“Thanks for spying on me!” Courtney said angrily. “Just because I make phone calls when you two are asleep or are busy figuring out where we’re going to next or eating or whatever, doesn’t mean my Andrew doesn’t exist! I’m not around you two twenty-four seven. How stupid can you get, June?”  
“I’ll never be as stupid as you take me for, that’s for sure!” June retorted. “And now, you can add being a thief to your resume! Just get out of here! We don’t want you here!”  
“You’re the only one saying that.” Courtney crossed her arms. “You don’t speak for this group. In fact, by my understanding, you’re the one who’s following Gary, so, he makes the rules.” She turned to me and smiled. “Isn’t that right, Sugar Lumps?”  
I looked down, avoiding her stare. Why do you have to bring me into this? I thought to myself. I sighed and looked up to see all three females staring at me. “Isn’t there a way we can just resolve this respectfully?” I tried. “Courtney, you captured the Pokemon June weakened. That wasn’t very fair…”  
“She almost lost her!” Courtney exclaimed. “She was digging through her bag instead of having a Poke Ball at the ready like any other Pokemon Trainer would have!”  
“You’re such a LIAR!!” June was about to explode, and things were only seconds away from getting really ugly.  
That wasn’t exactly what I saw happen, I thought to myself. “Then can’t you just give her her Pokemon? You did her a favor, in your eyes, so why not give her the Lilligant?”  
“Because I caught her!” Courtney whined like a baby. “It’s not my fault she missed out! Finders, keepers; Losers, weepers!”  
“You stole her!! And I found her, battled her, and almost caught her on my own!!” June’s fists were shaking at her sides, the continually darkening shade of red on her face a mix from the sun, and rage.  
“I was just doing my duty as a Pokemon Trainer to not let a Pokemon get away,” Courtney said, her arm sliding off of the tree trunk.  
I gave up and just decided to stay silent and watch. If I was lucky, maybe they’d pass out from the heat and I could just sneak away and finally travel alone. I really missed traveling alone like I had done back in Kanto for a while before meeting June.  
The two girls were staring at each other, Courtney staring warily while June’s angry face actually seemed to be softening.  
June took a deep breath and squinted at Courtney, the sun against the side of her face. “This can’t go on any longer, Courtney,” June said seriously. “This has to stop here.”  
“What do you mean…?” Courtney asked nervously.  
“I mean, you and I can’t continue traveling together,” June answered.  
“So, you’re leaving our group…?”  
“NO!” June’s eyebrows furrowed again.  
“Well, I’m not going anywhere,” Courtney said firmly.  
June nodded with a stone cold face. “That’s why I am going to make you an offer.”  
Courtney’s eyes widened, along with mine. “What are you talking about, June?” Courtney asked hesitantly.  
“That Lilligant is rightfully mine, and you know it!” June took a step towards Courtney, which made Courtney jump and take a step back. “I challenge you to a Pokemon battle! The winner…” June paused. “The winner gets to stay in the group!”  
Courtney’s mouth fell open and she squinted at June in confusion.  
My eyebrows rose as I stared at June.  
Even Manectric was looking up at June in surprise.  
“The loser has the get the hell out, but gets to keep Lilligant!” June finished.  
“Lilligant…?” Courtney whispered.  
“That’s the rules, Courtney,” June nodded. “Do you accept, or what?”  
“Y-y-y-you can’t make me! I want to stay with Gary, and Lilligant is rightfully mine!” Courtney backed away.  
“I’m not going anywhere, and let me tell you something, Courtney. If I have to spend one more freaking night with you, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life, which might not last up to the Interough Conference if I have any say in it.” June’s dark tone of voice made my blood freeze.  
Courtney stared at June as if she had finally understood that the redhead had lost her mind. She swallowed and released her breath tiredly. “Fine! But, the winner gets to stay with Gary, and keeps Lilligant!” Courtney insisted.  
I wish they would leave my name out of this… I thought wearily. I have nothing to do with any of this!  
“No! The rules are as I stated!” June said loudly.  
“But, why?” Courtney questioned, cocking her head to the side.  
June sneered at Courtney. “You should get a parting gift for when I kick your wretched little ass.”  
Courtney’s jaw tightened angrily and she frowned determinedly. “You know what? Fine! Let’s battle, June!”  
June nodded and walked over to her bag on the ground. She picked up a Poke Ball and held it out to Manectric, returning her. After placing the ball back, she then picked up the empty Poke Ball she had dropped earlier and placed it in her bag.  
Courtney walked away from the tree she had been hiding behind and glared at June. She pressed the center button of Lilligant’s Poke Ball and shrunk it before clipping it to her belt.  
June stood up, glaring at Courtney.   
“How many Pokemon? A three-on-three sounds fair enough to me,” Courtney stated.  
June shook her head. “We’ll have us a five-on-five. I’d say a full on six-on-six, but Lilligant is with you, so let’s just do the battle with only five Pokemon each.”  
Courtney looked down at the Poke Balls on her belt and then grabbed one. “Why waste time and stretch this out any longer than it has to, June? I can’t stand to see your face any longer. Let’s just make this a one-on-one battle.” She made the small Poke Ball in her hand, bigger. “I know exactly who I want to use against you.”  
June slowly nodded. “One-on-one. No time limit.”  
Courtney nodded. “Yeah…” She held out her Poke Ball. “Sceptile, I choose you!”  
A white beam sent out her Pokemon.   
“Sceptiiiile!” Sceptile stood strongly, confidently.  
June looked over Sceptile and then went down and dug through her bag. She pulled out a Poke Ball and looked up at Sceptile from the ground.  
“Here comes Electivire,” Courtney rolled her eyes. “Using Pokemon with a strength you can’t even control. Just the lack of bravery I’d expect. I expect nothing better of you, June. Go on. Bring it! Sceptile can beat it! We can beat anything you send at us!”  
“Sceptiiiile!” Sceptile agreed.  
“I am not going with Electivire!” June shouted. “I don’t need to use him to beat you.” She then dug through her bag again, which seemed to cause Courtney to snicker. June got to her feet with a Poke Ball in hand, but I couldn’t see the sticker on it. She pressed the center and increased the size of the Poke Ball. It was then raised close to her lips. “I know you can do this. Ampharos, go!” She tossed the Poke Ball to the grass.  
The Poke Ball landed and popped open, sending out Ampharos.  
Ampharos cried out and faced her opponent.  
Sceptile and Ampharos had the looks of fury their Trainers had for each other.  
Wow, I thought as I got up and stepped back several feet, keeping my eyes on the scene before me. June’s going with Ampharos against Courtney’s very first Pokemon, Sceptile. I remembered battling June’s Ampharos when she was still a Gym Leader and beating her with my Beedrill.   
June had once told me that that Ampharos was once her mentor’s Pokemon as a Mareep. Lt. Surge, Vermillion City’s Gym Leader back in the Kanto region.   
Who’s gonna win this? I wondered. What will this mean for me?  
“Sceptile, Leaf Blade, now!” Courtney shouted.  
The four leaves on Sceptile’s arms glowed a bright green and combined into two. It leaped at Ampharos with amazing speed and slashed at her.  
Ampharos whined out painfully and stumbled backwards. She shook her head and spoke angrily.  
“Hey! What’s the big deal? We didn’t decide who would go first or anything?” June complained.  
“Oh, please. Once again, you took too long to do anything, so I went first,” Courtney said impatiently. “Or am I lying about that, too?”  
June growled in response. Her eyes were on fire, and the temperature in the area seemed to get hotter by the second.  
Courtney sneered back silently.  
Neither Trainer, nor Pokemon, moved. They didn’t even seem to be blinking.  
I wasn’t even sure if I was breathing.  
“Fine! Use Signal Beam, Ampharos!” June said loudly.  
The red orb on Ampharos’ head glowed white and a rainbow colored beam fired out at Sceptile.  
“Move it!”  
“Sceptile!” Sceptile moved incredibly fast, dodging the attack.  
I actually swallowed in surprise at just how swiftly Sceptile had moved.  
Ampharos’ Signal Beam caused a small explosion where it landed, raising dirt into the air briefly. The move had no chance of catching Sceptile.  
June snickered with a smirk on her face. “No problem! Ampharos, use Cotton Spore!”  
Ampharos raised her hands into the air. Four white, fluffy balls of cotton appeared and circled over her head. Ampharos then pointed her hands at Sceptile, and the cotton balls flew out at it.  
“Ha! Agility, Sceptile!” Courtney laughed.  
Sceptile moved sharply, its body outlined in white and leaving white trails behind it very briefly as it disappeared and reappeared within the area the two Pokemon were battling in, repeatedly.  
The cotton balls Ampharos had sent out floated around, unable to catch Sceptile.  
“Sceptiiiiile!” Sceptile suddenly came to a stop, and it looked behind it at the cotton balls.  
The four balls of fluff had all been cut in half, making eight halves of cotton. They all floated gently to the ground and vanished.  
“Gonna have to do better than that, Juni, dear,” Courtney smiled. “You are now rocking with the best Pokemon I own. My longest traveled companion. You can’t beat us, June. Sceptile, let’s pick up the pace!”  
“Scept!” Sceptile moved even faster than before, nothing but a blur at this point, raising its Speed with another Agility attack.  
How’s June gonna overcome this? I wondered. Sceptile’s just too quick! She can’t even touch it!  
“Then we’ll have to play Defense! Use Cotton Guard!” June called.  
“Not quick enough for that! Screech!” Courtney winked.  
Sceptile opened its mouth and let out a painful Screech attack.  
I closed my eyes before I could see Ampharos’ reaction, and I couldn’t hear her, or anything else, either. I grit my teeth together against the noise that seemed to be pulling my brain apart as my hands flattened against my ears. When the attack ended, I slowly opened my eyes and lowered my hands.  
Courtney was on her feet, smiling wickedly at June and Ampharos who were both on their knees, covering their ears. “Quick Attack!”  
Sceptile moved like it was on fire, running from one spot to the next, and finally it slammed into Ampharos.  
Ampharos slid on her back, groaning. She pushed herself up with one hand and panted as she glared at Sceptile.  
Sceptile stared down at Ampharos with satisfaction.  
“Even easier than I thought,” Courtney taunted, shaking her head at June. “Good thing you didn’t capture Lilligant. She deserves a better Trainer.”  
June bared her teeth as she lowered her hands from her ears and got to her feet. “You can’t be serious,” she said in a low voice. “You haven’t won this battle, Courtney. There’s no way I’m losing this one.”  
“There’s nothing you can do about it!” Courtney insisted. “Sceptile, another Leaf Blade should do it! Make it a good one! Take out that Ampharos!”  
Sceptile charged with blinding speed at Ampharos.  
“Protect!” June shouted.  
Ampharos closed her eyes and raised her hands out in front of her.   
A turquoise shield appeared in front of her, and Sceptile slashed at it, but was forced backwards.  
Sceptile growled and glared at Ampharos as the shield that was in front of her vanished.  
“You can’t hide behind that move forever! Leaf Blade that thing again!” Courtney was in a rage, determined to end the battle once and for all.  
“Protect!” June cried desperately.  
I could tell she wasn’t sure what else to do in this situation.  
Protect reappeared and blocked Sceptile’s attack once again.  
Sceptile rebounded off the force field and slid on its back.  
“Third time’s the charm!” Courtney demanded. “DO IT!!”  
“Flash attack!” June raised an arm to cover her eyes.  
Sceptile was too quick. It was on its feet in an instant and slashed Ampharos, throwing her back.  
The instant Ampharos was hit, it was as if the sun had appeared in front of my eyes. I closed my eyes as they burned from the sudden, intense blast of light.  
I heard Courtney and Sceptile cry out in surprise from the Flash attack.  
“Sceptile!” Courtney called out.  
It took me a while before I was even able to open my eyes enough to squint, blinking hard as the bright light faded away.  
June and Ampharos were glaring at Courtney and her Sceptile, Ampharos looking barely able to stand.  
Courtney was rubbing at her eyes in anguish while her Sceptile was swiping at Ampharos with Leaf Blade, its eyes closed.  
Sceptile was only a few inches away from Ampharos, but missing, unable to see due to Flash!  
Ampharos stood calmly, watching Sceptile swipe in vain.  
“Sceptile!” Courtney was now blinking repeatedly. “It’s right in front of you! Finish it!”  
“Sceptile!” Sceptile jumped at Ampharos blindly, swiping for her head.  
Ampharos ducked easily.  
“Fire Punch, now!” June ordered.  
Ampharos’ fist burst into flames, and with a swift uppercut to Sceptile’s chin, she knocked Sceptile onto its back.  
“Now attack with Signal Beam!” June commanded.  
“Sceptile, we will not lose this one!” Courtney screeched. “Leaf Blade attack!” She was stomping the ground furiously now.  
Ampharos attacked with Signal Beam as Sceptile got to its feet, and it was shot down and dropped back onto its back.  
Sceptile groaned painfully, its eyes closed tightly, but it got back up, shaking its head, and finally opened its eyes.  
“Whoa! Look!” I pointed at Sceptile.  
“Sceptile!” Courtney whined.  
“Ha!” June smiled.  
Sceptile’s eyes were glowing red, showing that it was now Confused! With an angry yell, Sceptile took a swing at Ampharos with Leaf Blade.   
Ampharos didn’t even have to move.  
Sceptile attacked the space right next to Ampharos, where there stood absolutely nothing. It was too Confused to even see straight!  
June snickered, but her face immediately went serious. She raised her hands and brushed aside her hair from her face. “I guess there’s truly no better time, and no better person, for me to use this move against.”  
The seriousness in June’s voice truly drew me in. What is she talking about?  
Courtney stared dangerously at June, looking ready to completely ignore this match and just attack her.  
“Ampharos, you haven’t used this move in a very long time!” June started. “Outrage attack, NOW!”  
Courtney gasped.  
I gasped, too. “Outrage?!”  
Sceptile turned to Ampharos, perhaps finally able to see it clearly, but its eyes still glowing red. It raised one arm to swipe at its opponent.  
Ampharos also faced Sceptile, and her eyes glowed red.  
“ATTAAAAAAAACK!!!” June bellowed.  
Ampharos ducked Sceptile’s swing and then stood up straight. She raised one foot and struck Sceptile with it, kicking it down. Ampharos then gripped Sceptile by the neck with one hand and lifted the reptile-like Pokemon in the air!  
Sceptile, who was at least a foot taller than Ampharos, gazed down in shock at Ampharos as she easily hoisted it over her head.  
Ampharos then used her other hand to slug Sceptile in the stomach.  
Sceptile cried out helplessly.  
Ampharos then lowered her arm that held Sceptile, slamming the Pokemon to the ground, and then raised her arm, tossing Sceptile into the air! As Sceptile came back down, calling out, Ampharos jumped at the Pokemon and let loose with a barrage of punches at Sceptile’s stomach!  
“Sceptile! No! GET UP!!!” Courtney shrieked as her Pokemon hit the ground, groaning.  
Ampharos kicked Sceptile in the face, and then she opened her mouth and fired a turquoise ball of energy at Sceptile.  
Sceptile was flung backwards and rolled along the ground, stopping at Courtney’s feet.  
Courtney looked down at her Pokemon and seemed to choke, completely stunned that her Pokemon was getting beat up like this.  
Suddenly, Sceptile’s body was outlined in a green aura.  
I knew what was going on, and my mouth opened to state what was happening, but no words would come out. I was too enthralled by this battle to speak.  
“Overgrow!” Courtney said for me. She looked up at June as evilly as possible as her Sceptile struggled to its feet. “It’s over for you, June. Say goodbye.”  
“You think we give a damn about Overgrow? You’re dumber than you look!” June snapped.  
“Get it, Sceptile!”  
“End this now, Ampharos!”  
Both Pokemon ran to each other.  
My heart blocked my breathing, and I was okay with that.  
The red glow in Sceptile’s eyes faded away, and it raised its arms as it charged at Ampharos like a speeding train.  
Ampharos raised one arm.  
Sceptile swung with Leaf Blade swiftly.  
Ampharos swung her fist.  
Both Pokemon roared angrily.  
Ampharos suddenly spun around and, with her much longer reaching tail, smacked Sceptile in the face before it could reach her.  
The leaves on Sceptile’s arms stopped glowing green and they separated from two leaves and back into four. The Grass type groaned weakly and dropped. The green glow from its body faded away, and Sceptile remained on the ground, its eyes closed.  
Ampharos’ eyes flashed red, showing that she was now Confused. She yelled angrily at Sceptile.  
“This is over!” June raised both of her fists into the air with a triumphant smile. “Sceptile is OUT!! I WIN!!!”  
“BUUUUUULL!!!!” Courtney countered at June. She looked down at Sceptile. “GET THE HELL UP!!! NOOOOOOOWWW!!!!!!”   
Sceptile didn’t budge.  
Courtney looked up at June, and then turned to me with a desperate look. “Gary!”  
“You lose!!” June crossed her arms in front of her, scowling at Courtney. “You know the deal! Beat it!!”  
Courtney looked down at her Pokemon, and then turned to me, and finally, June. “But! But! But!”  
“Get your butt out of here!!” June smiled broadly.  
Courtney looked down at her Sceptile, looking ready to cry. “Sceptile…” She slowly held out Sceptile’s Poke Ball and recalled her Pokemon. She then looked to June with pleading eyes. “June…”  
“I DON’T WANNA HEAR IT!! GET OUT OF HERE!!!!” June screamed at the top of her lungs, causing several birds in the treetops to fly off into the sky with sharp cries, and the grass rustled from the sounds of scurrying, nearby animals.  
Ampharos started mumbling angrily, her eyes still red, and she looked around for something in Confusion.  
June held out her Ampharos’ Poke Ball and recalled her back. “Thanks a lot, hon,” she said softly, keeping her angry eyes on Courtney.  
“But, June! I wouldn’t have really kicked you out of our group if you had lost!” Courtney begged. “You can’t kick me out! Not after all we’ve been through!”  
“If I have to make you leave with a bloody lip, a dripping nose, and two black eyes to get my point across that you are out of here, I will!!” June threatened, raising a fist.  
Courtney gasped and turned to me. “Gary! Help me!”  
“Gary has nothing to do with this!” June waved me off. “Get OUT!” She took a step towards Courtney.  
Well, damn, June, I thought, staring at her. I’ll just stay quiet, then.  
Courtney took a step back and swallowed hard. She inhaled shakily and then exhaled shakily. “Oh, fine! I get it…” She turned to me again. “I can see I’m not wanted here…”  
I stared back at her, refusing to speak. I knew my place here. I wasn’t going to say a word.  
Courtney kept her eyes on me for a moment.  
“BEAT IT!!” June was ready to strike.  
Courtney’s eyes watered, and she sniffled and wiped at them. She turned to June and nodded. “Okay.” Slowly, her arms spread open. “Just to show we have no hard feelings? Hug?”  
“No hug for you!” June said strictly. “There are nothing but hard feelings! I’m not gonna tell you again to get out!”  
Courtney’s bottom lip quivered as she looked at June, and then she turned to me. She whimpered.  
I looked away from her, withdrawing myself from this conflict entirely.   
Courtney sniffled. “I see how it is, then,” she spoke sadly. “I’ll just go. Thank you both for allowing me to travel with you. I’ll see you guys soon at the Conference, I guess.” She turned and walked away from us.  
June and I watched her leave in silence.  
Courtney suddenly came to a stop. “Goodbye, June,” she said. “I’m sure you and Electivire will work out your issue. Evolving a Pokemon too soon can be a common issue between Pokemon and their Trainers, but it can be overcome.”  
My heart froze, my breathing stopped, and my eyes widened.  
“What?” June gasped, her eyes wide in shock.  
Courtney didn’t turn back. “Goodbye.” She took off into the woods, disappearing shortly after.  
Silence filled the area.  
June was frozen, staring after where Courtney ran away. “What did she…?” Suddenly, June whirled around to face me, and I stumbled backwards in fear at the deep color of red on her face. “WHAT DID SHE JUST SAY?!?!” she snarled at me.  
There was nothing I could say.   
I was stuck.   
Caught.  
Busted.   
Courtney was now gone.  
And in the next few minutes.  
There was a good chance that I would be missing, as well.


	66. References: Past, Present, & Future

It had to be at least one hundred degrees outside today, and the humidity was absurd. I felt like I was walking through a sauna, inhaling the thick smell of… I suppose it was just boiling air. I could hardly breathe as I trudged underneath a burning sun through the sand of a beach.  
June was walking next to me, but a few feet away. She moved through the heat as if it was a beautiful, mild temperature spring day, only, she was scowling dangerously. Since Courtney had left the other day, June had nearly gotten into a few fights with me. Physically. After Courtney had revealed that she knew why June and her Electivire weren’t getting along, June had made me feel unsafe around her. The rest of the day following Courtney’s departure was loud and furious as June barked at me and advanced on me several times.  
I was certain she would swing at me if she got close enough, and I moved away whenever she got too close, having no defense or answer for her strong words.  
There was cursing, threats, and hurt tones used as she raged at me for the rest of that day, into the night.   
I deserved every bit of it. I couldn’t believe I had told Courtney about June’s Electivire. What had come over me? I remembered Courtney’s kiss and shook my head angrily. I wasn’t even surprised that Courtney had told June what she knew, to be honest. The fact that I had told Courtney anything at all was the truly confusing thing for me. What the hell is wrong with me? I thought irritably.  
By the time morning had come, me only getting about an hour’s sleep due to my fear of being eaten by a wild, prowling June, June had arguably calmed down a little bit. She was only yelling at me once every fifteen minutes for about five minutes, it seemed.   
I was due for another appointment any minute now. The ocean to my right sparkled incredibly underneath the baking sun, stretching out further than I would ever be able to see. I couldn’t truly take in the beauty, though. I was too busy being scared for my life. I wondered how long it would be before I could breathe easy and get a good night’s sleep.  
The sound of a motor or something similar grabbed my attention, but I refused to look to my right, in the direction the sound was coming from.  
Where June stood.   
I could feel a negative energy focused on me for a while now, and I knew it was June stirring up more things to scream at me, or maybe just lunge at me. From out the corner of my eye, I noticed June come to a stop, and I felt forced to stop as well and I turned to her.  
She was staring out at the water, a hand to her forehead to shield her eyes from the sun.  
I also raised my hand to block out the sun and saw something interesting.  
The sound I was hearing was coming from something flying high in the air, and I could just barely make out a black cord attached to the thing and leading into the water below, the water rippling apart as the cord traveled through it.  
What’s that? I wondered. Someone parasailing? No… There’s no boat. But what’s the motor noise I’m hearing? I kept my eyes on the thing flying through the air and the cord ripping through the water, staring at each thing in turn, trying to make sense of what I was seeing.  
“Is that a helicopter…?” June suddenly muttered.  
My eyes widened in realization. It is! I thought. A helicopter. But what is it doing? My mouth dropped open as the helicopter got closer, and I gasped. “No!”  
The top half of the flying vehicle was a deep silver, the bottom half of it pitch-black.  
“Gary!” June gasped.  
“Team Solace!” I exclaimed.  
We both backed up as the helicopter flew closer to the shore.  
Not them again, I thought with a mix of fear and anger. Can it really be them? Team Solace? Out here? Why?  
Something popped out of the water and landed on the sand heavily. It was a large, square container. It seemed to be made out of glass, the contents visible through the clear walls that gave off a light blue glow. The corners were black, made possibly of a separate material, like plastic or metal. Inside of the box were several small blue creatures!  
“What are they doing with those poor things?” June uttered in a panic.  
The helicopter slowed down as it approached the land and hovered, the propellers billowing up the sand into the air.  
June and I backed away quickly, raising our arms to block out the sand that was flying everywhere.  
The sound from the helicopter’s propellers was deafening and made my ears hurt.  
I closed my eyes as sand got into them and I rubbed at them frantically, desperate to keep my eyes on Team Solace. My eyes were tearing, naturally trying to flush out the sand in them as I lowered my head.  
June cried out.  
The loud noise from the helicopter started to lessen, and I continued to rub my eyes as I looked up at the machine as it ascended into the sky.  
“Where are they going?” I shouted up to the craft. That was when I noticed the three people next to the box as the helicopter rose even higher.  
One of them stood facing June and I, while the other two members were knelt down next to the box, examining it as the blue beings inside called out in fright. The two people then stood up tall. They were both taller than the person who was originally facing us, the short guy only coming up to his companions’ waists.  
One of the two taller people was male with crimson hair that came down his back.  
The only female in the group had short, periwinkle hair that just barely reached her shoulders.  
The short guy of the group was bald and had a sinister look on his face as he smiled at us. In his hands was some kind of remote control.  
The men wore buttoned up gray shirts, gray pants, and shiny black shoes.  
The woman wore a gray, button up shirt and white, high heeled, knee length boots that stopped just inches below her gray miniskirt.  
“Team Solace,” I growled. I pulled out my Pokedex and pointed it at the box full of Pokemon.  
Manaphy. The Seafaring Pokemon. This Mythical Pokemon has the power to bond with any Pokemon and allows people and Pokemon to switch perspectives with its special move.

Phione. The Sea Drifter Pokemon. If Manaphy reproduces in waters warmer than it is native to, the offspring will become Phione. It can always find its way back home, no matter how far off it goes.  
“Phione and Manaphy?” I muttered, staring at the several Phione and one Manaphy in the tank. I glared up at the trio. “What are you guys doing with those Pokemon?”  
The taller of the two men snickered at me. “Relax, boy,” he spoke in sharp voice. “There’s no need to prepare for trouble. We got what we came for, and now, we are on our way.”  
“Team Solace is no good, and you three aren’t going anywhere!” June dropped her bag to the ground and glared at the trio.  
“We’re done here,” the woman snickered in a rather sophisticated voice.  
The three grabbed the black cord attached to the helicopter and the box holding the Pokemon, and the short guy played with the remote control, which seemed to cause the helicopter to rise even quicker and lifted the three, along with the tank with the Manaphy and Phione inside, into the air.  
“What are they doing with the Manaphy and Phione?” I wondered out loud. “Team Solace, get back here!” At my shout, I choked on more sand that flew throughout the air and closed my eyes as sand blew into them. I grabbed Charizard’s Poke Ball blindly. “I won’t let you guys get away!” I yelled out. I spit out sand but was unable to open my eyes as my free hand rubbed at them, trying to clear them as my tears tried to get rid of what was irritating them. My eyes were starting to burn and I groaned in frustration. “Get back here!” I shouted in vain.  
“Wait! I think that’s the boy the boss has told us about!” the shorter man said loudly in a voice reminiscent of what was typically referred to as a Brookelane accent. A tone of voice filled with attitude and a squirt of sass in a cool, smooth, slick coating. “That’s the kid! It’s Gary!”  
My eyes popped open and I squinted through the pain in them, my eyes blinking continuously as I stared up in confusion at the trio.  
The shorter man was pointing at me with a serious look on his face, his partners also staring at me suspiciously, the three of them easily hanging to the black cord tightly.  
Their helicopter was suspended in the air, no longer rising.  
“Leave him for now!” the taller man insisted. “These Pokemon are far more important. We must deliver them.”  
The shorter man nodded in agreement.  
My heart was beating like crazy in my chest as the three stared directly at me. Do these guys from Team Solace actually know me? None of them looked familiar to me at all. I was certain I had never seen them a day in my life. But how do they know my name? They know me!  
“We have to stop them from stealing those Pokemon! Whatever Team Solace wants with them can’t be any good!” June growled for a moment. “Electivire, I’m counting on you! GO!” June screamed.  
My eyes widened at the sound of June’s Pokemon’s name. I turned and watched as June tossed a Poke Ball in the air.  
The Poke Ball reached up to the square holding the captive Pokemon before popping open, sending out Electivire in a flash of white light in the middle of the air. “Electivire!” Electivire cried out as he landed on the object containing the Pokemon. “Vire? Vire?” Electivire looked around in surprise, taking in everything as he tried to make sense of what was going on.  
“June, what are you doing?” I turned to her in shock. “Why did you send out Electivire? That’s reckless!”  
June kept her eyes on Electivire determinedly.  
Electivire looked down at June.  
“June!” I shouted at her.  
“Electivire, Thunder Punch, now! Break that container apart!” She pointed into the sky at the helicopter.  
“Vire!” Electivire’s horns flashed with electricity, and then his entire body flashed and a beam of lightning came down from him and zapped both June and I.  
We both screamed from the stunning pain and collapsed to the sand weakly.  
“Wh-wh-what the hell i-i-is g-g-g-g-g-going thr-through y-y-your head?” I stammered at June as sparks flew off from my body. “C-call him back!”  
June lifted her head from the sand and looked up at Electivire desperately, her red hair pointing straight up at the sky. “E-Electivire… You can do it!” she called out to him pleadingly, her body giving a tremble as sparks were released from her. “Please… I need you to understand me! Electivire!”  
Electivire’s body sparked dangerously, warning us of another oncoming attack he was about to hit us with.  
I shivered on the ground and awaited the next blast.  
“Looks like we’ve got a stowaway,” the tiny guy of the group stated, and he pressed his remote.  
From the top of the tank holding the Phione and Manaphy, a clear beam shot upward and hit Electivire.  
Electivire gasped as his body was enclosed by a clear case like what was holding the Manaphy and Phione. Grunting uncomfortably, he struggled against the case, kicking and punching at it wildly, but he couldn’t break free.  
“Electivire!!” June shrieked, getting to her feet shakily.  
I was glued to the sandy ground, my eyes on Electivire as his prism was filled with a bright blast of electricity that did nothing to set him free.   
He swung more punches at the tank he was trapped in that sat on top of the Manaphy and Phione tank, but nothing was working.  
“We’re outta here. We can dump this large yellow thing in the middle of the ocean,” the short man said, shrugging heartlessly.  
“We should make sure we can’t use it at a later date, first,” the lady told the short man. “We’ll hold onto it until we get word from the boss on what we should do with it.”  
The three nodded.  
“Let’s go,” the tall man told the shorter guy.  
“NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!” My body was shaking hard, but I forced myself onto my feet, stumbling as I lost my balance, but I caught it at the very last second. My fist tightened around Charizard’s Poke Ball that was still in my hand.  
The three people looked down at me with matching smirks.  
I was breathing hard, my body giving off occasional, painful sparks as I looked up angrily at the three. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH THOSE POKEMON???” I shouted as loudly as I could. I breathed heavily for a moment as I prepared my next questions. “HOW DO YOU KNOW MEEEEEEEE????? WHO ARE YOU??? WHO’S AFTER ME???”  
They all laughed at me.  
“Good questions, but unfortunately for you, obtaining the answers requires a reach that extends to the stars above,” the lady told me mysteriously.  
“And speaking of dat, watch us ascend!” The small man pressed a button on his remote.  
The helicopter rose into the air, Manaphy calling out desperately, the Phione crying, and Electivire trying to force his way free with brute strength.  
“Electivire!! Give me back my Electivirrrrre!!” June dropped to her knees and dug through her bag.  
I gripped Charizard’s Poke Ball even tighter in my hand. “They’re not going anywhere!” I told June determinedly.  
“Manaaaaaaaa!!” Manaphy’s antennae glowed pink.   
A line of pink energy flowed from each antenna, going right through the tank it was in. One line reached through Electivire’s tank and touched him, and the sparks he was letting off inside of the tank stopped.   
He closed his eyes, his body letting off a pink glow.  
The other pink line from Manaphy dropped down quickly towards June and I!  
I backed up cautiously as the pink beam neared me, but it made a quick turn and touched June!  
She closed her eyes and gave a hard shake, her body outlined in pink.  
“June!” I called out to her.   
She opened her eyes and turned to me. Her eyes were now a ghastly blue color, the pink around her body now gone.  
“June…?” I asked warily in a low voice, backing up a couple of feet further.  
She opened her mouth and a strange gurgle escaped her throat. She stared down at herself in confusion and let out a weird cry. June’s voice was now deep and angry, every noise that she made coming out in a kind of growl.   
“June! What the-?”  
June let out a weird, throaty scream and waved her arms frantically.  
I didn’t even know what to say as I watched her.  
Her eyes were closed, screaming and raging and stomping through the sand furiously, her arms swinging wildly.  
“June, what’s going on?” I called out to her. I looked up into the sky to see that Team Solace was getting much further away. “Electivire…”  
The pink glow around Electivire’s body was gone, but as I stared into his eyes, I could see that they were the same ghastly blue color as June’s! He was looking at his huge hands with a confused look. Electivire looked around at the strange compartment he was in, and then he gazed down at me and June.  
No more time to waste! I knew. I pulled back my arm to throw Charizard’s Poke Ball. A weird cry from June was what I heard before I turned to her and saw her fist coming at me. “Uuuuggh!” I exclaimed as I was punched in my forehead and I collapsed onto my back, Charizard’s Poke Ball flying from my hand. “What the hell, June?!” I screamed at her. I couldn’t see her clearly from the hit I just took to the head, multiple Junes appearing to be spinning before me. I closed my eyes and shook my head, but it only made my already throbbing forehead hurt even more. Groaning, I opened my eyes.  
June’s eyes were closed, her body scrunched up a little bit with tight fists raised close to her face, grunting and groaning.  
What is she doing? I looked up at Team Solace. We have to stop those guys! I stood up and watched as they got further away. No good. They’re too far away. Charizard is the only one who can get them! I looked down to Charizard’s Poke Ball that had fallen out of my hand. Before I could move to pick it up, a loud, familiar scream made me stop. “June…?” I looked up at the helicopter that was escaping, and gasped.  
Electivire was the one screaming! His mouth was wide open, letting out a feminine scream that kind of matched June’s!  
June started rambling mindlessly and screaming up at the helicopter.  
“Wait a minute…” I murmured as I slowly turned to June. “Electivire?”  
June continued screaming in a voice that was oddly similar to Electivire’s!  
I stared up at Electivire, and then back down to June, back and forth continuously. “What’s going on here?!”  
Electivire stared down at June and I.  
June was looking up at Electivire as he and Team Solace were getting tinier and tinier by the second.  
Just as Electivire and Team Solace became too small to see, Electivire closed his eyes and screamed in June’s voice. He lit up like lightning.  
June screamed next to me in Electivire’s voice, a mix of nonsense. A foreign language.  
All that I could see in the sky now was a tiny glimmer on top of a black speck and a bright, yellow glow underneath.  
“No!” I scooped up Charizard’s Poke Ball from the ground. I can’t believe I let them get away! I thought angrily, and I pulled back my arm to toss the Poke Ball as high into the air as I could.  
An explosion made me and June jump, and we both saw the fireball where the helicopter had just been, blazing with the sun.   
“Electivire…? The Pokemon!!” My Poke Ball dropped from my hand as I stared up in horror at the sky. “No…!”  
June said something in her bizarre voice.  
The fireball disappeared after a moment, and I could no longer see anything but the sun and a few clouds in the blue sky.  
I started to tremble as I squinted at the sun glaring upon me. Electivire. Manaphy. The Phione. Team Solace… What happened up there…? I turned to June, but I was unable to speak.  
June kept her startled eyes above.  
My eyes returned back up. The mixture of heat and the panic filling my shaking body made me feel ready to fall. Oh, no… I thought fearfully. The Pokemon. I swallowed hard as I thought of June’s Electivire. I wasn’t able to spend much more time thinking about this as something gleamed in the sky.  
An object was coming down!  
June made her unintelligible noise next to me and pointed up.  
I shielded my eyes from the sun with my hands as I squinted in disbelief. “It’s back!”  
The helicopter from Team Solace was flying towards the ground! As it got close enough to identify the silver top and black bottom clearly, three other objects fell from the helicopter.  
With a separate grunt, the three members of Team Solace slammed into the sand.  
“Oy vey,” the short guy groaned painfully.  
I turned my eyes back to the helicopter and gasped. “Electivire!”  
June cried out and jumped up and down repeatedly, pointing at the helicopter.  
Electivire was freed from his box! He was now standing on top of the box holding Manaphy and the Phione, a focused look on his face as he stared at the remote in his hands that the little guy from Team Solace had been holding, pressing down on one button.  
Manaphy and the Phione were all screaming in terror.  
The propellers were spinning wildly as the helicopter slammed into the sand and slid to a stop, raising a wave of sand that came down upon all of us.  
I choked on the sand and spit it out of my mouth, wiping it from my face and shaking my head hard. As I sputtered and opened my eyes, I saw the helicopter sitting still several feet away from me, the propellers motionless.  
Electivire grunted in his now light voice as he jumped from the box the Phione and Manaphy were in. With a growl, he turned to the Team Solace trio.  
The three leaped to their feet and backed away with fearful cries.  
“That thing’s a lot smarter than it looks!” the taller man cried shakily, smiling pleadingly at Electivire.  
“In all fairness, that remote doesn’t require a rocket scientist to figure out how to use it, team,” the woman whimpered.  
“In all fairness, our mission shouldn’t take a rocket scientist to complete!” the smaller man whined.  
Electivire dropped the remote to the ground and then closed his eyes tightly, furrowing his eyebrows strongly. With a threatening growl, his knees bent, his fists tightened, and his arms flexed his muscles powerfully. The Electric type’s horns lit up, and soon afterwards, wailing wildly as he raised his head to the sky, his entire body sparked. He zapped Team Solace with Thunder, his powerful blast also connecting with their helicopter.  
The trio screamed, and June and I backed away quickly.  
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!  
The helicopter exploded, the force flinging me and June backwards through the air.  
I rolled head over heels through the sand before finally coming to a stop on my stomach. I kept my eyes closed as sand poured all over me continuously.   
The sound of falling sand matched that of rain.  
June grunted strongly in her new voice.  
I groaned and shook my head, and then slowly got to my feet and cautiously opened my eyes.  
There was a humongous hole in the sand where the helicopter had once been.  
Team Solace was nowhere in sight.  
The sand stopped pouring down.  
Electivire was breathing heavily, staring solemnly at June.  
The Manaphy and Phione were still in their container.  
I looked up into the sky and saw something gleam like a star before it disappeared completely.  
Electivire grunted and bent over to pick up the remote. He turned it over curiously in his hand. Slowly, his finger on his other hand poked a light blue button, one of only a few buttons on the item.  
With a strange, mechanical noise, the object holding the Manaphy and the Phione slowly vanished from around them!  
The Pokemon stared around in shock, murmuring amongst themselves.  
“Mana! Mana!” Manaphy cried out joyously.  
The Phione all cried out and bounced around Manaphy happily.  
I sighed with relief and a small smile spread over my face.  
Electivire growled and gripped the remote in his hands.   
June, Manaphy, the Phione, and I all stared at Electivire as he grunted and growled.  
CRACK! The remote was now in two pieces in his hands.  
Electivire dropped the remote and turned to the Manaphy and Phione. He smiled at the Pokemon, and then turned to June, and his smile faded away. In his new voice, in his strange, new language, he said something shortly to June, his voice low.  
June stared back at Electivire silently.  
I was beyond confused at this point as I watched them.  
June growled at Electivire, staring at him angrily.  
Electivire took a step towards June and spoke again. He raised one hand slowly towards her.  
June growled even louder and let out an angry yell, taking a step back. She glared at her Pokemon’s hand and then looked back up at Electivire’s face.  
I must be losing my mind, I told myself. I’ve gone off the deep end. I’m dreaming. That must be it! I’m asleep right now. Or perhaps, I’m hallucinating from this heat. All of those options made a lot of sense to me right now. But were any of them true?  
Electivire made some more noises.  
June lowered her angry eyes, and then they closed tightly. Her hands covered her eyes.  
Is she crying? I wondered, my wide eyes on her.  
June rubbed at her eyes and lowered her hands, her now open eyes glistening behind what were indeed tears. She sniffled, her eyebrows furrowed, and she cried out at Electivire.  
Electivire stared silently at June for a moment. Without a word, he opened his arms wide, as if he were requesting a hug.  
June glared at Electivire without budging from her spot.  
The Manaphy and Phione were watching all of this silently.  
The Phione stared with wide-eyed innocence.  
Manaphy watched with an adorable smile.  
For some reason, I was taken by surprise, and at the same time, relieved, as June took a careful step forward, towards Electivire.  
A smile crept over Electivire’s face, and his eyes instantly began to shed tears.  
June’s face broke into sadness and she began to cry.  
Electivire said something to June that I couldn’t understand.  
June moved quicker to Electivire.  
Electivire wrapped his arms around June and closed his eyes, tears disappearing into the fur on his face.  
June hugged her Pokemon back tightly and let out a gurgle, closing her eyes as she pressed her face against Electivire’s furry chest.  
I was absolutely amazed, but my confusion was not put at ease. June and Electivire are actually hugging, I thought. Everything’s okay, now? Why can’t they speak? Something’s still wrong.  
“Manaaaa,” Manaphy said softly, and the ends of its antennae glowed pink. A pink beam from each antenna reached out, one touching June, the other landing on Electivire, and their bodies were outlined in pink for a moment before it went away, Manaphy’s antennae reverting back to their normal blue color.  
“I love you-aaaahhh!!” June took herself, as well as me and Electivire, by immense surprise at the sound of her normal voice!  
She and Electivire stumbled back away from each other.  
“Vire!” Electivire pointed at his Trainer in surprise, and then his eyes bulged. “Vire!!” Electivire cried out in greater surprise at the fact that he had his own voice back!  
I noticed that both June and Electivire’s eyes were no longer the strange blue color they had been, but were now back to normal.  
“Electivire,” June whispered softly.  
“Vire…” Electivire spoke back in a low voice. Suddenly, the antennae on his head sparked.  
“Electivire?” June took a step back, her eyes wide.  
“No…” I said in disbelief, my shoulders slumping.  
The Phione and Manaphy stared at Electivire in shock.  
A sinister grin came over Electivire’s face, and he shocked June with Thunderbolt, sending a jolt from the horns on his head.  
June screamed, making me and the Phione and Manaphy gasp. She fell onto her back as Electivire continued zapping her.  
“June!” I shouted out. What do I do? I wondered desperately as I looked down at her on the ground being electrocuted by her own Pokemon. I had to blink twice at what I saw next, and I was certain I couldn’t possibly be hearing what I had heard.  
June was in the sand, rolling around on her back with a huge smile on her face! She was no longer screaming, but was now laughing!  
She’s been electrocuted out of her mind, I reasoned. That must be it. She’s taken so many shocks from her Pokemon that she’s now completely insane. Right?  
Electivire was also smiling, but not sinisterly like before. He wore a cheerful smile, now!   
I’d never seen this kind of smile on June’s Electivire’s face.  
“Vire! Vire! Vire!” he laughed as he continued to shock June.  
“Manaaa!” Manaphy cried out happily.  
The Phione were smiling at each other and laughing.  
Electivire stopped zapping June and walked over to her. He extended out his large palm.  
June, her hair standing up on end worse than ever, looked up at her Pokemon lovingly with a big smile. “E-E-Electiv-v-vire.” She took her Pokemon’s hand and was pulled to her feet. She twitched as her body gave off a spark, and then she jumped onto her Pokemon and tackled him into the sand with a huge smile. “Electivire!” She covered her Pokemon’s face with kisses and squeezed her arms around his neck. “I love you, Electivire! I love you! Muah! Muah! Mmmmmmuaaaahh!!”  
Electivire smiled and struggled underneath June, trying to get free, but June overpowered him and kept him down. Logically speaking, Electivire probably wasn’t trying all that hard to get away.  
“Mana! Manaaaaaa!”  
I turned at the sound of Manaphy and realized that it and the Phione were no longer standing in the same spot they had just been.   
Most of the Phione had jumped into the ocean and were swimming away.  
Manaphy and one Phione stood at the shore.  
The last Phione jumped into the water and drifted off after the others.  
Manaphy was waving at us.  
June turned to Manaphy and climbed off of Electivire, getting to her feet. “Thank you, Manaphyyyyy!!” she called out to it, waving her arms. “Thank you for everything! Thank you so much, Manaphyyy!!”  
Electivire also got to his feet, his arms hanging at his sides as he stared at Manaphy blankly. He nodded at Manaphy. “Electivire!” A small smile crossed his face.  
“Manaaaa!” Manaphy jumped backwards into the ocean, disappearing underwater. It popped up at the surface just seconds later, swimming after the Phione. It was quick and got ahead of the Phione easily and began to lead the way. “Manaaaaaaa!!” Manaphy leaped into the air and dove down underwater.  
The Phione all cried out and leaped high, diving underwater as well.  
June smiled at the ocean where the Phione and Manaphy had left. She turned to her Electivire, her smile removed instantly and replaced with sadness. “Electivire. I’m so sorry about-”  
“Electivire…” Electivire raised one hand and silenced June, shaking his head. He then nodded at her. “Electivire. Vire. Elec-”  
June grabbed Electivire’s large hand with two of her own, interrupting her Pokemon, shaking her head at him. “Hey, now. I understand, too. We both do, now.”  
Electivire smiled and nodded. “Vire.”  
June wrapped her arms around her Pokemon and buried her face into his chest.  
Electivire held her back.  
June turned to me and laughed. “Everything’s okay, now, Gary! Isn’t this great?”  
I snickered and lowered my eyes, nodding. “Yeah, that’s awesome, June,” I laughed lightly, looking back at her and her Pokemon. “I just have one little question, though.”  
“What’s that?” June beamed at me, releasing her Pokemon.  
“What the hell just happened??”  
June giggled and then she looked out to the ocean.  
Electivire kept his eyes on June.  
“Thanks to Manaphy, Electivire and I got a much better understanding of our situation we were going through,” June explained. “Your Pokedex said that Manaphy has a special power to exchange the perspectives of people and Pokemon. The second I heard that, I acted off of impulse, just a little bit. I figured Electivire could be a great deal of help to us to stop Team Solace so we could save the Pokemon they were after, and maybe, after freeing them, Manaphy could get us to understand each other better with that power. I didn’t think it meant me and Electivire switching bodies like that, but-”  
“So that’s what happened?” I gasped, shocked. “You two switched bodies??”  
June nodded, keeping her eyes on the ocean. “Yes. And so much more. It was weird, being in such a powerful body, being able to control electricity like that, but, I was also inside of Electivire’s head, too. And his heart… I can’t explain it. It’s something you’d have to go through to fully understand. But, it helped me to see Electivire in a light I thought I understood, but I didn’t. And, I can assume that Electivire saw the same thing in me.” She turned to Electivire and smiled. “But it’s all okay, now. Right?”  
“Electivire!” Electivire nodded.  
I stared up into the sky, several large, puffy clouds moving throughout it.  
One of the clouds covered the sun, blocking out the focus of heat that the sun had for me.  
I still had to squint as I stared at the cloud that moved so slowly. “What do you think those guys wanted with the Phione and Manaphy, though? Why do you think they were trying to steal them? For some kind of use in another sick plot of theirs to prove Pokemon are evil?”  
“What else,” June said shortly, turning to me, and I turned to look back at her. “That’s all they ever do. But this time, they were stopped before any harm could be done, whatever they were planning.” She looked at her Electivire and smiled, Electivire staring back at her with a blank face. “After all these years, everything is back to how it used to be.”   
Electivire smiled at June.  
June smiled even brighter.  
My heart was suddenly filled with dread. “But… Those guys recognized me… They know who I am! How?” I stared worriedly at June.  
June turned from her Pokemon and they both stared at me seriously. “Is it really that much of a surprise? There’s a lot of people who know who you are due to your history with Team Solace. You know this, Gary. You’ve been stopped a number of times in Unova just for what you went through in Kanto. Are you really that shocked that Team Solace knows your face, as well?”  
I swallowed hard, realizing the horrible truth behind June’s words.  
“But, at least for now…” June squinted up into the sky as the cloud moved away from the sun, allowing it to beam harshly on us again, Electivire also turning his head up. Somehow, June managed to smile just slightly.  
Hopefully.  
Promisingly.   
“Looks like those creeps from Team Solace got blasted off.”  
I squinted up with them. “That’s not gonna be a soft landing for those guys,” I commented.  
June nodded. “That’s right.”


	67. The End Of The Road

“June, I said I was sorry about ten million times,” I grumbled sleepily. “Can you yell at me in the next three hours when the damn sun comes up?”  
“Don’t you talk to me like that!” June barked.  
“I won’t talk to you at all!” I shouted. “Just let me get some damn sleep! It’s freaking late!!”  
“I will never forgive you for what you did, Gary!”   
“Yeah, I know, June! You’ve told me this for the past few days already! I swear, it’s like, with all that damn jabbering coming from out your big mouth, it’s been taking us longer than ever to reach Interough City! We should have been there!”  
“What did you just say?!”  
“It’s hot enough as it is! Maybe if you’d shut up for an hour, we might get somewhere!”  
“Ooooooo… Garyyyyy…” June was fuming, her face red with rage, her fists shaking under her chin.  
I was so tired, but this sudden argument had me feeling just a little bit more alert, now.  
We had been traveling for three or four days, but we still hadn’t reached Interough City, despite the fact that we should have definitely reached the city by now.  
June was still understandably furious at me over the whole incident regarding her and Electivire’s past leaking out to Courtney, thanks to me.  
I understood her anger, but I was only human. I could only take but so much, and right now, I felt like I had held my tongue for long enough.   
A dark sky hovered over a surrounding forest, the area more humid than it was actually hot. It was very muggy and a damp feeling hung through the air from the rain that had stopped a few hours ago.  
The air was filled with tiny bugs I couldn’t see in the dark, but I could feel them bumping into my face and buzzing in my ears, making my skin crawl. I desired to dig into my sleeping bag and hide from all of the insects until I woke up to continue traveling, but I couldn’t with June screaming at me. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to sleep now!” I snuggled into my sleeping bag despite the heat, and I immediately knew that I wouldn’t be inside of it for long. I had to inhale and exhale deeply just to breathe! And I was right. I wasn’t in there long, but it had nothing to do with my lack of air. My sleeping bag was yanked down past my head and I looked up at a glaring June. “What is wrong with you?” I demanded.  
“You! You are what’s wrong with me!”  
“Then why don’t you just beat it! I’m not forcing you to stay here, June!”  
“You’re always treating me like crap and putting me down and being mean to me! But when Ella comes around, you’re suddenly all shy and stupid!” June snapped.  
“Hey!” I struggled out of my sleeping bag and got to my feet angrily.  
“Then you go and tell Courtney something you knew damn well I didn’t want her knowing!” June had clearly lost control, because she reached her arms out and shoved me back.  
“Whoa!” I stumbled over my feet, shocked at her action, and I landed back on the ground.  
“I can’t stand you!! I CAN’T STAND YOU!!!”   
“Well, I can’t tolerate your stupidity any longer, either!” I grabbed my sleeping bag and stood up. “Maybe I treated them differently because they weren’t complete idiots like you! Maybe they showed some level of intelligence and sensibility! Even Courtney is a little more rational than you!”  
June gasped long and loud. “How… dare you!!” She ran at me before I could move and shoved me back down. With a loud, hurt cry, she kicked dirt up at my face.  
“Hey!” I covered my face and sputtered.   
“I’ve had about enough of this! We are through!” June stormed over to her huge bag on the ground and lifted it up, slinging it over her shoulder.  
“Don’t speak as if we were something.” I crawled over to my book bag and shoving my sleeping bag inside of it, trembling from the fight I was in. Not out of fear, but just the adrenaline alone was making me shake uncontrollably. When I got into serious fights, both physical and verbal, with anyone, I’d tremble as if afraid, whether I actually am or not. Often my back will also start to ache badly as well. I slung my bag over my shoulder.  
June and I stared furiously at each other for a moment, not saying a word.  
“You’re truly nothing to me, Gary!” She shook her head hard. “Uuuugh! Even saying your name fills me with disgust!”  
“Oh, just get out of here and go back to Kanto or something! I’ll be just fine out here by myself!” I waved my hand at her and turned my back on her, walking away.  
“I never asked if you’d be fine! You can spend the rest of your life lost in this forest eating twigs and making friends with the worms for all I care!”  
“Better company than you!”  
“Yeah! You should be with your kind!”  
I couldn’t think up anything good to scream back at her, so I just mumbled something obscene that I wasn’t angry enough, or brave enough, to let her hear, and I continued stomping angrily through the trees, away from June. Good riddance, I thought. Geez. That chick is freaking nuts! The biggest mistake of my life was grabbing that girl’s hand back in Gringey City. I should have left her on the floor and had the cops take her crazy ass back home. That girl should be in a mental institute or something. The nerve of that chick to put her hands on me and push me! She’s lucky I’m not any less of a person, or-  
My thoughts were interrupted by a voice.  
“Hm?” I stopped walking and looked around, but I couldn’t see anything. “Hm.” I continued to walk, returning to my enraged thoughts. I guess no good deed truly goes unpunished. Try and help a poor crying girl out and she turns out to be a total weirdo. I came to another stop, and I could feel my anger fading away until it was completely gone!  
Another cry came through from the woods.  
As my eyes scanned the area, I began to feel sad. June… What have I done? “Oh, no,” I murmured, and I turned around behind me. “June!” How could I speak to my friend like that? I thought sadly. After all this time traveling together, I could really just speak so heartlessly to somebody I care so much about like that? My anger must have gotten to me and blinded me. I hope she’ll forgive me! “June!” I called out. I ran back to where I had left her, as quickly as I could.  
The clearing was now empty.  
June was nowhere in sight.  
I couldn’t even hear any footsteps. I cupped my hands in front of my mouth. “JUUUUUUNE!! I’M SORRYYYYYY!! COME BAAAAAAAAAACK!!!” I listened for any noise.  
Silence.  
“Oh…” I whimpered tearfully. “June. I’m so sorry…” Tears ran down my cheeks. She deserves better than to be traveling with me, anyway, I told myself. She’s such an awesome person. So sweet. So kind. And very beautiful. She shouldn’t be traveling around with the likes of me. A heavy feeling filled my chest as I turned around and headed back down the path I had turned away from. I just hope, maybe, she heard my apology, at the very least, I thought as I wiped at my eyes. She should know that I’m truly sorry for what I did. I’ll miss her. I miss her, now. I miss how she was almost always in a positive mood. I even miss that beautiful fire in her eyes when she was in her worst moods that ignited her entire body into one enormous, gorgeous flame. I miss how she was always so eager to check out places I wasn’t interested in going to, and how disappointed she’d be when I’d insist on us continuing on. I guess I really took her for granted. She never had to stay with me.   
A couple of noises called out through the trees.  
The tears stopped flowing from my eyes and I sniffled one more time as I lifted my head and focused around me. She never had to stay with me, I considered, my eyebrows furrowing angrily now. And she should have been left ages ago if she was so tired of me. Why am I feeling so sad about this? I shouldn’t be! Nobody told her dumb ass to travel with me through Kanto, nor attack my mommy and get me chased out of town and have to fly to the Unova region. Women are freaking nuts! Especially June. What a mental case! Thank goodness that loon is out of my life. Once I cool down, I can finally get some sleep and then head-   
Something leaped out from the trees, stopping my thoughts and making me scream. A small creature floated in the air above my head.   
“Hey… I know you…” I squinted in the darkness at the Pokemon, trying to remember where I had seen one before.  
Suddenly, another one of the Pokemon appeared. This was joined by another, and then another, and then one more! They all cried out to me with a smile.  
Shuppet. The Puppet Pokemon. This Pokemon is known to feed off of various, negative emotions, including anger and sadness, which increases this Pokemon’s strength and health.  
“Shuppet!” one of the Shuppet said.   
“A bunch of Shuppet?” I questioned. I stared down at my Pokedex and then gasped, looking back up at the Pokemon. “You guys are why I’ve been going through mood changes just now!”  
The Shuppet all laughed.  
I growled at them all. “Beat it! I’m not in the mood right now!” I stared at them as I dwelled on the sentence I had just chosen to use. “And stop messing with my mood!”  
The Shuppet all laughed hysterically.   
“What?! I’m funny? I’m a funny guy to you, now?” I screamed at them, losing my cool. “Is it the way I talk? What? Is it my lisp? What? I’m a clown? I amuse you? I make you laugh? I’m here to freaking amuse you?! How am I funny? How the hell am I funny?! What the hell is so funny about me?? Tell me! Tell me what’s funny!!”  
The Shuppet all busted out laughing louder than ever.  
My anger was through the roof at this point. Now was definitely not the time to be messing with me. If these Shuppet wanted to see me in a rage, then they were gonna get it. “Unfezant!” I grabbed his Poke Ball and held it out, sending out my Pokemon. “Get rid of these things! Use your Air Slash attack!”  
“Feeeeezant!” Unfezant flapped his wings once, but before he could actually attack, the Shuppet all glared at Unfezant darkly, their eyes turning completely black.  
“Shuppet!”  
“Shuppet!”  
“Shuppet!”  
“Shuppet!”  
“Shuppet!”  
“Fez! Fez! Unfez! Fez! Feeeeez!”  
The Shuppet all charged at Unfezant and tackled him, Unfezant crying out from each blow he took.  
“Sucker Punch!” I realized.  
Unfezant collapsed in a heap on the ground, shaking hard. His eyes opened and he weakly got up to his talons. Panting heavily, he glared up at the Shuppet.  
The Shuppet all stared back at him, their eyes now back to their normal mix of colors.  
“Shuppet!” one of the Shuppet said.  
The group all began to spark, electricity outlining their bodies. With a collective cry, they hit Unfezant with Thunderbolt.  
Unfezant squawked painfully before dropping to the ground again.  
“Unfezant!” I called out to him. “Get up! Come on!”  
“Feeeeezz…” Unfezant moaned. He was knocked out!  
“Unbelievable!” I exclaimed, staring up at the Shuppet. I returned Unfezant and stared down solemnly at his Poke Ball. Are we even ready for the Interough Conference if we can’t handle a bunch of Shuppet? I looked up at the Shuppet as they stared down at me eagerly. The Pokedex said they gain strength from negative energy, I remembered. Have they sapped so much from me that they’re overpowered? “Screw this!” I ran past the group of Shuppet and deeper into the woods. “JUUUUUNE!!” I screamed out desperately. I needed to find her. I wasn’t mad at her anymore. I didn’t care about our stupid fight. It wasn’t worth all of this! I wanted the Shuppet to leave me alone. I wanted June back! But would I be able to find her? “JUUUUUUUUNE!!!”  
The voices of all the Shuppet rang out from close behind me.  
I picked up speed, but one of the Shuppet appeared right next to me. “AAAAAHHHH!!” I swatted at it, but the Pokemon vanished. As my head turned to focus ahead of me, a Shuppet was there with a serious look on its face.  
“Shuppet!” it spoke out.  
I covered my head, screaming, and charged forward, running right through the Ghost type, refusing to stop. “JUUUUUUUNE!! JUNE, PLEASE! WHERE ARE YOUUUUU?!” I lowered my arms and lifted my head, looking around for her. I’ll never find her, I knew. She’s really left me for good this time. Even after these damn Shuppet are gone, I’ll still be alone. I could feel my eyes watering as I tiredly gasped for air. “What do you guys want from me??” I shouted back at my pursuers. “I’m not mad anymore!” Tears were rolling down my cheeks. “Just shoo! I can’t take this anymore!”  
The Shuppet cruelly laughed behind me.  
I could feel the desperation and sadness leaving my body. “GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU CREEPS!!!” I barked furiously.  
The Shuppet laughed again, delighted that my sadness had once again been replaced with anger.  
These freaks are gonna drive me insane! I thought desperately, feeling my anger departing now. I can’t keep running from them! I may have to try battling them again! “Aaahhh!!” I slammed into something and heard a cry as I fell to the ground.   
Someone gasped, staring at me with wide eyes.  
“June!”  
“Gary!” she squeaked.  
“Shuppeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet!!”  
June and I turned to the sound of the Shuppet and screamed.  
There were possibly ten Shuppet now, all of them flying towards us hungrily!  
June hid her face behind her bag, closed her eyes, and shrieked at the top of her lungs.  
I was trembling hard, and I tried to grab a Poke Ball from my waist, but I couldn’t free it as my sweaty fingers slipped off of it repeatedly.  
It was too late, anyway. The Shuppet had us now.  
“Shuppet,” one of the Shuppet that seemed to be leading the horde came to a stop.  
The Shuppet behind it stopped as well. None of the Shuppet were staring at June and I anymore. They were all looking beyond us, into the sky.  
June lowered her bag from her face and stared fearfully at the Shuppet.  
“Shuppet. Shuppet…” The lead Shuppet turned around and floated away from June and I, into the woods.  
The remaining Shuppet followed it without hesitation, and the group was gone in seconds.  
My eyes wide, confusion filling my head, I turned to June.  
She breathed a sigh of relief and turned to me. “It was time.”  
“Huh? Time?” I asked. “What do you mean?”  
June sighed and looked behind her, up into the sky.  
I also turned and stared at the sky.  
It was no longer black, the sky now a dark shade of purple, the color lighting up with each passing second as the sun began to rise.  
“Time for them to get a life,” June panted with a smile. “They won’t be bothering us now that the sun’s up.”  
I didn’t say anything, still trying to catch my breath. My head turned back to where the Shuppet had left us.  
They were nowhere in sight.  
“You were being chased by them, too,” I said to June. “You were being chased by a group of Shuppet.”  
June turned to me and nodded. “I guess they live out here.”  
We both stared at each other silently, without any emotion on our faces, without a single word spoken.  
I finally looked away from her and back up at the sky, the orange ball of the sun rising steadily higher. I never got any sleep, I thought wearily, and then I snickered. My eyes lowered, and they instantly widened. “Look!” I pointed.  
June stared in the direction I was pointing. “Hey! No way! Do you think…?”  
Downhill from where we both sat was a huge city! It was filled with activity from people and Pokemon. It looked like a festival was taking place!  
“It must be Interough City! The Interough Conference!” I exclaimed. My eyes were removed from the city and I stared at June.  
She was already staring right back at me, a small smile on her face beneath her teary eyes.  
“June…” I said softly.  
She sniffled and closed her eyes, tears flowing down her cheeks rapidly. She covered her eyes with her hands and began to cry. “Never mind me, Gary. I’m okay. Just…” She inhaled deeply. “Good luck at the Interough Conference, okay? I really did enjoy traveling with you.” She cried even harder but got to her feet. Her back was turned to me as she continued to cry. Inhaling noisily again, she silenced herself and bent down to pick up her bag.  
“If you want to leave, I understand, June.” I stood up hesitantly, my eyes on her.  
June sniffled again and lifted her bag by the strap, slinging it over her shoulder. “Gary, please. Don’t give me that crap!” She turned around, an angry look now on her face. “You know damn well-!”  
My hand reached out to her face, stopping right in front of it. “June, I don’t want to argue. I only want to apologize.”  
June’s mouth closed at what I said, and the anger on her face vanished quickly.  
“I was wrong in every way. I was wrong to tell Courtney what I did. I was wrong to say what I said to you. None of it was true. Not one word. I regret it, and I understand if you think it’d be best for us to just go our separate ways. If I could take it back, I would. I’m sorry I treat you the way I do sometimes. You deserve a whole lot better than that. You deserve more than the crap you take from me. I just want you to know that.”  
June’s mouth was open a little, her bottom lip quivering. She pursed her lips together and tears instantly shed from her eyes, down her cheeks. Her bag dropped to the ground and she took a couple of steps towards me, wrapping me up into a hug. “Gary, I don’t wanna go! I wanna keep traveling with you! Wherever things go from here on this journey, I want us to experience it all together! We’ve been through so much. I just wasn’t sure you still wanted me…”  
I cringed on the inside at her choice of words, my body giving a slight flinch.  
“But, after what you just said…” She pulled back from me, gripping my shoulders, and she stared into my eyes happily, smiling. Sniffling, her eyes filled with more tears. Her head gave a slight nod as her face moved just slightly towards mine.  
“The fight was stupid, June,” I said, looking away from her shyly and towards Interough City.  
June nodded. “It was.” She hugged me again, even tighter than before, and I hugged her back, feeling her shiver in my hold. “I… I… I… I…”  
I squinted down at June as I held her, waiting for her to finish her sentence.  
June was staring at the ground, her head against me. “I… I…” She lifted her head and stared into my eyes again. Her hands moved back to my shoulders and she gripped them strongly, shakily. She swallowed, and another pair of tears rolled down her face. “Gary. ...I…”  
I nodded, smiling slightly. “It’s okay, June. Relax.”  
June shook her head hard. “No. You don’t understand…” she said in a low voice. Her fingers dug into my shoulders. “I… I…”  
“I’m sorry, too, June,” I told her. “I’m sorry more than I’m able to put into words, too. But, I understand. It’s okay. I’m sorry, too.”  
June stared back at me, and several tears slid out of her eyes, her lips quivering harder than ever.  
“You’re sorry,” I told June. “That was what you were trying to say. Right?”  
June stared at me weakly and then lowered her eyes with a sigh. “Yeah… That…”

*

I walked into the body scanner, which was essentially a huge, metal box, and stepped out through the other side when it chimed softly.  
A man waved a black, metal tube up and down the front of my body, and then behind me, and finally at both of my sides. He then proceeded to pat me down, grabbing and slapping at my arms, stomach, back, and between my legs.  
Hey, back off, man, I thought uncomfortably.  
June’s pat down didn’t seem to be any more pleasing for her, either. She walked away from security and over to me, grumpily hoisting her bag onto her shoulder.  
I smiled and shrugged at her, grabbing the straps on my backpack.   
“I understand that they’ve raised security measures at the Pokemon League after what happened in Kanto with Team Solace, but that was really not okay!” She rubbed her shoulders with her hands and turned back to the group of security officers who were checking another young kid who looked nervous.  
“What happened?” I asked.  
“I just don’t like people touching me like that!” June complained loudly.   
A couple of the security guards turned to stare at June.  
“June, don’t get in trouble. Let’s just go, okay? I have to register.” I grabbed her arm and tugged her after me.  
The building we were standing in was enormous and located right in the middle of Interough City. The floor was made of wood polished so brightly, it was comparable to a diamond. At least thirty elevators with silver doors lined one long wall. Escalators led up to higher levels, and even more escalators were on the higher floors. There were counters all over the place containing either a man or a woman, all wearing black and white suits. Tons of people of differing ages were walking by or standing in one of the various lines in front of the counters, their Poke Balls on their waists, some people with a Pokemon by their side. Everyone seemed excited, whether they were speaking with someone else, or were by themselves. Other people were eagerly talking on the phone in the phone booths.   
I stopped on a line behind a shorter kid and turned to June. “Kind of exciting, eh?”  
“I must say, this is really impressive.” June was scanning the building, spinning around repeatedly in slow circles.  
“And we made it with plenty of time to spare. We’ve still got a few more days before the competition even begins!”  
June came to a stop and stared at me with a gentle smile. “This is gonna be so different from last time, you know?”  
“Yeah…” I reflected on the Kanto League. No more Robin, I thought. Who’s my competition this time? Courtney. Ella. Trixa. Ruko… Ruko. I have to beat her. Him… Somehow. I have Charizard with me this time. I have my Kanto Pokemon. Not that my Unova Pokemon can’t beat him, but I have even more backup and am not limited in my options. If I do have to face him at this competition, he’s not gonna make it past me again. This is it. Time to show what I’ve come all this way to do. It’s time to beat everybody here.  
“Gary?” June poked my shoulder.  
“Huh?” I shook my head and turned to her.  
“The line is moving. Don’t lose your spot.”  
“Oh.”   
The line hadn’t moved much at all.  
I took a couple of steps forward and was back behind the kid in front of me again.  
“Yeeeaaaaaaah! WOOHOOOOO!! Unova Conference, here we go!!” The first person in line walked off, cheering excitedly and pumping his fist in the air as he jumped about.  
Several people on line smirked or laughed openly at his joy while some just rolled their eyes and shook their heads.  
A couple of people glanced at him for a second before lowering their heads without any enthusiasm.  
“The Village Bridge, located in the Unova region between Routes 11 and 12, and which was home to many people, was destroyed about two hours ago when a collective group of raging Pokemon decided to attack from out of nowhere, as earlier reported.”  
My head turned to the sound of the voice, my eyes landing on a television hanging from the ceiling several feet away from the counter I was waiting on line in front of.  
A man with curly black hair was speaking from a newsroom in a chocolate suit that matched his skin tone. “It is now being revealed that this attack was led by a Garchomp leading a violent gang of what is being reported by witnesses as being between eight and twenty other Garchomp. Civilians believed at first that they were witnessing fireworks when the Pokemon, accompanied by an airplane beside it, flew through the sky. It turns out that the Garchomp were using one of their most powerful moves, Draco Meteor, and the houses that were built on top of the bridge were immediately burned and exploded, along with the destruction of the bridge itself. Seemingly connected, five Garchomp were found dead less than an hour ago by police, a little over one hundred miles away from the attack, their body temperatures down to freezing. The plane spotted was nowhere to be found, but it is still being looked for by authorities. Witnesses have stated that the colors of the plane match those associated with Team Solace, having a silver top half, and a black bottom half.”  
Murmurs rose from the line I was on, and the building got slightly quieter as some people stopped to turn to any one of several of the TVs in the building displaying the same news report, which also drew the attention of others walking by.  
“The sad irony of this attack is that, the history of Village Bridge states that over two hundred years ago, the bridge was built by settlers due to a flooding that washed away the houses along the banks. The houses were rebuilt on top of the bridge to keep the town safe. Matthew Ick, whose family had a history with Village Bridge, dating back to even when the bridge was first built, and has been in charge of the bridge’s upkeeping, has yet to be found, but we’ll be sure to keep you updated on any further information as it becomes available to us.”  
“I can’t do this,” someone muttered on the line I was on. A young man walked off the line and his pace picked up with each step as he walked away.  
A few people on line were staring at the TV screen in shock, their hands over their mouths.  
Others on line lowered their heads and shook them silently.  
Not everyone in the building seemed to have heard the news as they walked by nonchalantly, some of them happily, some chatting with whoever they were with while others just moved along, lost in their own thoughts.  
“Uuumm… Next, please,” the man behind the counter who was taking care of my line said uncertainly. He clearly had just heard the news and was disturbed by it.  
“-his house became overrun by Durant,” the newsman was now saying, a smile on his face. “He thought it would be smart to capture a Heatmor to take care of the situation. He got rid of the Durant, but ended up burning down his entire house.”  
I turned to June, who was staring at the floor. Inhaling deeply, my eyes closed, I exhaled through my mouth. What am I really doing here? I asked myself. What are any of us really doing here? There’s evil taking place out there by the hands of Team Solace, and we’re here to battle one another? Is this really appropriate? To celebrate our love and support for Pokemon when the world is under attack like this? My eyes opened and I looked up at the ceiling of the building so far above me. Is this such a bad thing? I questioned myself. To be here, when such evil against Pokemon is taking place, to stand strong, with people I don’t know, and some who I do know, to show my love and support for Pokemon? Is this not what we should be doing? Displaying the good in Pokemon while others are out there determined to show their faults? This is a good thing! Team Solace will be stopped, someday, but in the meantime, we might as well shove it in their faces that Pokemon are still loved. Team Solace hasn’t taken over. They haven’t convinced us all that Pokemon are bad! They’ll never change my mind. Ever. If it’s a tug of war for how Pokemon will be viewed, then I’ll never lose my footing, for the sake of the Pokemon. I know some people will hate Pokemon no matter what, but everyone is entitled to how they feel about things. But what Team Solace is doing must be stopped. It must be fought against.  
People in the building were talking happily, children running with a carefree attitude, humans and Pokemon talking with each other determinedly, Pokemon chasing each other playfully, unaware of the humans in the way until they bumped into them and then continued running around as if nothing happened.  
Team Solace can’t stop this, I told myself firmly. This is the way things should be. Humans and Pokemon, together. Yeah, things get tough in this world. Sometimes Pokemon are too powerful for their own good.   
I remembered the Aggron blowing up the train in the subway in Nimbasa City.   
Sometimes, Pokemon have natural instincts that put human lives in jeopardy.   
I recalled being chased off a cliff by a Cacturne in the Desert Resort.   
But the same thing goes for animals. Dogs, snakes, sharks, lions. All potentially dangerous creatures. And, of course, human beings. Too smart for our own good. Nobody, and nothing, is perfect. Team Solace is truly blind to not be able to understand this. Me, June, and all of us Pokemon Trainers will be here, at Interough City, in celebration of Pokemon. We won’t back down from what we believe in. We have a voice and nobody will silence us. The Interough Conference will take place and reach its completion without interference. And, one day, Team Solace will be shut down once and for all! I looked down at my belt with my six Poke Balls on it. Yeah, I smiled. Together, me and my Pokemon. We’ll-  
“Gary, are you gonna move, or what?” June’s questioned startled me.  
“Huh?” I turned to her with a start, and then I noticed the line behind us.  
Everyone was staring at me impatiently.  
June motioned ahead of me with her arms.  
“Next, please!” a voice called.  
I turned around and saw that I was several feet from the counter, with no one in front of me! “Oh! Sorry!” I ran up to the counter and smiled. “Sorry about that, sir.”  
“Not a problem,” the man nodded kindly. “You must have a lot on your mind, I’m sure.”  
I let out my breath tiredly. “You have no idea.”  
“I’m sure! So, I’ll just need to check your Gym Badges, and then you’ll need to place your Pokedex on this screen, please.”  
“Right!” I dug into my pocket and pulled out my eight Badges. My hand opened wide.  
The man pulled out a black wand with a blinking yellow tip and waved it over the Badges. The wand beeped lightly, and then he put the wand under the counter and nodded at me. “All clear.”  
“Great! Now, the Pokedex.” I dropped my Badges into my pocket and then pulled out my Pokedex and placed it on a small screen that sat on the counter.   
The black screen glowed yellow and beeped once.  
The small laptop in front of the man beeped several times.  
I slipped my Pokedex into my pocket and waited eagerly. The confused look on the man’s face immediately made my heart start to beat quicker and harder.  
The man looked from his laptop, to me. “Pardon me, but, you haven’t registered to compete in the Unova League.”  
My mouth hung open, confused. “Well, yeah. That’s why I’m here right now,” I laughed nervously.  
The man shook his head. “No, I mean, you never registered to compete in the Unova League itself. As in, you can’t register for the Interough Conference because you never registered for the Unova League. Without registering for the Unova League first, all of the Badges you earned don’t count.”  
June gasped behind me.  
It was as if every bone in my body had just shattered. I didn’t even feel able to stand on my own two feet.  
“I’m sorry, but you can’t compete in the Interough Conference, Gary.”  
I knew exactly what he was talking about.  
He was right.  
Back in Kanto, when I began my journey, I was registered to compete in the Kanto League, courtesy of Prof. Oak preparing me and my friends beforehand.   
When I got to Unova, I just jumped right in and started collecting Badges...  
Without ever registering for the Unova League!  
The entire planet was spinning now.  
I gripped the counter to keep my balance and I swallowed hard, feeling ready to puke.  
“I’m sorry, but I have to take the next person in line,” the man said to me.  
“But, wait! My Badges!” I pleaded. “I went through so much and won eight Badges! I can compete!”  
“Not without registering for the Unova League,” the man told me sadly. “I’m so sorry.” He looked behind me. “Next, please!”  
I refused to move, gripping the counter even harder, my hands now aching me. Even after the person who was next in line stepped up, I held my place.  
June had to drag my stunned body away as I stared at the man behind the counter tearfully.  
He gave me one last pitiful glance before tending to the person in front of him.  
My body dropped and I sat on the floor.  
The Trio Badge.  
The Iron Badge.  
The General Badge.  
The Bolt Badge.  
The Quake Badge.  
The Brawl Badge.  
The Toxic Badge.  
The Shadow Badge.  
They all accounted for nothing, now.  
Breaking out of my mom’s house.  
Attacking Prof. Oak.  
Sneaking into the Unova region.  
Capturing all of these new Pokemon.  
Retrieving my old Pokemon from Kanto again.  
All the battles me and my Pokemon had gone through together.  
It was all for nothing.  
And now.  
There was nothing more for me to do in the Unova region.   
My journey had come to an abrupt.  
Unexpected.  
End.


	68. The Final Countdown

Excited Trainers walked by me discussing a variety of things from their upcoming Pokemon battles, to what kind of Pokemon they should bring, to the size of a girl’s butt a few feet away from them.  
Many different kinds of Pokemon, both familiar and new to me, accompanied a good number of these Trainers.  
The building was lively and full of happy faces, cheerful attitudes, and determined goals.  
And then, there was me and June, depressed and feeling incredibly stupid, unsure of what was next for us.   
Yesterday, after finding out I had never registered for the Unova League, June had managed to drag me onto a bench, where, after about thirty minutes of dwelling on how I could be so forgetful and dumb, I passed out from lack of sleep. I awoke that evening and moped for the rest of the night. I didn’t even feel like eating much, letting June go by herself to buy some food while I settled for the last apple I had in my bag. I fell asleep at some point that night, and now, with two more days left before the Interough Conference would take place, I was stuck feeling like the past several months had been for absolutely nothing. I sighed and lowered my eyes from the happy people around me.  
June was quiet. There wasn’t a thing she could say to make this situation any better, and she knew it.  
I remembered when I had entered the Pokemon Center before reaching Accumula Town when June and I had been traveling with Trixa. I could have registered there. Or, even at the Pokemon Center in Accumula Town. But, no. What was I doing that I had forgotten to register? I wondered. I guess I was still a little shaken after all that happened in Pallet Town. And maybe Trixa and her nonsense were driving me too crazy to think straight. Now everything’s ruined! I got to capture and raise a bunch of cool Pokemon, but now there’s nothing to show for it! I dug into my jeans pocket for a moment, coming out with eight little objects in my hand. A heavy feeling filled my chest as I stared at my Badges, reflecting on what it took to earn each of them.

“Now, use Quick Attack!” I shouted.  
Pidove flapped his wings for a second and then moved like lightning, slamming into Ducklett.  
Ducklett was knocked onto its back.  
“Another Quick Attack, Pidove!”  
“Ducklett, use your Aerial Ace,” Cress countered.  
Both Pokemon flew at one another urgently, slamming into each other, forcing each other back.  
“Quick Attack! Finish it!” I yelled happily, pointing at Ducklett.  
Pidove pecked at the ground quietly, but didn’t deliver the finishing blow.  
Ducklett opened its beak and blasted Pidove with Water Gun, Pidove wailing out helplessly as the water held him against a boulder.  
“Pidove, you can do this! Gust attack!” I begged.  
Pidove shook his head and flew into the air. He began to flap his wings strongly, a gust of wind starting to push Ducklett back. And then, Pidove simply stopped attacking, his wings flapping just enough to keep him afloat.  
“Pidove!!” I yelled, getting really upset. “What are you doing?? Attaaaack!!”  
“Bubblebeam attack,” Cress said with a wave of his hand.  
Ducklett’s beak opened and a stream of bubbles flew out, popping upon contact with my Pidove.  
Pidove flapped his wings desperately as he was forced back and finally slammed into the ground.

*

“Your Pidove has some kind of problem remembering things. He listens, but after a while, he forgets his orders and just won’t do anything,” June had informed me after I had lost the battle.

*

“Wing Attack,” Cress told his Ducklett during our rematch.  
“Gust! Keep it back!” I shouted.  
Ducklett let out a cry as it was held back by Pidove’s Gust.  
“Quick Attack once more! Give it all you’ve got!” I instructed Pidove.  
Pidove pecked at the ground quietly and then looked up, walking away from Ducklett!!  
“PIDOVE!!!” I raged. “OF ALL TIMES, NOT NOOOOW!!!”  
“Piiidove!!” Pidove flapped his wings and then closed them around his body. His wings spread open and several light blue, ‘X’ shaped streams of energy flew out at Ducklett!  
Ducklett’s body glowed white where the attacks hit and it was thrown back, screaming.  
“Ducklett!” Cress gasped.  
Ducklett was on its back, knocked out.  
“We… WON!!!” I ran onto the battlefield towards Pidove. “Pidove, you did it!! You won it!!”  
“Pidove?” Pidove looked around and saw the defeated Ducklett. “Pidove! Pidove!!”  
He flew towards me and I grabbed him in my hands gently. “We did it! Pidove, you won!”

*

“Stun Spore!” I shouted.  
“Thunder Wave!” Prof. Russell called out.  
Cottonee moved fast, spraying Ferroseed with a golden powder.  
Ferroseed closed its eyes painfully, twitching, but then, its body sparked with blue electricity and it shocked Cottonee.  
“Pin Missile!” Prof. Russell ordered.  
I touched one of the swirling arrows on the bottom left of the screen with my stylus, and Cottonee was swiftly moved on the circular platform, switching places with Drilbur, who switched with Pidove, who took the center stage, and the not so effective Pin Missile.  
“Pidove, Gust attack!”   
Ferroseed was maneuvered on its platflorm, moving into Escavelier’s spot, who moved into Klink’s spot, who was now in the front, and took the Gust attack, which didn’t do very much to the Steel type.  
“Earthquake!” I shouted.  
Drilbur leaped into the air.  
Klink was swapped for Escavalier and Drilbur landed on the ground one good time and hit Escavalier with Earthquake.   
“Attack back with Toxic!” Prof. Russell instructed.  
Escavalier sprayed a purple toxin at Drilbur’s face, and Drilbur collapsed, swiping at his face in pain as the poison set in.  
“Now, let’s use X-Scissor!” Prof. Russell said confidently.  
Escavalier soared at Drilbur, its arms crossed and glowing light blue, and it slammed into Drilbur.  
Drilbur groaned painfully, forced to his back and sliding on his side to a stop, breathing hard, looking ready to give in.  
“Drilbur!!” I yelled out to him. “Hang in there!! Please! I’m counting on you, Drilbur!”  
Beep! Beep! Beep!  
Escavalier dropped to the floor.  
YOU WIN! were the small, simple words in yellow on the machine screen in front of me.

*

“Pidove, go at that thing with Quick Attack, right now!” I screamed furiously.  
Pidove let out an angry call and flew like a lightning bolt into Braviary.  
Braviary was hit in the face, her neck forced back hard.  
“Now, use your Air Cutter!”  
Pidove attacked Braviary with Air Cutter, hitting her from behind while he was high in the air.  
Braviary let out a pained groan and dropped to the ground.   
Dana crossed her arms and stared silently at her Pokemon.  
“Pidove, we’ve got this thing beat! Another Air Cutter, right now!”  
“Crush Claw,” Dana said coolly.  
Braviary slammed into my Pidove with her glowing blue talons, covering them both in dust as they crashed to the ground. She flew above the dust cloud a second later, crying victoriously.  
“Use your Psybeam!!” I told Elgyem.  
“Elgy! Em!” Elgyem raised a hand, the dots on it blinking for a second before a multicolored beam fired at Braviary.  
“Dodge, now!” Dana said strongly.  
Braviary flew past the attack, Elgyem continuing to try to catch her, but she was too fast.  
“It’s time to close out this battle with Rock Slide,” Dana said.  
White circles appeared in the air, and enormous rocks deposited from them, landing around Elgyem.  
“ELGYEM!” Elgyem raised his hands and his eyes glowed blue.  
The rock above him floated in the air, outlined in blue.  
“Elgyeeeeem!” Elgyem waved his arms at Braviary, and the enormous boulder flew at her, smashing her right in the face, knocking her to the ground.  
“Fling attack!” Dana ordered her Cinccino, pointing at Elgyem.  
Cinccino tossed her Damp Rock, which became outlined in black as it soared through the air and smacked Elgyem in the back of the head.  
Elgyem dropped to the ground.  
“Darumaka, you’re up next!” I sent out my last Pokemon.  
Darumaka appeared and ran around in frantic circles, grunting.  
Dana’s cheeks puffed out for a few seconds as she covered her face before she started laughing. “Is everything in your team unevolved?”  
“You shut up!!” I bellowed, taking a threatening step towards her. “Darumaka, use your Flare Blitz!”  
Darumaka charged towards Cinccino and flew at her, a flying fireball.  
Cinccino grabbed her white fur and raised it in front of her.  
Darumaka collided with the white fur and… bounced right off! With a shocked cry, the flames surrounding Darumaka faded the instant he made contact with the fur on Cinccino and he was forced back, rolling on the ground, and he sprawled out on his back.  
“Rock Blast!” Dana called.  
A pair of silver, spinning slivers of energy flew from Cinccino and smacked Darumaka around helplessly.  
Darumaka dropped, groaning in pain.

*

“Pidove, let’s do it! Quick Attack, now!” was my instruction for my Pidove during my second battle with Dana.  
Pidove flew at Braviary, slamming into her chest.  
“Crush Claw! Knock that little baby out,” Dana said, moving her glasses from the tip of her nose after they had slid down.  
“Detect!” I screamed to Pidove.  
Braviary’s glowing claws crashed into Pidove as Pidove calmly hovered in the air, watching Braviary.  
The shocked look on Pidove’s face told me that he had forgotten to attack once again, and I groaned in disappointment.  
Pidove landed on the ground, his eyes closed.  
“Tympole, you’re next!” I said, sending him out. “Alright, it’s time to show what we’ve got, Tympole! Use Rain Dance!”  
“Braviary, Crush Claw and make this fast!” Dana smiled, putting back on her glasses.  
Tympole bounced around the ground, his body outlined in blue, and swiftly dodged the Crush Claw attack, flipping over it, tumbling in the air.  
“Muddy Water!” I said to Tympole.  
A huge wave of brown water flushed up from underneath Tympole and rose up over Braviary.  
Braviary cried out in surprise as she flew right into it. She burst from the other side, screaming, her eyes closed tight from the dirt in them from the water, and continued flying straight, crashing into a tree with great force, and she dropped down.  
Dana’s large Bouffalant appeared from her thrown Ultra Ball and pawed at the wet ground, glaring at Tympole.  
“Wild Charge!” Dana told her powerful Pokemon.  
Tympole attacked with Muddy Water.  
“Counter with Surf! Into the water!” Dana shouted with rage.  
“Surf?” I gasped.  
Bouffalant leaped into the Muddy Water from Tympole, roaring strongly, and a second wave of fresh water rose from the ground, meeting the Muddy Water, and they meshed into one blend of dirty water. The wave then turned direction and headed for Tympole!  
Bouffalant’s body was still sparking with electricity, and the wave itself was now flashing repeatedly as the electricity spread throughout it. Bouffalant and the wave she was riding were one large, bright wall of electricity as the wave holding the electric buffalo dove down and crashed into Tympole.  
“Next, I choose Drilbur!” I threw his Poke Ball.  
“Head Charge, now!”  
Bouffalant screamed out and lowered her head, nearing Drilbur, but slipped on the wet ground, stumbling, and ran right past Drilbur, tripping to the ground, and sliding fast into a tree. One of her enormous horns tore right through the trunk of one of the trees, and as she tried to stand up, she found that her horn was stuck! As Bouffalant forced herself up, the whole tree rose from the dirt it was planted in with a loud ripping, cracking, and tearing sound, still stuck on Bouffalant’s horn! She let out a triumphant roar as she lifted her face high towards the sky. The tree, still on Bouffalant’s horn, moved with Bouffalant’s head as she screamed success and freedom, and the top of the tree was forced downwards, slamming into Bouffalant’s back with speed and power. Bouffalant’s happy yell turned to a painful scream, and she dropped down, lowering her head, removing the top of the thick tree from her back it had just slammed down into. She twitched painfully, laying on her side as she groaned loudly.  
Stoutland barked aggressively and leaped into the battlefield.  
“Ice Fang!” Dana stomped on the ground angrily.  
“Slash it, Drilbur!” I called out to him.  
Drilbur’s claws glowed white and he swiped his claws at Stoutland, but Stoutland held his grip tight around Drilbur’s body.  
“DRIIIIIIIIIIIIILLLLLL!!!!!!!” Drilbur’s body burst into a flash of light, and the ice around his body exploded as he evolved into Excadrill.   
He was too big for Stoutland to keep in his jaws, and Stoutland backed up, his eyes wide in amazement.  
Excadrill cried out and let go of Stoutland, dropping to his knees from exhaustion.  
Stoutland howled and fell to his knees, too. He then collapsed.

*

Elesa raised her hand to her mouth and blew me a kiss. “Good luck, baby. Now prepare to watch me glow! Emolga, dazzle for the stage!” She threw her Poke Ball.  
“Alright, then let’s start things off with Darumaka!” I sent him out, throwing his Poke Ball.  
“Emolga, use Discharge!” Elesa said with energy.  
Darumaka was zapped by the jolt and he dropped to the ground, where he remained still. His body suddenly glowed in a bright flash of light, interrupting my orders as he evolved!  
“Emolga, use your Volt Switch, now!” Elesa begged.  
Emolga leaped high. It put its hands together and a large ball of electricity appeared. It tossed the ball at Darmanitan and it hit, outlining his body in yellow as he roared in pain. Emolga suddenly glowed red and vanished.  
A white beam hit the ground, and Stunfisk was sent out.  
“Stunfisk, Earthquake, now!”  
Stunfisk slammed down to the ground, rocking the field and taking out Darmanitan.  
“Giga Drain it!” I called out quickly to my second Pokemon, Cottonee.  
Cottonee attacked with Giga Drain and caught his prey, sapping the rest of Stunfisk’s health.  
“Use Stun Spore, now!”   
“Emolga, Thunder Wave, quickly!”  
“Return!” I returned Cottonee to his Poke Ball. “I’m going with Excadrill! Slash attack!”  
Emolga’s painful cry rang out through the Gym as it was forced back, flying right into Elesa’s arms, defeated.  
“Eelektross, my Electric Queen, shine brighter than the sun!” Elesa sent out her final Pokemon.  
“Slash attack!” I yelled.  
“Eelektross, use Brick Break!” Elesa called.  
Excadrill’s claws swiped at Eelektross as Eelektross swung a glowing white fist down on Excadrill’s head.  
Eelektross flew back, sliding on the ground on her feet.  
Excadrill staggered about lazily, finally dropping.  
Elesa winked at me after I sent out my Cottonee. “Flamethrower! Now!”  
Cottonee screamed out shrilly as he was consumed by the flames.  
“Cottonee, we don’t have much longer! It’s our turn to fight! Endeavor, now!” I screamed desperately.  
“Cottoooooooneeeeeeeeeeee!!!!” Cottonee’s shrill screech made my ears hurt, ringing like an alarm inside of the Gym. His body became outlined in white. He flew at Eelektross and slammed into her face, knocking her over.  
Eelektross roared loudly as she collapsed to the ground.  
“Eelektross, please! This can’t be! Get up! One more Flamethrower!” Elesa begged.  
“Giga Drain!”  
Eelektross was helpless as she screamed, her remaining energy being removed from her body by Cottonee.

*

“Go, Krookadile! Gigalith!” Clay shouted.  
“Elgyem and Darmanitan! Let’s go!!” I sent out my two Pokemon.  
“HA! Gigalith, stop Darmanitan with Stone Edge, now!” Clay ordered.  
Gigalith’s body was outlined in white, the white removing itself from its body and separating into several white balls that took the form of sharp, gray rocks that flew out at Darmanitan.  
“MANIIIIIIIII!!!!” Darmanitan roared, and he slammed his fists to the ground, kicking with his back legs, rocking the entire Gym hard, and leaped all the way to the ceiling! “MANITAAAAAN!!!” Darmanitan raised both fists, releasing the stony ceiling, and they glowed white as he fell to the ground, towards the Stone Edge attack flying up at him! “DAAAAAAAARMANITAN!” His fists slammed into the rocks headed for him and tore through them with ease, slamming to the ground as he landed and rocking the Gym again. He was breathing hard, smiling widely, his eyes on Gigalith.  
“Darmanitan, use Swagger on Gigalith!”  
Both Krookadile and Gigalith jumped high into the air to attack with Earthquake.  
Gigalith’s eyes flashed red as it became Confused. It turned to Krookadile in midair and punched it in the face!  
Krookadile and Gigalith were both pummeling each other!  
“Okay! Now, use your Superpower on Gigalith! Miracle Eye on Krookadile!”  
Darmanitan swung a large fist at Gigalith, tossing it back.  
Elgyem’s eyes sparkled with the color of red, green, white, blue, and an array of other colors as he used Miracle Eye. His eyes then glowed blue as he attacked Krookadile with Psychic.  
Krookadile screamed loudly, struggling to break free.  
Both Gigalith and Krookadile were defeated.  
Clay’s next two Pokemon were Excadrill and Seismitoad.  
Darmanitan soared at Excadrill with Flare Blitz, slamming into its stomach, Excadrill practically howling in agony, and it hit the ground.  
“Seismitoad, Hydro Pump!” Clay raged.  
Seismitoad opened its mouth wide and blasted Darmanitan off of his feet, and Darmanitan dropped.  
“Stunfisk, I’m goin’ wit’ you! Don’t yah let meh down!” Clay threw Stunfisk’s Poke Ball.  
“Excadrill, you’re the next up!” I threw his Poke Ball. “Alright, Elgyem, use Psychic on Stunfisk! Excadrill, attack with Earthquake!”  
“Stunfisk, into the air! Seismitoad, Drain Punch the Excadrill, now!”  
Excadrill leaped into the air, and Seismitoad leaped after him. As he tried to land on the ground to attack, the toad hit him with a Super Effective uppercut, its fist covered in a swirling, green ball of energy. He was flung back, flipping through the air, and he finally crashed to the floor.  
“Alright, go, Cottonee!” I sent out my Pokemon. “Giga Drain that Stunfisk, now!”  
“Seismitoad, attack wit’ Hydro Pump, got damn it! Stunfisk, Thunderbolt that Elgyem!”  
Stunfisk laughed eagerly as its body sparked with electricity and shocked Elgyem.  
Seismitoad opened its mouth and caught Elgyem with Hydro Pump, defeating him.  
I then sent out Tympole.  
Stunfisk bounced off of the ground, into the air, flapping its wings.  
Seismitoad ran towards Cottonee.  
Tympole was raised into the air by a wave of muddy water.  
Seismitoad struck Cottonee in the face with Drain Punch, and Cottonee cried out, falling.  
“Cottonee, get up! Finish off that Seismitoad!” I encouraged him.  
Tympole flew into Seismitoad with Muddy Water, causing it to stumble back.  
Cottonee shook his head and attacked Seismitoad with Giga Drain.  
Stunfisk flew into Cottonee with Bounce.  
Cottonee fell out, beaten.  
With no other choice, I sent out my last Pokemon, Pidove. “Pidove, use Quick Attack on Seismitoad this time! Tympole, use your Muddy Water one more time!”  
Pidove was first, tackling Seismitoad with Quick Attack.  
Tympole went next, smacking both Seismitoad and Stunfisk with Muddy Water, defeating Seismitoad and enraging Clay who sent out his final Pokemon, Golurk.  
Golurk stomped on the ground with Earthquake.  
The attack hit my Poisoned Tympole. He rolled helplessly along until he hit the metal pole holding up my platform in the air.   
The entire audience was silent as everyone looked at Tympole’s glowing body as my Pokemon evolved.  
“PALPITOAD!!” I shouted happily out to him. “Pidove, charge after Stunfisk! Knock it out of the sky with Quick Attack! Palpitoad, use Flail on the Stunfisk!”  
The damage from both moves was too much, and Stunfisk collapsed, knocked out.  
“Dynamic Punch the Pidove!” Clay fumed.  
Pidove was tossed back into Palpitoad, dropping both Pokemon. He twitched, and then he twitched again, and then… his body flashed in a bright light as he evolved into Tranquill!!  
“Palpitoad, you can use Hydro Pump!” I told him.  
Palpitoad used Hydro Pump, but Golurk pulled in its hands, feet, and legs, and soared out of the way of the attack.  
Tranquill used Air Slash, hitting Golurk with the white saw blade energy that soared from his wings that glowed white.  
Golurk was Flinching in the air, unable to avoid the second Hydro Pump from my Palpitoad. Wailing, it ascended into the air from the blast of water beneath it before dropping like a boulder, slamming hard to the ground below.

*

“Scrafty! Thunder Punch!” Row commanded.  
“Tranquill, use Detect!” I called.  
Scrafty pulled back its sparking fist and swung at Tranquill.  
Tranquill’s eyes glowed dark blue, and he dodged the attack.  
“Tranquill, quickly, get behind it and yank that hood over its face!”  
Scrafty turned around and glanced up in shock as Tranquill flew past it, and it was yanked backwards! “Scraft! Scraft! Scraft! Scraft! Scrafty!” Scrafty was being pulled around the battlefield by its hood helplessly, kicking its feet out, grabbing at its hood as it began to choke!  
“Darmanitan, let’s attack with Superpower, go!” I ordered.  
“Ha! Match it with your Superpower!” Row said with a challenging smile.  
Both Pokemon struggled to overpower the other.  
“Conkeldurr, Stone Edge!” Row roared.  
“Darmanitan, Flare Blitz!”  
Darmanitan roared as he became a flying fireball, headed for Conkeldurr.  
The stones smashed into Darmanitan, but he kept flying forth, colliding with Conkeldurr.  
Conkeldurr flew through the air as Darmanitan forced it backwards, flying into Conkeldurr’s pillars and knocking them over, and they both dropped to the ground.  
They remained still, Conkeldurr on its back, Darmanitan on top of it.  
“Mud Shot!” I shouted desperately to my Palpitoad.  
“Grab it!” Row ordered his Seismitoad.  
Seismitoad was blindingly fast, and the next thing I knew, it was holding my Palpitoad’s tongue in its hand!  
Palpitoad choked hard and struggled, crying out as Seismitoad held him up in the air by just his tongue!  
“You can’t do this move as a Palpitoad! Drain Punch!” Row laughed.  
Palpitoad cried out loudly as Seismitoad’s fist swung at his body to finish him off. Suddenly, his body was covered in a blinding light. A white stream of light reached out from Palpitoad’s body and blocked Seismitoad’s punch, holding its fist still! Palpitoad’s body grew larger, and his form shifted as he appeared to elongate himself. Another white beam reached out from his other side. The light on his body exploded in bright sparkles. “Seiiismitooooad!” my Seismitoad cried out. He inhaled deeply and with a determined glare, blasted Row’s Seismitoad across the field with Hydro Pump.

*

“BANG! ZOOM!” Roxie threw her Poke Ball, sending out Amoonguss.  
“Excadrill, I choose you!” I sent out my Pokemon.  
Roxie and her band were playing their loud rock music, the crowd cheering to the songs, making it hard for me to concentrate on the battle.  
“Body Slam!” Roxie screamed.  
“Drill… Driiiiillll…” Excadrill groaned, his body sparking and curling up from Paralysis from the Body Slam he took.  
“Amoonguss, Energy Ball!” Roxie ordered.  
“Earthquake, right now!” I commanded.  
“Amoonguss, use Bide!” Roxie said with a serious look, gritting her teeth as she struggled to keep her balance.  
Amoonguss withstood the damage.  
“Another Earthquake! Finish it!!” I shouted desperately.  
A bright white beam flew out from Amoonguss and slammed into Excadrill, the Bide attack knocking him out.  
“Let’s go, Drifloon!!” I sent out my last Pokemon to battle Roxie.  
Drifloon’s closed eyes tightened and she shook her head hard, unable to focus with the loud music Roxie and her band was playing. Frustrated by the music, Drifloon attacked on her own with Gust and defeated Amoonguss, causing Roxie to send out her last Pokemon, Garbodor.  
“Drifloon, use Thunder Wave!”  
Drifloon didn’t listen to me, screaming as she struggled against the music.  
“Garbodor, use Gunk Shot, now!” Roxie screamed.  
“FLOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNN!!!” Drifloon was hit by the exploding move. She was now Poisoned.  
“Now let’s end this with Venoshock!!” Roxie called happily.  
“FLOOOOON!!” Drifloon’s body erupted into a bright light and ascended into the air, dodging the oncoming attack. The light flashed and vanished from her body, and my Drifloon was now a Drifblim! She let out a loud, piercing shriek and started spinning, flying around the stage frantically, slamming into a speaker high on the wall, wrecking it.  
Roxie looked at her hands in shock, her guitar now in the hold of Drifblim.  
Drifblim took away Roxie’s band mates’ guitars as well, and the drummer complained as Drifblim snatched away his drumsticks. She then created several Shadow Balls and smacked them away with the instruments, the attacks scaring the crowd and making them and Roxie’s band mates flee the building.  
A light structure above the crowd exploded as it was hit by a Shadow Ball, a large spark landing on Garbodor’s face, resulting in it screaming in agony and falling off the stage.

*

“Sceptile, use your Leaf Blade on Jellicent!” Courtney, my teammate in the Tag Battle for our last Badges, told her Pokemon.  
“Porygon-Z, Psybeam Chandelure!” I commanded.  
“Chandelure, Fire Blast Sceptile!” Spector ordered.  
“Jellicent, I insist on you using Ice Beam on Porygon-Z,” Cory told him.  
Sceptile leaped at Jellicent and slashed him with the leaves on its arms that were glowing light green.  
Porygon-Z’s head spun in circles for a second before it fired a multicolored beam from its eyes, slamming into Chandelure as it was about to attack Sceptile.  
“Why didn’t you attack Jellicent with me?” Courtney said furiously. “We need to attack the same Pokemon!”  
“You didn’t say you wanted to do things that way!” I replied.  
“I gave Sceptile the first order! You should have followed my lead!”  
“Since when are you the leader?”  
“Chandelure, Confuse Ray!” Spector said.  
His Pokemon attacked, leaving both Sceptile and Porygon-Z Confused.  
Courtney turned to me. “How about you stick to the damn plan?”  
“Don’t talk to me like that!” I told her, feeling my temper flaring.  
A familiar pair of cries made Courtney and I look at our Pokemon. “Oh, no!” we both exclaimed.  
“Porygon-Z!”  
“Sceptile!”  
Both of our Pokemon were fighting with each other!  
“We can’t expect our Pokemon to listen to us if we’re not gonna be any better of an example,” I said firmly. “We need to snap them out of that Confusion.”  
“Sceptile, let’s show ‘em what you’ve got! Frenzy Plant, now!” Courtney insisted.  
The floor under me rocked slightly, and then, BAAAAAAAAAAAAAM!!!!   
Several roots burst from the bottom of the Gym, covered in huge thorns, and headed for Jellicent.  
“JEEEEEELLL!!” Jellicent was smacked by the most powerful Grass type move. He dropped to the ground easily and didn’t move.  
“Now, attack Sceptile with Fire Blast!” Spector called out.  
“Porygon-Z, jump in front of it and use Protect!”  
Porygon-Z tumbled in the way of the oncoming wave of fire and surrounded itself with a turquoise ball of energy, holding off the Fire Blast attack.  
“Gary! Thank you so much!” Courtney said gratefully. “Night Slash, now!” Courtney quickly told Sceptile.  
Sceptile let out a threatening cry and slashed Chandelure to the ground.  
“Thunder!” I shouted loudly.  
Porygon-Z’s body sparked brightly, and I shielded my eyes against the white lighting that flew from its body and hit Chandelure.  
“CHANDELUUUUUUUUUUUURRRE!!!” Chandelure’s voice roared throughout the Gym.

*

I felt as if I had run out of breath for the longest time but had simply not inhaled yet. I breathed in deeply, staring weakly at my Badges. All of that, for nothing, I thought to myself. The eight Badges I obtained don’t even count. They won’t even let me compete. I can’t believe this is happening. Ella… Trixa… Ruko… I guess I won’t be battling against them, after all… I sighed. Maybe it’s best that way, anyway. Ella and Trixa hate me, and I can’t stand Ruko as it is. Him and his stupid, crazy ways of obtaining and using his Pokemon. I closed my eyes and sighed, trying to calm down. All that work… All the training we went through… All the battles…

*

“Fezant!” Unfezant shifted his body and smacked my hand with his right wing, his Poke Ball flying from my hand. “Fezant!” Unfezant disappeared in a flash and flew at Gramma’s Leavanny.  
“Leavanny!” Leavanny stumbled back as the Quick Attack hit and it dropped to its knees.  
Unfezant squawked and flew into the air, and his body suddenly glowed brightly.  
“That's Sky Attack!” I realized.  
The blinding light flew at Leavanny.  
Leavanny shook its head and bent its knees slightly, glaring at the oncoming attack.  
“Drop!” Gramma said strongly.  
Leavanny fell onto its back and laid still.  
“Me First!” Gramma added.  
Leavanny's body flashed purple for an instant, and then its body glowed blindingly white as Unfezant soared over it.  
“Leavanny!!” Leavanny plowed into Unfezant, both balls of light soaring into the air.  
One of the balls of light then fell towards the ground and crashed powerfully.  
The other ball of light faded and Leavanny was revealed. It fell to the floor on its feet and immediately dropped to its knees, shivering from pain and exhaustion.  
The first ball of light faded and Unfezant was shown, motionless on the floor.

*

It was during my rematch with Gramma that I had chosen to send out Drifloon against her Leavanny. “Thunder Wave!” I ordered.  
Drifloon's appendages sparked with light blue electricity, and they pointed at Leavanny as it leaped at her. “Floooon!” Drifloon zapped Leavanny, Paralyzing it instantly.  
“Hex attack!” I ordered.  
Drifloon's eyes glowed with a mix of purple and red.  
Leavanny hovered in the air, outlined in the same mix of scary colors, and it wailed in pain as the damage set in.  
“Drifloon, use Shadow Ball!” I shouted.  
Drifloon formed a sparking, purple ball in front of her face. She quickly smacked the ball with one of her appendages.  
“Leavaaaanny!” Leavanny was hit in the face and slid along the floor on its back, coming to a stop.  
Gramma surprised everyone by sending out another Leavanny.  
“Floooooooooon!” Drifloon attacked Leavanny with Gust attack.  
“Leavanny, use your Payback!”  
Leavanny was sucked inside of the tornado created by Drifloon. It cried out helplessly before finally flying out, landing on its feet, twirling around dizzily. Leavanny collapsed to the ground and closed its eyes tightly, groaning. In the next instant, Leavanny's eyes opened and it flew out at Drifloon, delivering a flurry of punches from its leafy hands that were coated in a dark aura.  
Drifloon let out a loud, terrifying shriek that filled my body with shivers as she spun downward and collapsed to the ground.  
I went with my best option and sent out Darmanitan to end the match with Flare Blitz.  
“Leavanny, use Protect!” Gramma countered.  
Leavanny kept itself safe behind the turquoise shield that appeared in front of it.  
And then, during our two-on-two battle, both of us having sent out our second Pokemon, Gramma recalled her Leavanny and sent out Whimsicott, costing her the match.

*

I glared at my eight Badges as I reflected on that battle with the forgetful woman who didn’t even remember that she was no longer a Gym Leader, her Gym shut down due to the fact that she was inadequate for the position because of her horrendous memory. I can’t believe I lost to that idiot in the first place, I thought bitterly. I can’t believe I wasted my time at her Gym. Or building. Or whatever the hell it is now. I can’t believe any of this crap! Before I could stop myself, I turned to June angrily.  
She turned to me with surprise.  
“Why the hell didn’t you tell me I didn’t register for the Pokemon League, June?!” I demanded.  
“What?” she gasped.  
“You knew I didn’t register! Why the hell didn’t you say something earlier?!” I shouted.  
June got to her feet and placed her hands on her hips, shifting them to one side. “Now, you listen to me, Mister,” June said angrily. “I know you’re all upset about forgetting to register, but this is not my fault! If I wanna be nice, I will take some blame for not reminding you, since you’re so unable to think for yourself and need someone older to watch after you, but you will not pin this all on me! I did encourage you to compete in the Unova League, but I never made you. You made that decision all on your own. I merely suggested it.”  
You did a bit more than just suggest it, I remembered.  
“Gary will be competing in the Pokemon League, too!” I remembered June had told Ella cheerfully the first time we met her, Trixa, and Prof. Juniper, her arm around my shoulders.  
“You’re right, June,” I sighed sadly, looking down from her angry eyes. “I’m sorry. I really am.”  
June sat down next to me and placed one hand on my shoulder. “It’s okay. I understand how you must feel.”  
I raised my eyes to hers sadly. “What are we gonna do now? Where do we go from here?”  
“You’ve spoken to your mom, right? Everything’s okay between you two, now. Right?”  
I shook my head slowly. “I can’t go back there…” I whispered. “No way.”  
June gave me a small smile. “You’re always welcome to stay in Gringey City with me, you know.”  
I sighed and looked away from her, returning back to her hesitantly. Were there no other choices in the entire world than that?  
“Or not…” June’s smile faded.  
“No, I was just considering it…” I said slowly.  
“Really?” June said with pleasant surprise.  
I swallowed nervously, my heart beating harder and quicker. I was regretting everything I was saying at this point. “I mean, if it won’t be an inconvenience…”  
June squealed with delight. “Of course not!” She clapped her hands excitedly. “Oh, Gary, this is going to be so wonderful! You can meet my mommy and daddy and the rest of my family! Do you know how much fun this is gonna be??”  
I chuckled nervously, staring at the crazed glint in her eyes. “Thrills and chills,” I smiled warily.  
June laughed. “Oh, you.” She pushed my shoulder lightly.  
What have I just gotten myself into? I thought.  
“Aha! I knew we’d find you if we just looked hard enough!” a voice exclaimed. “Gary! Ha ha ha ha ha!”  
June and I turned away from each other and looked to the voice with surprise. We both made the same choking noise as we stared at the two faces.  
One of the faces was undeniable, while the second face took me a few seconds to recognize due to the outfit he was wearing.  
June started whimpering as a shaky smile began to cross her face. Her mouth hung open wide, but words wouldn’t come out.  
I was also lost for words at the two people before me. It just couldn’t be them!  
“Gary, it’s been a while since we last met,” Prof. Juniper greeted me with a very enticing, alluring, promising smile. “How are things going?” Prof. Juniper was not in her usual lab outfit, but instead was dressed in a rather eye-catching number, her long hair tied behind her in a ponytail. She was wearing a white miniskirt inches above her knees, and a white, low-cut tank top, her feet in black sandals.   
I was sure she was noticing me staring at her rather blatantly revealing top as I still struggled to keep my eyes on her face.  
“It seems obvious to me that you must have obtained all eight Badges if you’re here in Interough City,” Prof. Oak greeted me happily. He lifted up his sunglasses and winked at me before replacing them on his face. This professor was wearing the most bizarre outfit, containing tan shorts, black sneakers, and the kind of black T-shirt you would expect a young child to be wearing, the starters of Kanto on the front in a circle around a Poke Ball. On top of the professor’s head was a backwards, white cap! In his right hand was a silver cane.  
Neither June nor I could speak, staring up at the two in complete disbelief.  
Prof. Oak laughed heartily, choking at the end of his laugh and patting his chest. He cleared his throat and smiled. “Barely able to whisper, you speak volumes, like a Whismur.”  
My face fell at what the professor said, but at least I was finally able to find my voice. “Profess-”  
June screamed shrilly at the top of her lungs, and the entire building went quiet, everyone looking over to see what the fuss was about.  
Prof. Juniper and Prof. Oak stared at June with a mix of shock and fear, taking a couple of wary steps back.  
June leaped to her feet and took a step towards them, and they immediately took another step back.  
“Professor… Oak…” June took another two steps forwards, a psychotic look in her eyes.  
The professors quickly stepped backwards two steps.  
“Professor… Juniper…?” She took two more steps, making the two adults step back two further steps.  
“June…” I moaned, covering my face with one hand as I closed my eyes, shaking my head.  
“This… can’t… be… reality… Oooooohh…” June’s face went red as a silly smile became plastered on her face and she collapsed to the floor.  
I stood up and walked over to her, the three of us looking down at June.   
We exchanged glances before looking back to June, and then we turned to each other again.  
I shrugged. “She’ll be fine,” I said casually. “What are you two doing here???”  
Prof. Oak laughed, Prof. Juniper smiling.   
“I’d say that we’re here to save the day,” Prof. Oak answered.  
“Save the day?” I questioned.  
“Ha, ha. Yes, my boy,” Prof. Oak nodded, giving his cane a tight squeeze.  
“I had told Prof. Oak about your Charizard, as you requested the last time we spoke, and he asked if you had mentioned anything about how many Badges you had obtained,” Prof. Juniper explained. “That was when I told him that I didn’t really give you the chance to tell me due to your Porygon-Z…” She laughed uncomfortably.  
Prof. Oak cleared his throat solemnly, his fist in front of his mouth, leaning forward on his cane.  
“Anyway, he requested that I do a little checkup on you in Unova, and, just as he had assumed, you didn’t even register for the Unova League!” Prof. Juniper’s face was filled with love and warmth, like a caring mother.  
“I just knew that you’d make it to the Interough Conference, though, and so I figured I’d surprise you!” Prof. Oak chimed in. “And who better to accompany me than Prof. Juniper.”  
“I had a moment, I suppose,” Prof. Juniper said. “Bianca is at the lab, watching things, but I really can’t leave her alone, there.” She laughed lightly. “She can be just a touch clumsy, sometimes, the dear. It must be safe to assume that you have all eight Badges, right?” She winked at me.  
“YES! I DO!” I held out my Badges at the two.  
The professors laughed.  
“Just as I suspected!” Prof. Oak beamed proudly. “Good job! We should be able to sort all of this out for you so you can compete in the Interough Conference!”  
“Really?!” My eyes bulged at them. “Thank you!! I can’t believe this is happening! Wait!” I stared at them suspiciously. “Why are you two dressed like this…?” My eyes moved towards Prof. Juniper’s chest again before I looked away and struggled to keep my eyes on the aging face of Prof. Oak.  
“Well,” Prof. Oak said, lowering his voice and leaning closer to me, causing me and Prof. Juniper to lean closer to him.   
It wasn’t as quiet in the building as it had been just a moment ago when June had screamed. People were talking and walking about again, the volume increasing with each passing minute.  
“We’re trying to keep low,” Prof. Oak explained. “You see, my name isn’t too popular these days after a comment I made regarding Team Solace a little while back. It was taken way out of context and some people are rather furious with me. So, to draw less attention to ourselves, specifically me, we dressed a little out of character.” Prof. Oak leaned back away from me and dusted off the shoulder of his shirt. “I think I’m rather styling, yo. What do you think, brother?”  
I cringed at Prof. Oak. “Uh…”  
“Aaaaanywaaayyyy…” Prof. Juniper smiled with embarrassment. “Let’s get this young man registered already, shall we?”  
“Word!” Prof. Oak agreed.  
We all walked off together, but the professors came to a stop and turned back, looking at the floor.  
“Umm…” Prof. Juniper said.  
“What about Jada?” Prof. Oak asked.  
I held in my laughter, smirking. “I’ll get her when you two leave. How’s that sound?”  
“Deal,” they both said quickly.  
Together, we walked to a line in front of a counter and waited. The line was moving quickly enough. It wouldn’t be long before I would be in front of the counter to speak to the guy behind it.  
“How’s your mother been?” Prof. Oak asked me in a low tone.  
“It’s been a little while since I called her last,” I admitted.  
There was a pause before the professor spoke again in an even lower voice. “Unfortunately, I don’t have anything new to report to you. Everything’s as it was the last time we spoke.”  
I hesitated before I was able to formulate the best way to say what was now on my mind. “So… Kiwi…?” I mumbled.  
Prof. Oak nodded reluctantly. “So far, nothing.”  
I nodded quietly and stared at the floor as the line moved forward. There was nothing more to say about that. “Thanks for coming through to do this for me,” I muttered, changing the subject of our discussion, though my mind remained on it.  
“It’s part of our jobs to look out for the Trainers we send out into the world to record information on various kinds of Pokemon, far and wide,” Prof. Oak said. “Of course we’re here to make sure everything goes well for you as best as we can.”  
“Next, please!” the guy behind the counter called out.  
The three of us stepped up to him.  
“I’ll just need to see your Badges, and then, you’ll need to scan your Pokedex on the screen,” the man told me.  
I held out the Badges and allowed the man to scan them with a black wand with a blinking yellow tip. Afterwards, I pressed my Pokedex on the screen on the counter.  
The man stared at the screen of his laptop for a moment as it beeped repeatedly, and then he looked up at me. “Excuse me, but, you-”  
Prof. Juniper and Prof. Oak held up an open wallet in front of the man.  
Prof. Oak then lifted up his sunglasses quickly.  
The man behind the counter gasped, staring from one wallet to the face of the owner, to the other wallet to the owner’s face, repeatedly. He stuttered.  
“Allow a pass for this young man, please,” Prof. Oak insisted with a smile.  
“On behalf of the both of us, if you will,” Prof. Juniper added, also smiling.  
The man nodded quickly and typed on the laptop for a moment. “Sir, ma’am,” he nodded at Prof. Oak and Prof. Juniper.  
“After you,” Prof. Oak nodded at Prof. Juniper.  
Prof. Juniper nodded back and walked behind the counter. She quickly typed something on the laptop and then returned back to my side.  
The man typed on the laptop again and then turned to Prof. Oak.  
Prof. Oak walked to the laptop and typed on it for a moment before returning to me.   
The man turned to me and nodded fearfully. “You’re all good to go, sir.” He reached under his counter and pulled out a key attached to a board. “Welcome to the Interough Conference! Good luck!”  
“YES!!” I cheered, snatching the key from him, and I hopped off line with joy, my Pokedex in hand. “I’M REALLY IN!!” I stared at the board that held my key.  
It was brown wood and one side read: R: Y. On the back, it read: B:6  
I turned to the professors. “Thank you guys so much!” I ran to Prof. Juniper and wrapped my arms around her waist in a tight hug, and she hugged me back. Wow. She smells like a… a… miracle! I thought, taking in the combined scent from Prof. Juniper’s perfume and hair. I reluctantly released her and hugged Prof. Oak more gently, the respected man hugging me with the arm not holding onto his cane, in return. I took in the much different scent of an old man and wished I had hugged Prof. Juniper last. I backed away from them and smiled gratefully. “Thanks so much for this. I owe you guys big time!”  
“Just do your best at the tournament, Gary,” Prof. Juniper said. “I’ll be sure to be watching from the lab.”  
“I’ll be with Prof. Juniper to discuss research updates, so you can be sure that I’ll be cheering for you all the way!” Prof. Oak told me eagerly. “I’m highly interested in that Archeops of yours.”  
“Thanks!” I stared at Prof. Oak, and then Prof. Juniper. “Is it doing alright?”  
“Yes, very well,” Prof. Juniper informed me. “I have quite a lot to go over with Prof. Oak about it, in fact. All good things. Very interesting findings.”  
“As long as it’s good findings, then awesome! I can’t wait to hear about them, myself!” I stared from Prof. Juniper to Prof. Oak. “You know, at a place like this, a Pokemon League competition, you don’t have to be in… costume like this.”  
“Well, maybe not here, but on our way here, and on our way out, we’re best to try not to stand out,” Prof. Oak said. “The last thing we need to do is draw attention to ourselves.”  
My eyes moved to Prof. Juniper’s cleavage. Not exactly the best outfit if you’re trying to keep eyes away from you… I thought.  
Prof. Juniper crossed her arms over her chest, her cheeks turning red as she smiled at me suspiciously.  
My face went red as my eyes widened at her face, and I stared at the ground, my heart pumping hard now. “So, um, thanks again!” I said nervously and quickly. “You guys take care and I’ll make sure to win the League, okay?”  
“Good luck, Gary,” Prof. Juniper said, placing one hand on my shoulder.  
“You’ll do great,” Prof. Oak said, placing his hand on my other shoulder. “And I’ll bet there will be plenty of surprises here for you, as well.” Prof. Oak winked at me from behind his sunglasses.  
“Surprises?” I said.  
“Bye for now, Gary.” Prof. Juniper’s hand slid off of me.  
“Peace!” Prof. Oak raised two fingers at me before turning with Prof. Juniper and leaving.  
I couldn’t help but smile and I hugged my Pokedex against my chest, walking off on my own, my Badges held tightly in my hand. I did it, I thought, relieved. The Interough Conference is about to take place, and I’m gonna be competing in it! Oh, thank you so much, Prof. Juniper and Prof. Oak! You two are truly the best! I owe you both every-! “Aaahhh!” I tripped over something, my Badges and Pokedex spilling to the floor. “Oh, no!” I picked them all up quickly and looked back at what I had tripped over.  
Groaning, June slowly pushed herself up, sitting on her knees. She rubbed her eyes and then squinted at me. “Gary…?” She looked around. “Where’s Professor Oak and Professor Juniper…?”  
I laughed as I stared at my confused friend.  
It would only be two more days before the Interough Conference would begin.  
Two more days before I’d be giving it my all on the battlefield to move one step closer to becoming a Pokemon Master.  
Two more days before I’d call my mother.  
Two more days before the answers to so many questions.  
Would finally become clearer than a Crystal Onix.


	69. It All Comes Down To This

The sun was high in the cloudless, blue sky this afternoon.  
Tightened security for the Interough Conference included a helicopter that hovered from above the stadium, its propellers whipping at the sky, and a couple of aircrafts that would fly by on occasion. Security guards also stood posted in the stands and by the exits.  
A crowd of Trainers I was a part of stood in the middle of the stadium on dirt ground lined with silver, metallic material where the ground and the surrounding stands met. Some Trainers were talking excitedly, while others, like me, were looking around impatiently, boiling in the sun.  
The stands were filled with loud discussion from spectators.  
Everyone was awaiting the beginning of the ceremony.  
When does this thing start? I wondered, sighing.   
A low call grabbed my attention, as if someone was screaming out my name from a distance.   
I looked through the crowd and the stands, trying to locate the source. My eyes stopped and I smiled, waving at June.  
She was in the stands, on her feet, waving happily with both arms, yelling out to me things I couldn’t hear clearly.  
Looking away from her, I suddenly remembered something that made my heart stop. Ella. Trixa. Ruko. Courtney, I thought, looking around. They must be in this huge crowd somewhere. But, where?  
Before I could dwell on it any longer, a loud voice echoed through the stadium. “I only have one question for y’all!” the voice boomed over the speakers. “IS BROOKELANE… IN… THE HOUSE?!?!”  
A fluttering sound was followed by a large shadow from the sky, making us all look up to see a huge bird fly over the roofless stadium. It called out loudly.  
“Whoa! What’s that Pokemon?” I pulled out my Pokedex.  
Mandibuzz. The Bone Vulture Pokemon and Vullaby’s evolved form. They decorate their bodies with bones in the form of a skirt and use bones they find to make a nest. They will stalk prey until the victim is unable to fight, and then swoop down to drag it back to their nest.  
On the back of Mandibuzz, I could make out a figure.  
“Shout out to New Tork City, y’all!!” the man shouted from on top of the Pokemon. “Represent Represeeeeent!! It’s President Cyn in the hooooooooouse!!”  
“Mandibuzz!” Mandibuzz swooped down low, flying right over the heads of us Trainers, making us all duck low and cry out in fright. The bird soared high again and flew into a little balcony above the stands before sitting calmly.  
The man climbed off of the bird and stood next to it, smiling down at us all. “Let’s hear it for the Interough Confereeeeeeeeeence!!!” he shouted into his microphone.  
The entire stadium applauded like crazy, amped up by this man.  
President Cyn was wearing gray jeans that had a shine to them, a white button up shirt inside of a dark blue blazer, and sunglasses. The man was bald and had a broad, pleasant smile on his dark brown face. “Welcome, ladies and gentlemen of all ages! And when I say all ages, I mean all ages! That man over there must be at least seventy years old! Whatchu doin’ surrounded by all these young children? Somebody, keep an eye on that man!! I’m kidding, I’m kidding, y’all! Ha ha!!”  
Everyone started laughing and we all looked around, trying to spot an old man.  
“Seriously though, folks, now is the time to light the Unova League flame with the oh so scrumptious looking Officer Jenny, representing Interough City!” President Cyn informed us.  
An Officer Jenny stood at the top of the stadium in a concrete platform that stood next to a gigantic, golden and blue cauldron. She glared out in the direction of President Cyn.  
“Just kidding! No disrespect! Don’t arrest me, now! I ain’t goin’ back!! Ha ha ha!!” President Cyn guffawed cheerfully.  
People were laughing at the enthusiastic emcee, and even I snickered at his sense of humor, but Officer Jenny didn’t seem amused as she rolled her eyes, disgust on her face, and she raised a small torch to light the cauldron.  
Almost instantly, the cauldron burst brightly with fire, and we all applauded the sight.  
Several cries were heard, and right after, a numerous amount of Swanna suddenly appeared, flying from somewhere outside of the stadium, up into the air. They flew through the sky, following each other in a beautiful sight, calling out their names proudly. They were gone in seconds, leaving the stadium behind them.  
“Now, before we get things started, let me just explain what’s gonna take place!” President Cyn said. “Before we jump into the qualifying rounds, we have to do the preliminary rounds, first! These preliminary matches will feature Trainers using only one Pokemon! You only get one shot! Do not miss this chance to blow, y’all!”  
Everyone excitedly cheered, raring to go.  
Just one-on-one, I thought solemnly. I need to use the top Pokemon I own, in that case.  
“Now, if you’ll look at the screen up top, you’ll see all of your beautiful, and a couple of ugly, faces on the cards!” President Cyn pointed.  
Everyone laughed as we all looked at the enormous screen high above him which displayed electronic cards, each one holding the face of a Trainer competing at the Interough Conference. The cards were then flipped to their red backs with black designs and shuffled rapidly on the screen.  
“You’ll now see who you’ll be facing!”  
The cards stopped shuffling and spread apart, flipping over. Each card was now attached to a second card.  
I looked for my ugly mug, but I couldn’t see it at first.  
Trainers were gasping and pointing as they found out who they were going to face, and then looked into the crowd to find their opponent.  
“Ugh… There I go,” I muttered, staring at my crooked smile and distorted face. I wonder if I really look this bad to everyone else, too, I pondered for a second, and then I gasped. “No!” I saw who I was facing in the preliminaries. “No!” I shook my head in horror. “Not her…”  
My opponent for the preliminary round in the Interough Conference was Courtney.

*

The phone rang for the fifth time, and finally, the blue on the screen I was staring at went away and was replaced with the face of my mother.  
She squinted at me and then blinked repeatedly in shock. “Gary?”  
“Hey, mom!” I smiled.  
“What? I-Gary! Where are you? I haven’t heard from you in ages!”  
“I’ve… just been a little busy,” I said lightly, looking away from her face for just a second.  
“Are you alright?” she asked me with concern.  
I nodded and smirked. “Never better, ha.”  
“Where are you, Gary?” she insisted.  
“I’m in Interough City, getting ready to compete in the Interough Conference.” I swallowed nervously.  
“The what?”  
“The Pokemon League in Unova...”  
My mom stared at me coldly. “Oh,” was all she said.  
“I won all eight Badges out here, and now, I’m going to win this thing,” I continued.  
My mom pursed her lips together angrily. “Fine.”  
We both just stared at each other, not saying a word.  
I sighed. “I guess I just had a bit of time on my hands and thought I’d tell you about what’s been going on…”  
“Okay,” she nodded solemnly. “Is that all?”  
I shook my head. “No.”  
“What else is there?” she asked me sternly.  
I hesitated as I thought about the Village Of Dragons and what I had learned about my mother’s daughter from Marcus. A secret she was unaware of for so many years. “I love you, and I miss you, mom,” I told her, my heart beating rapidly as I said those words.  
My mom stared at me seriously, but didn’t say anything back.  
“That’s all, mom,” I whispered. My eyes began to sting, but I held back the tears.  
She kept her hard eyes on me. “I love you, too, Gary.”  
I breathed a sigh of relief and beamed happily.  
My mom didn’t smile back. “What do you intend on doing once you’re done doing whatever it is you’re doing out there?”  
“I haven’t figured that out, yet,” I admitted.  
She took a deep breath and shakily released it. “Well, Gary, I know things haven’t always been great between us, okay? I know you think your mom’s crazy. I know we fight a lot, and I know I’m not the perfect mother in your eyes. But you’re very hardheaded and difficult to raise, you know. You never listen!”  
I lowered my head and nodded. “I’m sorry, mom,” I muttered.  
“No, you’re not sorry at all,” my mom scolded me. “That’s why you’re out in Unova right now. You’re just doing what you wanna do, like always.”  
In a way, she was right. I was glad that I was out here in Unova, and if I could do it all over again, I was pretty sure I would in a second.  
But, in a way, she was wrong. I knew I wasn’t the perfect child, and I had plenty of regrets about things I had done to my mother, both before and after I had become a Pokemon Trainer. Stuff that would haunt me for the rest of my life. I also knew that, if I could do this entire Pokemon journey thing over again, from back in Kanto, to this very date, I might try and convince Robin, Kiwi, and Aly, to pass up on the chance to become Pokemon Trainers. This was something I thought about every single day, without a doubt. The cost to be here in Unova today, just wasn’t fair. As much fun as it’s been, and as much as I’ve gotten to see and experience, I lost far too much. But, for Aly, I kept pressing on.  
“Anyway, just know that, if you ever do decide to come home, you have a place to go,” my mom said. “Always.”  
My mom’s words touched my heart in a way I didn’t recall having felt from her in years. Since before going on my Pokemon journey. It made me realize just how much this life I chose for myself had changed everything for me. “Thank you, mommy.”  
She nodded at me.  
“I’ll see you soon enough, okay?”   
“Okay,” she spoke.  
I inhaled deeply. “Bye, mom.”  
“Bye,” she said simply.  
I pressed the Esc button on the keyboard and the call disconnected. Now isn’t the time, I told myself. Taking a deep breath, I got to my feet and walked away from the phone booth. I reached the door of the building I had spent the past couple of nights in and stepped outside. I smiled at the sight before me.  
Sawk was throwing punches and kicks at Dugtrio’s heads, trying to land a hit as Dugtrio ducked the attacks, disappearing one head at a time underground rapidly.  
Charizard was napping in the grass, his humongous stomach heaving as June’s Pikachu slept peacefully on it.  
Galvantula was hanging from a string of web that was attached to the underside of Magnezone as it carried her around happily.  
Lanturn and Vaporeon were swimming through a nearby pond together.  
Darmanitan was flexing his muscles while Seismitoad told him something eagerly, Manectric staring at Darmanitan flex as she laid in the grass lazily.  
Porygon-Z and Rotom were the same old chums they’d always been, Porygon-Z spinning around Rotom in circles from top to bottom while Rotom spun in place with a big smile, letting loose some electricity from around its body that almost touched Porygon-Z.  
Electivire was playing with Blitzle, shocking him with Thunderbolt, and then Blitzle would try and shock him back with Discharge. Both Pokemon had Motor Drive, so each shock only made them increase in Speed and made it harder to catch each other.  
Ampharos watched the two Pokemon play together with a smile, sitting next to June under a tree, June also watching her Electivire behave now.  
June turned to me as I approached her. “How’d the call go?”  
“Better than I thought,” I admitted.  
“That’s wonderful!” she smiled.  
“I suppose. But, now, it’s only an hour away from my battle with Courtney.”  
June’s face went serious. “Gary, did you notice who else was on that screen when the battles were being chosen?”  
“Not really, to be honest.”  
“Ella was there, for one thing.”  
“Yeah, no surprise. I was looking for Ella and the others in the crowd, but when I saw Courtney as my opponent, I kind of forgot about the others.”  
June nodded. “Ruko is facing Trixa.”  
“What? Are you serious?”  
June nodded again. “I saw it.”  
“I guess Trixa’s out, then,” I muttered.  
June smiled. “Don’t be mean, Gary. She got her eight Badges, just like you did. And even faster. She might just surprise you.”  
“I’m more concerned with my match with Courtney, to be honest.”  
“How do you feel?”  
I turned to the Pokemon around us and watched them all in their peaceful state. They’re all so carefree, gentle, and… Beautiful… I acknowledged. How truly beautiful this all is. Right here. Right now. Amazing how battle ready they can become, and how dangerous that power can be. I turned to June and smiled determinedly. “This battle can’t come soon enough for me.”

*

“The third round battle is ready to go!” President Cyn declared loudly through the speakers. “Today we have Courtney from LaRousse City, all the way in Hoenn, and Gary from Pallet Town, way out in Kanto! Both Trainers have come a long way just to be sent home in the preliminaries. They better send out the best Pokemon they’ve got, because this… is… IT!”  
My cap was facing forward, blocking the sun which was shining directly on me as I glared under the heat at Courtney.  
Courtney, her hand no longer in its black splint, but now in a pink cast, was glaring right back at me. She looked good in her white dress that reached down to her knees, her feet in baby blue sandals and a pink sun hat on her head, a red bow wrapped around it. She was dressed to impress. “It figures it’d be you I’d have to face in the preliminaries,” she sneered at me.  
I didn’t say anything back.  
“Sorry to have to send you home so early, Sugar Lumps.”  
I kept quiet.  
A helicopter high over the stadium kept watch on the area, the noise from its propellers competing with the cheering crowd.  
The engine from an aircraft was heard frequently as it flew by before another one would appear.  
The referee stood off to the side in an outfit of black slacks, black shoes, and a collared, black shirt with a black tie with red stripes. He raised a hand in the air. “Trainers! Begin!” His hand came down strongly.  
“Sceptile, let’s go, now!”   
“Charizard, I choose you!”  
“Sceptiiiiile!” Sceptile cried.  
Charizard landed on the ground and roared, an amazing, thick blast of fire coming out from his jaws.  
“Woooooooo!! Things are starting off blazing hot as Gary uses a Charizard to take on a Sceptile!” President Cyn stated.  
That thing has taken down a Charizard before, I noted. Even back when it was just a Treeko. I remember that. I know it can more than make up for any type disadvantages, for sure. “Charizard, Flamethrower!” I shouted.  
“Sceptile, Agility!” Courtney reacted.  
Sceptile was incredible with its Speed, zipping away from Charizard’s oncoming flames with ease.  
“Agility!” Courtney repeated determinedly.  
Sceptile picked up even more Speed as it ran circles around Charizard.  
Charizard tried to blast the Grass type, but he wasn’t able to catch it.  
She’s going with Speed, I thought. She must be crazy if she thinks that’s gonna beat us. “Scary Face!”  
Charizard roared and made the most furious face he could.  
Sceptile froze, facing Charizard, a look of terror on its face as its Speed was cut down to size.  
“Sceptile, I said to use Agility! What are you doing?” Courtney screamed.  
“Keep it up, Charizard!”  
Charizard roared again and bared his teeth.  
Sceptile took a couple of steps back.  
“Sceptile! Damn it! Then use Screech!”  
“Now use Flamethrower!” I insisted.  
Sceptile was still faster, using Screech to deafen Charizard.  
I screamed and covered my ears as Charizard roared uncomfortably and covered his ears. My fingers were in my ears after the attack ended as I tried to stop the ringing, shaking my head.  
“Toxic attack!” I heard Courtney.  
My eyes bulged in shock. “NO! Charizard, dodge!”  
Sceptile had already spewed the purple liquid from its mouth before I finished speaking and while Charizard was still shaking off the Screech.  
Charizard’s eyes opened and he stumbled backwards in shock as the liquid hit his face. He roared weakly as his face flushed purple.  
“Too easy,” Courtney commented. “Hidden Power!”  
I gasped. Sceptile’s Hidden Power is Rock! I recalled. That’s how it beat the other Charizard! With Hidden Power!  
Sceptile’s body glowed bright green as it cupped its hands and formed a green-yellow orb between them.   
“Charizard, you need to focus!” I said strongly, removing my fingers from my ears.  
Sceptile tossed the attack at Charizard.  
“Dodge and attack with Fire Blast! Now!”  
Charizard grunted and flapped his wings weakly, getting himself into air. He attacked with Fire Blast, sending out the odd shaped attack. He couldn’t ascend far enough, and Sceptile’s Hidden Power caught him in the stomach. He roared as he fell on his back on the ground.  
Sceptile screamed as it was hit by the Fire Blast. It dropped to its knees, groaning painfully.  
“Now use Night Slash!” Courtney told her Pokemon.  
“Sceeept!” Sceptile got to its feet and charged at Charizard. The leaves on its arms glowed white, ready to attack. “Tiiiile!” Sceptile fell to its knees as its body was covered in flames!  
“A Burn!” Courtney gasped. She glared at me. “Leech Seed!”  
Charizard sat up, grunting as the Poison suffered him.  
Sceptile opened its mouth and a seed slowly emerged from its throat, glowing bright green. The seed flew out at Charizard and landed on his head.  
Charizard closed his eyes as the seed opened and several vines sprouted, wrapping around his body, and he roared as his health started to get sapped.  
“There won’t be any draws in this match, Sugar,” Courtney leered at me. “We’re winning this one without any doubt!”  
“Not if I can help it,” I muttered angrily.  
Charizard struggled to his feet, and suddenly, his wings broadened widely. He roared loud enough to lower the noise of the crowd in the stadium, demanding attention.  
Courtney and Sceptile looked up in shock at Charizard.  
His body suddenly became outlined in red, and his tail flame erupted even brighter and more powerfully.  
Oh, no, I thought worriedly.  
Courtney smiled. “You’re just about done here.”  
Charizard winced in pain, suffering from his Poisoning and the Leech Seed.  
“All this way for nothing.” Courtney shook her head. “Poor Charizard is down to its last bit of strength since its Blaze Ability is on. Allow us to end the poor lizard’s suffering. Hidden Power, now!”  
Sceptile charged up its Hidden Power. “Sceeeeeeeept!”   
No, I thought, trying to keep calm. Don’t panic. Relax. This can’t end like this. If Charizard has Blaze Ability, it not only means his health is low, but that he’s at his maximum potential, too… My eyes tightened as I stared at my Pokemon trembling weakly in place, watching his opponent prepare to defeat him with its next attack. Charizard...

Charizard. The Flame Pokemon. This is Charmeleon’s final stage. A prideful Pokemon, it searches the world seeking the most powerful opponents to battle. This Pokemon’s flames, at their max, are said to be able to melt anything.  
Trixa looked up from her Pokedex and up at Charizard in amazement.

My eyes squinted in realization as I remembered what Trixa’s Pokedex had said about Charizard the last time I had seen her. And that means… I lowered my eyes to his incredible tail flame.  
Sceptile tossed Hidden Power at Charizard.  
“We’ll use the most powerful move!” I paused for a second. “Blast Burn!”  
Charizard’s tail flame grew so large, it was nearly as high as Charizard himself, which startled me and I fell backwards. The heat from the flame was unbearable, especially on this already steaming day! Charizard’s eyes were literally on fire! He opened his mouth and roared louder than ever before as the Hidden Power got closer.  
“DO IIIIIT!!!” I bellowed.  
Fire billowed out from Charizard’s jaws and collided with Hidden Power.  
The ball of energy was swept over and the fire headed for Sceptile.  
Sceptile’s eyes widened in fear, matching its Trainer’s, and both screamed helplessly as Sceptile was covered by the fire!  
The flames died down after the longest minute ever.  
Charizard groaned and fell weakly to his knees, and then to his claws, gripping at the ground. He raised his head and squinted weakly at Sceptile, ready to give in.  
Sceptile was on its knees, panting hard at Charizard, but not beaten.  
Both Pokemon shivered painfully, and both Pokemon fell forward.  
There was silence in the stadium, everybody watching.  
Charizard was barely up, pushing himself up with one arm, his chin scraping the ground.  
Sceptile was on the ground, facedown.  
“Sceptile is unable to battle! Charizard is the winner of this battle! This round goes to Gary!” the referee waved in my direction.  
The crowd had lost their minds, cheering and celebrating.  
“Now that was something serious!! Oh, my word!! This is why I’m not a Pokemon Trainer! All those moves and stuff to remember, and all these crazy battle combinations and styles and stuff! I’d have a heart attack, man! I think I need one of them Nurse Joys to get over here and help a brotha out! I can barely handle commentating!”  
Charizard then fell down, knocked out. The red glow around his body went away, and his tail flame shrunk down to a dangerously minimal size.  
I ignored Courtney who was screaming as if the Loch Ness Monster had just landed on top of her, and I ran to my Charizard.   
The Leech Seed vanished from his body. His face was still flushed purple.  
“Charizard,” I whispered near his head. “You’re the best Pokemon in the whole world, buddy. Thank you.” I returned him to his Poke Ball and looked up at Courtney, standing up. “Whoa!”  
Courtney had already returned Sceptile and had just bolted right past me.  
I saw the tears on her face at the last second before she ran by. I felt bad for about a second, but then, I couldn’t help smiling and laughing a little bit as I waved at the cheering crowd. I looked around for June, who I hadn’t looked for when I had entered the stadium to battle Courtney.  
She was nowhere in sight.   
She must have left the stands and is on her way to greet me now, I thought. “Thank you!” I called out to the crowd, and I ran towards the exit.  
The inside of the building was a relief to be inside of. It was so nice and cool, and almost completely empty aside from a few receptionists who were standing behind the counters and a few other people wandering about.  
“Man, what a rush,” I whispered to myself, smiling at the ground. I looked up and waited for June. It was weird, but I was actually excited to be greeted by her. As annoying and crazy as she was, she’s still like one of my best friends, and I’d kind of gotten used to her behavior.  
The stadium was starting to empty out, tons of people running by me to get to their desired locations, like to watch whatever other matches hadn’t finished yet.  
A few girls giggled and pointed or waved at me as they ran by, and I shyly smiled and waved back.  
Some guys also spotted me and nodded with approval, and I smiled at them proudly, nodding back.  
What a great day! I thought, and bounced on my toes, feeling so good about my win. But where’s June? I don’t want to miss her, but my Charizard needs some medical attention right now. I kept watch on a clock that was hanging on the wall, sitting down in a bench after about ten minutes. When another five minutes had passed, the stadium now emptying out slowly, I began to get worried. Where’s June? I need to help my Poisoned Charizard! Where could she be? Didn’t she stick around for my match? I remembered the last time June had disappeared on me on the day of a League match back in Kanto because it was my birthday. She, my mom, my aunt, my grandma, Robin, his parents, and Prof. Oak had surprised me in my room after the battle had ended. But my birthday wasn’t for almost another month. Maybe she’s at our room, waiting to surprise me for my victory over Courtney? I considered. Hmm. I stood up and looked around one more time before leaving the building to find a Pokemon Center.

*

“Alright, people, this is President Cyn coming at chu like a sneeze, live!” President Cyn was saying. “We have the screen with the cards showing our Trainers who have made it to the qualifying rounds! These battles will be two-on-two battles, folks! Substitutions are allowed! We have truly upped the ante, huh?”  
I stood in the stands with everyone else, Trainer and spectator alike, and looked around at people laughing, but I couldn’t see June anywhere. She wasn’t in our room, and when I had searched the grounds of Interough City, I had no luck, either. I was really concerned, now.  
June had completed vanished!  
I regretted being so caught up in my battle with Courtney that I hadn’t once looked into the stands for June. Not even when I had first walked out onto the battlefield. I hope nothing happened to her, I thought fearfully as the cards on the screen shuffled.  
The cards spread apart and then flipped over, attached to the card of the person to be battled.  
I nervously scanned the board, trying to find my face. My mouth dropped and I started to choke.   
Ella’s amazing face smiled out next to mine.  
Ella was who I would be facing tomorrow.  
I looked through the stands, trying to see if I could spot Ella, but I couldn’t see her anywhere. Is she just not here? I wondered. Damn it. I have to battle Ella. Why am I battling all of the people I know, so soon?

*

The sky was as dark as it could possibly get as I headed back to my building. I had been searching for June all night long and had no luck in finding her. In fact, I hadn’t found anybody I knew. I didn’t see Courtney, or Trixa, or Ruko, or Ella. I had searched everywhere I could access in Interough City, but with no luck. It just didn’t make any sense. June wouldn’t just leave me like this, I knew. Maybe something bad happened to her. Should I call the police? Would she purposely leave me like this…? She did leave me before… I shook my head, refusing to dwell back on that memory from Kanto. That wasn’t even the same kind of situation, I scolded myself. This is entirely different.  
The building I was seeking loomed ahead.  
I approached it quickly, hoping that maybe June was in our room. Where else could she be at around eleven at night? What gives? I opened the building door and gasped as my body froze, staring at who was inside.  
“Gary!” Ella gasped.  
“Ella,” I said.  
We stared at each other awkwardly, looking each other over before Ella finally smiled at me.  
“Gary, how’ve you been?”  
I shrugged casually. “Nothing new. You?”  
She nodded quickly. “I’m doing okay.”  
We stared into each other’s eyes for a moment before looking down and away.  
“I broke up with Marc again, ha…” Ella said softly.  
I breathed in and nodded once. “Oh… Sorry,” I muttered.  
She shook her head. “It’s fine. Just…” She sighed. “Just a waste of time I’ll never get back.” She smiled strongly at me, hiding her obvious pain.  
I focused on her face. “Ella, I’m really sorry about what happened last time with-”   
She grabbed my shoulders and shook me lightly. “Shush. It’s okay. I know Trixa can be a pain,” she snickered. Her smile then faded. “I just don’t like that you put your hands on her.”  
“I know it looked bad, Ella. I understand that. It was just… kind of… a really bad reflex… I didn’t mean to do that to her. I understand if you don’t believe me. Trust me, I feel like crap about it. I want to apologize to her for it.”  
“I’m sure you’ll meet her. She beat Ruko, you know.”  
“SHE BEAT WHAT?!?!” I bellowed.  
“Don’t yell,” Ella said uncomfortably, taking a step back, letting go of me.  
I took several deep breaths, staring at Ella with wide eyes.  
“I said that Trixa beat Ruko,” Ella repeated.  
“That’s impossible!!” I shouted.  
Ella smiled. “I saw the match myself. She used her Simisage against Ruko’s Reuniclus. It was actually a very good, and close, battle.”  
I didn’t believe a word Ella was telling me. It was simply not possible that Trixa beat Ruko!! I never beat Ruko!!   
Then again, I told myself, you never beat Trixa, either. The one time you two battled, you lost.  
That was due to Pidove’s bad memory! I argued.  
A loss is a loss, I retorted myself.  
Grrrr! I growled silently.  
“I went down to the battlefield to congratulate Trixa, and Ruko said that Trixa’s style of battling had impressed him so much, he regrets battling the way he does,” Ella continued. “He said he feels horrible now that he ever traded away his Pokemon just for powerful ones instead of raising his Pokemon with love and care. He said he shouldn’t have treated them that way, and that Trixa really cares about her Pokemon, like he said he should have. He said he was stupid to so blindly and willingly use moves others were telling him to use instead of figuring out his own unique strategies.”  
My mouth was wide open, not believing what I was hearing. Everything I had yelled at Ruko only just now sunk in? I thought. After he loses to freaking Trixa?!  
Ella shrugged. “He seems like a nice guy. Or girl. Whatever.” She laughed. “Weird.”  
“Yeah…” I smiled slightly. “Anyway.”  
“Yeah… Umm… I guess you and I are battling next.” She stared at me blankly.  
I slowly nodded.  
She held out her hand to me. “Good luck, okay? We’ve both come really far, so let’s make sure we give this our all.” She smiled at me, hypnotizing me.  
I smiled back, unable to fight it, and I grabbed her smooth hand gently. “You bet. I’m here to win, and that means defeating you, Trixa, and everybody here.”  
“That’s the spirit! Same here, Gary.”  
“Good luck.”  
We released each other’s hand.  
She cocked her head at me. “Say, where’s June?”  
“Uuuuh… She went out for a walk. I dunno where, really. If you see her, tell her I’m looking for her…”  
Ella giggled. “Okay. You two make the cutest couple. Anyway, I’ll see you tomorrow, Gary!” She strolled away from me.  
“We’re not…” I sighed. My eyes went down to her curvy bottom and hips in her blue denim shorts for a moment as she walked away. “Whatever…” I waved her off and entered the building. As I climbed the stairs, I began to think. What was Ella doing here, anyway? Is she staying in this building, too? I stopped in front of the door marked Y and opened it with my key. “June!”  
“Oh! Hi, Gary!” June said quickly, turning to me with a start.  
“What are you doing here? In the dark!” I flipped on the light switch and blinked rapidly, adjusting my eyes to the light.  
June squinted at me from her bed. “Cut them off!” she complained. Her eyes were red and her cheeks had wet streaks on them.  
The TV was also on, a commercial for Poke Balls playing, the volume on low.  
“June, are you crying?” I closed the door and walked over to her.  
June sniffled and turned away from me. “I’m okay, Gary. I mean it.”  
I sat next to her on her bed and placed a hand on her shoulder. “June, what happened to you? Where were you?”  
“Nothing happened, Gary. I just had to take a phone call. But everything’s okay. Just a lot on my mind, that’s all.”  
“A phone call?” I inquired. “What happened? Was it from your parents?”  
“Gary, don’t worry about it. Everything’s okay!” she insisted.  
“It can’t be if you’re crying, June. Tell me what happened. Please!”  
She shook her head. “It’s not even a big deal. She wiped her eyes and smiled, but didn’t look at me. “I was just surprised by what I’d heard… I needed some time to myself to think about things.” She looked to me with care. “I’m sorry if I worried you, Gary.”  
“I was worried, June! I’ve been looking for you all day!” I exclaimed. “And I’m still worried about you!”  
She smiled a little wider. “You’re sweet. Don’t worry. It’s not anything serious.”  
“Then why can’t you tell me?”  
June lowered her eyes.  
The TV screen grabbed our eyes as it went completely gray, making a low, static noise.   
June and I exchanged glances and then turned back to the TV.  
I stood up and walked over to the screen slowly, cautiously, one step at a time. I stopped in front of the TV that sat on a dark brown table and touched the top of it. A bzzzzzzt noise made me jump and pull my hand back.  
The screen now displayed someone is a huge white parka, the hood lined with black fur and pulled down over their face. A metallic cane was in this person’s hand as he or she stood in the middle of a blizzard, snow covering every inch of the ground and mountains in the area, more snow falling down heavily and blowing around harshly.   
“Team Solace?” June whispered fearfully.  
I pressed the volume button on the TV to raise it higher.  
The wind blowing around this person was now louder than before.  
“The time is almost here,” the voice spoke. This wasn’t the usual, distorted voice that came out from these kinds of messages. This time, the voice came out clear and untouched. This was the voice of a female.  
I squinted at the screen. “Wait…” I murmured.  
“This message is being broadcasted through the entire planet Earth, as it involves each and every one of you,” the familiar voice continued. “The judgment promised about three years ago, to this day, has not been forgotten, and it will come to pass in the coming days. The ultimate judgment, the final judgment, that can only be delivered from the one, true, God, shall be brought upon the face of this planet, and all those who have proven to be the filth of this land, the actual evil infiltrating the air, will be eradicated justly.”  
There’s no way, I thought, shaking my head. It can’t be.  
“We have come very far in our goal, and I am pleased that so many of you have chosen the right way,” she continued. “Unfortunately, the numbers of those on the true path are not as they should be, but all the better! The less people around, the more victorious for us, the righteous, to enjoy the spoils of the results of the planet after it has been cleansed.” This female’s hands reached up and grabbed the hood blocking her face. “Take one look at the future. The ruler of this planet so many of you will not know for much longer. The face of God!” She pulled off her hood.  
June and I shrieked as loud as possible.  
“Gary!!” June screamed. “NO!”  
I fell to the floor and looked into a face I wouldn’t have ever expected. I stared into a face I refused to believe I was seeing. I held my stomach gently and swallowed hard, repeatedly, fearing I was on the verge of throwing up.   
The leader of Team Solace…   
…WAS KIWI!  
It just can’t be, I thought, terrified, as I stared into the face of my lifelong friend. There’s no way. That can’t actually be Kiwi.  
Kiwi glared out from the TV screen, squinting through the snow blowing in her face, not saying a word.   
BZZZZZZZZTTT!!!! The screen went gray again before returning to a comedy I recognized as Patnaz.  
I stared at the show in shock as the audience for the show in the TV laughed at something the characters were saying. Kiwi, I thought. Kiwi. Kiwi?! I shook my head frantically and scrambled on my hands and knees to the door.  
“We interrupt this program for very important, breaking news,” I heard from the TV.  
I pulled myself up by the doorknob, my mouth hanging open, refusing to close, and I opened the door. My head turned back to the TV screen to see a woman in a sleeveless, gray shirt that fit her really tightly, showing off her busty top.   
She stared out firmly from the screen, a picture of Kiwi on the upper left side of the screen.  
It was a screenshot from the video that had displayed of Kiwi in the blizzard when she had removed her hood.  
“It’s being reported that every TV station and radio station in the world was interrupted just now and that a terrifying message from Team Solace-” the lady spoke.  
I ran from the room and down the hallway, down the stairs, and out the building.   
“Gary!” I heard June call to me from upstairs.  
I ignored her and ran several feet away from the building before I collapsed to my knees, gasping for air. My arms wrapped around a tree trunk and my mouth fell open even wider as I tried to throw up. I hated throwing up, but it was the only thing that made sense to do right now. I coughed, hacked, and tried to lurch up anything that would come up, but only air would flow out. Things were crawling down my face and I frantically slapped at my cheeks, wiping off a wet substance. I stared my hands and saw a clear liquid. Blinking, I realized that I was crying. I whimpered, staring at the grassy ground beneath me as more tears rolled down my cheeks and dripped directly from my eyes. Not Kiwi… I shook my head. Of all people, not her… There’s no way. Not her. Please, not her… I heard someone running, the footsteps getting closer to me.  
“Gary.” June’s voice sounded scared. “Gary!” She grabbed my shoulder.  
I flinched in her hold and pulled away, turning to her with constantly streaming eyes. I sobbed as I stared into her mournful eyes.  
She shook her head and joined me on her knees. “I don’t know what to say,” she whispered, shaking her head. “I don’t understand… I can’t believe it…”  
“How…?” was all I could manage to utter.  
June looked down and shook her head. “I knew something was up when she told us to go to Unova. She’s here, herself.” She looked at me. “She wanted us to come here, Gary.”  
“Why? It doesn’t make any sense. None of this does! She was kidnapped! Was she dropped off here in Unova? Who kidnapped her? Team Solace? How long has she been running the group? Why is she running the group? What the fu-?” I heard a powerful noise from above, and before I could look up, a strong burst of wind caused June and I to close our eyes and hang on to each other.  
Something landed heavily on the ground, and the wind died.  
“How about we head out to the Giant Chasm ourselves and find out the answers to those questions about our friend, man?” a voice insisted.  
June looked up, up, up, and gasped, her mouth almost dropping to the floor, her eyes nearly taking up the size of her entire head. She started trembling.  
I turned around and stared at the dark green skin on the legs of a tall creature. My eyes traveled up the scaly, cream colored belly, chest, and neck, the rest of its skin still dark green, up to the small, outstretched wings, the insides of which were a shade of purple. I stopped at its face, but the Shiny Dragonite wasn’t what was the biggest shock.  
It was the young boy on the back of the Shiny Pokemon that was the attention-grabber. Dressed in a black T-shirt and dark blue jean shorts, a dark blue backpack on his back, his legs wrapped around the neck of the Dragonite, revealing his white sneakers, he gave me a small smile that was evidently forced, and yet sincere enough.   
I exhaled a strong burst of breath as I looked into the young kid’s face.  
“You coming or what?” he winked at me. “We haven’t got much time to waste, if you ask me.”  
“Robin…” I whispered in awe.  
“I assume you still have your Charizard, right?” he asked me. “Or do I have to burden Dame Hydraen with your weight?”  
“I-I-I-I-I-I have him!” I stuttered.  
“Then we have to go! Send him out and follow us!” He smiled broadly. “I know the way to Giant Chasm. I’ll explain everything along the way. Let’s go, Dame Hydraen!”  
The Shiny Dragonite nodded at Robin, and in the next instant, flew into the sky, forcing June and I to cry out and close our eyes, turning against the sudden blast of air that hit us.  
I squinted against the wind that was blowing into my eyes, causing them to tear up. “Robin!”   
“Robin!” June gasped.  
I knew what had to be done in that instant, and pulled Charizard’s Poke Ball from my waist and held it out. “Get out!”   
Charizard was sent out, and he stretched out his wings and roared before turning to me.  
I walked over to him and climbed onto his back. My arms wrapped tightly around his neck and I clutched my legs around his large back. “June, let’s go! We have to follow him! We have to stop Kiwi!”   
June inhaled loudly, shakily, and Charizard grunted and leaned forward as June’s weight was applied to his back.  
“Charizard!” I pointed into the sky. “Follow that Dragonite! Move!”  
Charizard roared and flapped his wings. In the next second, he flew into the sky, taking off after Dragonite, determined to keep up with the Pokemon.  
It was me.  
Charizard.  
June.  
Robin.  
And a Shiny Dragonite.  
All of us determined to find one person.  
And stop an evil force terrorizing the world.  
How this would all end was beyond any of our comprehension.  
But one way or another.  
Soon enough.  
It would.


	70. Life's A Bitch, June & Two Guys

“I got here at the end of January, once I felt secure enough to walk on my own and stuff,” Robin told June and I on the back of his Shiny Dragonite. “When I’d heard that you’d escaped into Unova, I just knew you’d be competing there, and I knew I had to be there, too. My Pokemon journey was far from over, ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!”  
“I can’t believe it!” I smiled at him, gripping my Charizard’s neck for dear life, afraid of falling off as he carried June and I through the air alongside Robin. “Your parents, Prof. Oak; they all lied to me!”  
“And I’ll bet there will be plenty of surprises here for you, as well.” Prof. Oak had then winked at me from behind his sunglasses.  
I laughed as I remembered that.  
“Yeah! They did well keeping things a secret from you, ha ha ha ha ha!” Robin laughed. “So, I got all eight of my Badges, which was no easy feat to pull off in less than seven months, won at the preliminaries, and then was rather unpleasantly surprised about the news with Kiwi…” His smile was gone. “Can you believe it? Kiwi??”  
I shook my head, staring right back at him. “It’s crazy! Why would she do this?”  
None of us were able to say anything more, looking ahead as Charizard and Dragonite carried us through the night sky, over the trees and rocky ground far, far below us.  
“Robin, where did you say we were going?” I asked, turning to him.  
“The Giant Chasm,” he answered. “Speaking of which, we’re going to need to get out our thickest coats. It’s freezing cold over there.”  
“What is the Giant Chasm? How do know she’s over there?” June asked before I could.  
Robin smiled at June. “I’ve done a bit of research on Unova. There’s no other place in Unova filled with that much snow, on a constant basis, as the Giant Chasm. I’m certain without a doubt that that’s exactly where she was when that message was broadcast. I’ve heard stories about that place. I wanted to go there after the League was over, but, I guess I’m headed there now! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!”  
“You both skipped the Unova League to go after Kiwi,” June said to us.  
“There’s far more important things than some stupid competition,” I responded. “Kiwi’s lost her mind joining with Team Solace. To think they even have her running the group?? I don’t understand that at all. We have to get through to her and stop all of this for good!” But, can we stop them? I wondered.  
“The mindset of a group like that didn't solely belong to the leader, and this group may very well be a copycat group, if not perhaps a regrouping of the old members,” were the words Prof. Oak had once spoken after his lab was attacked.  
The morals of Team Solace aren’t based on only one person, I thought. It could be anyone. I remembered Dave, who had worked at the Safari Zone in Kanto, a place that cares for various Pokemon, but even he’s a member of Team Solace.  
Members of Team Solace have dressed in suits, sweatpants, sneakers, and even swimming trunks. There was no way to identify a member of Team Solace, and people all around the world were agreeing with their goals, including a lot of parents.  
As much as I hated to admit it, it was genius how Team Solace was operating, and it made me fear that there may be no actual way to stop them. Ever.  
The cool air blowing around me as Charizard carried June and I closer to our destination was really chilly, but I didn’t bother to pull out my coat. I was too terrified of falling off of Charizard’s back. My arms wrapped even tighter around his neck as I shivered hard, looking down, down, down below us.  
“You’re looking lovely as usual, June,” Robin smiled at June.  
“Huh?” June looked to Robin.  
“The way the wind whips through your hair is surreally beautiful,” Robin added. “You look like you’re in the middle of the most beautiful photo shoot ever.”  
June’s eyes widened and her face went red.  
I nearly fell from Charizard’s back at Robin’s words, staring at him wearily. Seriously, Robin? Of all times, now is when you wanna do this? I couldn’t help but smile and shake my head, and I looked away from him, keeping my eyes ahead.

*

Robin wasn’t kidding about it being freezing cold at the Giant Chasm.  
The three of us had our winter coats on, but were still chilled to the bone, looking around the snow covered environment. Freezing ice and snow was forced into our faces by a horrible wind, making it nearly impossible to see around us.  
The light from the afternoon sun above us wasn’t much help, the gray clouds blocking out the sun’s shine and heat.  
There wasn’t much to see other than trees a few feet around us, anything further than that being impossible to make out.  
“Why would Kiwi be in a place like this?” I shouted out, my eyes watering constantly from the freezing cold wind blowing in them.  
“I dunno, but this must be the place!” Robin called back.  
“How do we even know she’s still here? What if she left?”  
“Why come to a place like this and not even do anything here?”  
“What if she already did what she needed and left by now?”  
Robin shook his head. “I don’t think so. Anyway, where else are we gonna go to find her? If she isn’t here, we have no idea where she is. Maybe we’ll find some answers as to what she was doing out here.”  
“I guess…” I said in a low, uncertain voice.  
Robin’s plan was better than nothing, but it was cold! He walked forward, and June and I followed.  
I lowered my head and focused on the ground, watching Robin’s black boots stomp through the snow. With my head low, I could also block out the wind a little better from my eyes.  
June’s red boots stomped forward next to my worn out black sneakers that were scuffed all around and bent at the toes. All I could make out was snow covered grass and trees everywhere. That is, when the tears from my sensitive eyes weren’t clouding my vision. What’s out here? I wondered, shivering. What’s the purpose of this place?  
A low cry was heard through the snow, and I looked up to see something hop in front of us.  
Robin came to a stop. “Well, look at that!” he said happily.  
“What is it?” I could barely see the figure, its body blending in with the snow, possibly covered in snow, itself.  
“It’s a Clefairy!” June gushed. “How cute! Not to mention, rare.”  
“Clefairy!” it said, and then skipped away from us, disappearing from view.  
“What’s a Clefairy doing in a place like this?” I wondered out loud.  
“Hm.” Robin kept his eyes on the direction Clefairy skipped away, and then focused ahead of us and continued forward. “I’ve studied a bit about this area. There are a ton of rumors and legends about this place.”  
“Oh? Like what?” June asked him.  
“They say there’s a mysterious energy around here. An energy from outer space.”  
“Outer space?” June questioned.  
I kept my head down, my eyes on Robin’s boots as I listened and followed him.  
“That’s right,” Robin told June. “Supposedly, there’s an otherworldly energy in this chasm. It’s drawn a lot of Pokemon that have been suspected of originating from other planets, here. Like that Clefairy.”  
Clefairy have been notoriously connected with outer space, some insisting that the Pokemon are aliens due to their worship of the Moon Stone, a meteor that evolves certain species of Pokemon.  
“It’s said that a comet landed out here, creating this chasm,” Robin continued, traveling through the thin forest. “It’s even rumored that a monster was inside of the comet.”  
“A monster?” I looked up and squinted at Robin. “What do you mean by that?”  
Robin laughed and looked back at me. “They say it’s a Pokemon, but, there are tons of rumors surrounding it. Differing stories, depending on who’s telling it. Some say it landed here in a comet, while others-”  
We stopped and turned at a gentle cry through the white trees.  
Hidden well by the snow, I could just make out the figure of a thin creature before it vanished.  
“Did you guys see that? Or is the snow playing tricks on me?” I called out to my friends.  
“I’m not sure,” Robin said.  
“I heard it,” June said with confidence. “There’s a Pokemon out here.”  
The thing appeared again to the right before it faded away.  
“What is that?” I shouted. “Who’s there?”  
The gentle voice of the Pokemon called out to us, and the being appeared again to the left before disappearing once more.  
“Fine. Then I’ll just have to use this.” I pulled out my Pokedex.  
Froslass. The Snow Land Pokemon. This is the evolved form of a female Snorunt when the Dawn Stone is applied. They can freeze their victims with their breath and can cause powerful hallucinations as needed. With its Snow Cloak Ability, it can hide in snowy weather and avoid opponents.  
“So that’s what that thing is,” Robin noted. “What do you think she wants from us?”  
“Froslass,” she spoke gently, appearing in front of us again, hovering in the air. She closed her eyes and opened her mouth. “Laaaaaaaaaaaass!” A white wind blew from her open mouth.  
We all screamed, Robin covering his ducked head with his right arm, June shielding her eyes with her right hand, and me staring in shock at Froslass with my Pokedex still in my hand as the cold air surrounded us.  
The temperature around me dropped suddenly, drastically.  
Froslass relaxed her face and stared at us with satisfaction.  
Robin didn’t move, his arm still covering his head.  
June didn’t budge, still blocking her eyes with her hand.  
Froslass bobbed silently in the air, staring at us.  
As I tried to turn my head, take a step back, or even do so much as blink, I realized in horror that I wasn’t able to! That was when I saw that something was around Robin and June’s bodies, and I began to accept that it was probably around mine, too.  
Ice!  
Robin and June were stuck in a block of ice! They were frozen!  
“Robin! June!” I tried to shout, but I seemed to be frozen as well, my body unable to even shiver from the deadly cold. Oh, no, I thought in a panic as I struggled to break free from the ice. I can’t shiver! I’m gonna die! We’re all gonna die if we’re frozen like this! Why is this happening? Why did Froslass do this?  
An angry, threatening noise came through the woods.  
I couldn’t turn to see what it was, and I didn’t care about what it was, either. I felt my body going numb, fast. My entire body was starting to ache, a strange mixture of a freezing, burning sensation taking over me.  
A new creature suddenly floated over to us, hovering next to Froslass. It was hard to see through the snow that was flying around, sticking to the ice around the three of us, but I could make out dark markings on the second floating Pokemon’s circular body. The being shouted angrily at us.  
Glalie. The Face Pokemon. This is Snorunt’s alternative evolved form. This Pokemon has the ability to freeze moisture in the air, allowing it to freeze prey. It then casually devours its victim.  
I would have screamed and tried to run if I could, not believing what my Pokedex had just said, still in my frozen hand. But, we’re still alive! I thought frantically. It can’t do that to us! I struggled in vain to reach one of the Poke Balls on my belt so I could send out any one of my Pokemon to help us. Not only was I frozen, but I was starting to lose consciousness from the cold.  
Glalie was still in front of us, watching. A sinister grin spread over its face, and it slowly floated over to Robin.  
Robin was still frozen in his stance, his head lowered, not seeing the threat before him.  
I can’t fight anymore, I thought weakly. Body is burning. It hurts so bad. I just want to die.  
Froslass suddenly vanished from next to Glalie.  
Glalie stopped close to Robin and opened its mouth wide. It chomped down on a huge block of ice, just barely missing Robin’s frozen wrist, and it chewed happily, crunching the ice in its mouth.  
As more snow landed on the ice block we were in, I could see Glalie less and less. One more bite, and Robin’s gonna be without an arm, I thought in horror, wishing I could close my eyes. I didn’t want to see this. Luckily, the still falling snow continued covering the ice around us, blocking out Glalie bit by bit. Maybe I wouldn’t have to see too much blood. Maybe. But, why? Why? This is what Team Solace was warning us against? This is the evil we could have avoided had we chosen different goals for ourselves instead of being Pokemon Trainers? It was thoughts like these that made me hate myself. It was situations like these that I hated the most. They brought thoughts into my head that almost made me empathize with Team Solace on some minor level. I could almost understand why they do the things they do. I almost wished a couple of their guys would come to our rescue...  
No! No. I knew this moment didn’t define all Pokemon. It didn’t justify what Team Solace was doing at all!  
These Pokemon weren’t evil. They’re just hungry! But...  
More snow kept Glalie out of my sight just as it opened its mouth and leaned in to take the gruesome bite out of Robin.  
I’m spared, I told myself with some gratefulness. I won’t have to see this bite. And, I’m last in this lunch line. I’ll be dead before it finishes eating June and Robin. I’m already ready to black out right now. Lucky me.  
A sharp cry rang through the area.  
This was accompanied by a ferocious barking.  
“Glalie!”  
There was some kind of commotion taking place, but my vision was fading to black. I heard another cry, and Glalie yelled out angrily.  
A dog was barking terrifyingly.  
Something scary was going on.  
I screamed in my head, trying to stay alert, but I could feel myself slipping. I almost felt like I was floating now. Floating through a gray sky, all alone. Dying.  
SMAAAAASSSSHH!!!  
I collapsed on my back, shivering hard on the ground, and I moaned in pain as my body stung. I curled up into a ball and tried to wait out the pain, debating if I really wanted to survive this cold at all anymore. Maybe dying would just be the easy way out of this.  
June and Robin were also groaning.  
I heard the cry of the first creature I hadn’t seen, but I continued to shake hard. My teeth were chattering against each other, my eyes closed tight. It’s too late, I told myself, my body feeling weaker, and I decided to give in to it. Just let it happen, Gary. No need to push yourself any further. Just let go… With one hard shake, my body gave out, and I lost consciousness.

*

Something pushed against my face repeatedly. Something dry, yet sticky.  
I cleared my throat, which hurt for some reason, and I ended up choking. My eyes shot open and I found myself staring into the face of a furry beast! Screaming, I tried to run, but as my feet moved, something felt wrong. “Oh!” I wasn’t standing up as I had assumed. I was on my side, lying on the snow covered grass.  
“Stout!” the dog barked.  
“Stoutland…?” I said softly, trying to calm down my beating heart. “What are you…?” I looked around and my eyes widened in amazement.  
June, Robin, and another creature were right next to me, staring at me, sitting near Stoutland.  
It was snowing all around us.  
But, I’m not cold, I realized as a snowflake landed on my nose. I stared up into the sky, watching all the snow blow around us in a flurry.  
“Pretty cool, huh?” Robin said, smiling. “Stoutland is keeping us warm with its fur. Or, her fur, according to June, ha ha ha ha!” He beamed at June.  
June’s face went red as she smiled shyly and looked down, nodding.  
“Stoutland,” I said in amazement as I turned to her. “You saved my life! All of our lives!” I turned to the creature sitting by June, Robin, and Stoutland. “But, what’s that?” I pointed.  
“That’s the other reason we’re alive,” Robin nodded at it. “Snover!”  
“Snover?” I repeated, staring at the mysterious being.  
“Snover!” it cried out at me lightly. It ran over to me and took me by surprise as it wrapped me in a hug, snuggling its head against my chest.  
I stared down at it in shock.  
“Snover are really friendly little things, according to Robin’s Pokedex,” June smiled at Snover. “She and Stoutland both battled Glalie and scared him off. They saved us!”  
I let out my breath in a quick, happy burst of air. “Thanks, you two!” I happily hugged Snover back and then reached out one arm to pet Stoutland’s head.  
“Stoutland are known for helping people in the mountains and at sea,” Robin informed me. “We’re pretty lucky one came by.”  
“Yeah.” I scratched Stoutland behind her ear and she rubbed her head eagerly against my hand, her tail wagging rapidly.  
“Snover!” Snover reached out and wrapped my neck in a hug this time. “Snover! Snover!”  
Her weight was too much for me and I fell onto my side.  
“Snover seems to really like you, Gary,” June noted.  
“I can see,” I laughed, choking under Snover’s weight and hold on my neck, but feeling really good right now. I suddenly remembered exactly where I was, and what I was doing here, and my smiled faded. “We have to keep going,” I said grimly to June and Robin.  
June’s face turned to worry.  
Robin’s went serious and he nodded. “Right.” He stood up and reached down to help June to her feet.  
June took his hand, a slight smirk crossing her face, and she got up.  
I managed to wrestle Snover off of me and then stood up. “Snover, Stoutland, thanks a ton for your help, you guys. I think we’ll be alright from here on, though. You don’t have to worry about us. We just didn’t expect that Glalie and Froslass to attack like that. We’ll be more careful.”  
Stoutland and Snover didn’t say anything, keeping their eyes on me.  
“See you guys later, okay? Thanks again. Come on, June, Robin.” I turned away from them all and walked away, looking around, wondering what direction to go in. The cold air hit me out of nowhere, my body no longer safe and protected behind Stoutland’s warmth. I shook it off and kept on going.  
“Sno…” I heard Snover say in a low voice. “Sno! Snover! Snover!”  
I looked back and saw Snover by my legs, reaching up eagerly to me with a small white ball in her hand.  
“Snover! Snover!”  
“Huh? What’s that?” I reached out and took the item from her.  
“That’s a Snoverberry,” June explained to me. “They grow them around the middle of their bodies. She wants to give you one before you go!”  
“Snover!” Snover grabbed at her middle and plucked off another Snoverberry that was one of several hanging from her body. She ran over to June and handed this Snoverberry to her.  
“Aww! Thanks, sweetie!” June smiled as she took the fruit.  
“Snover!” Snover plucked off another Snoverberry and handed it to Robin.  
“Hey, thanks!” Robin took it.  
Snover then walked over to Stoutland and handed her a Snoverberry.  
“Stout?” Stoutland opened her jaws and Snover placed it inside carefully.  
Together, we all ate the Snoverberry we were given. Together, we all let out joyous cries.  
“It’s so sweet!” I said with immense delight.  
“And cold, like a popsicle! But not so much that I’m bothered by it despite the cold around us!” Robin exclaimed.  
“It’s wonderful!” June gushed.  
“Stoutland!” Stoutland barked cheerfully.  
“Wow! Thanks for that, Snover! You’re just full of help and good things, aren’t you?” I wanted more of those berries, but I didn’t want to seem greedy, so I didn’t ask. “That was a cool little farewell present. Thank you, Snover.”  
“Snover! Snover!” Snover nodded.  
“We have to get going, now,” I told the two Pokemon. “Thanks for everything. We’ll see you around.”  
“Thanks, Snover and Stoutland,” June waved at them.  
“Take care, guys,” Robin smiled at them.  
I turned away and walked off with my friends, deeper into the woods, hoping I was going in the right direction. “This is the right way, right?” I asked out loud.  
“Yeah, should be,” Robin said. “This is the way.”  
“I hope so. We don’t have time to be getting lost out here.”  
“It’s pretty easy to get lost in this place, actually,” Robin admitted.  
“Hmm. Maybe we shouldn’t have said bye to those two so soon, then,” June said nervously.  
I turned back to look at June, and my eyes widened as I saw a figure walking behind her and Robin! “Hey!”  
We all stopped and June and Robin turned around.  
“Snover!” Robin said.  
“Stoutland!” June said.  
“Stoutland!” Robin added.  
“Snover!” June added.  
“Snover!” Snover said happily.  
“Stoutland!” Stoutland barked, standing still several feet behind Snover.  
Snover was right behind June and Robin, and she jumped up and down happily. She ran around them and stopped by me, wrapping her arms around my legs.  
“Whoa! Snover!” I smiled down at her, trying to keep my balance as I extended my arms out at my sides.  
“Snover! Snover!” she said, rubbing her head against my legs.  
“I don’t think Snover wants to go.” June looked down at the Pokemon adoringly.  
“Really?” I kept my eyes on Snover.  
“Sure doesn’t look like it,” Robin mentioned. “Catch her!” He shrugged casually. “I could go for some more of those Snoverberries, ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!”  
Snover let go of my legs and turned to Robin. She pulled off another Snoverberry and handed it to him. “Snover!”  
“Oh, man! Sweet!” Robin took the berry and ate it quickly. “Yeah!” he cheered, pumping his fist in the air and jumping.  
I smiled and shook my head.  
“Snover!” Snover reached up to me and handed me another Snoverberry.  
“Oh, you didn’t have to do that,” I told her. “But, thanks!” I gently took it from her and ate it, swimming in delight from the sweet, chilly flavor of the treat.  
“Snover? Snover? Snover!!” Snover looked around at her body frantically, and then looked up at June sadly, crying out her name repeatedly.  
“Hey, hey, now. It’s okay! Don’t cry!” June smiled, getting down to her knees.  
“Snover! Snover!” Snover turned to Stoutland and called out to her, too.  
“Stout…” Stoutland sighed, looking at Snover with a sympathetic smile.  
“What’s wrong with her?” I asked June. “Is she upset about something?”  
“Yeah, ha. She’s out of Snoverberries to give me and Stoutland and feels bad about it. That’s all.”  
“Oh, ha,” I chuckled.  
“That’s a really sweet little Pokemon, there,” Robin commented.  
“Yeah,” I agreed. “Hey, Snover!”  
“Snover?” She wiped at her eyes as she turned to me, her eyes glimmering with the sadness of tears.  
“How would you like to maybe come with us as we explore the Giant Chasm?” I offered.  
“Snover?” She blinked at me, her eyes wide.  
“Gary means it, Snover,” June told her. “You’re welcome to join us, if you’d like.”  
“Sno…” Snover looked up at June. “Snover…” She turned to Robin. “Sno!” She faced me. “Snover! Snover!” She jumped repeatedly, seeming happy with the invitation.  
“Then that settles it!” I pulled out a Poke Ball from my pocket and enlarged it. “Snover, welcome to the team!” I tossed the Poke Ball at her.  
“Snoverrrr!” Snover leaped at the Poke Ball and it opened, sucking her in with a red beam.  
The Poke Ball hit the ground and shook, the middle button glowing red.  
PING!  
The red on the button remained.  
I bent down and picked up the Poke Ball. “I caught Snover!”  
“I’d say it was a mutual effort,” Robin joked, and then laughed.  
June and I joined in his laughter.  
“Stoutland,” I said, smiling at her. “What are you going to do?”  
June stopped laughing and turned to Stoutland, Robin being the last one to stop laughing and turn to her, too.  
“Stoutland. Stout,” Stoutland said in a low voice, and she nodded at us. She turned around and walked away into the trees and snow, disappearing from view a moment later.

*

“Damn it!” I cursed as I got to my feet after tripping to the ground. “Another damn tree!”  
“It’s hard to see all these fallen trees under all this snow,” Robin complained, stumbling over something hidden in the snow.  
“What knocked all of these down in the first place?” June asked. “I mean, Gary must have tripped over, like, ten so far!”  
“Tunguska ‘round that is yet another little interesting bit of history from Unova’s past,” Robin said, smiling at June.  
“Huh??” I called out to him, not hearing him clearly through the wind blowing loudly. “What did you say??”  
Robin turned to me, his smile fading slightly. “I said, the truth around all the fallen trees is another interesting bit of history from Unova’s past.”  
“You seem to know a lot about Unova.”  
“Well, when I knew you were out here, I was almost in good enough shape to go traveling again. I spent about a week relaxing and studying about the Unova region to know what I was about to get myself into, and the plane ride was more time to study! I guess you could say I took a page out of your book, Gary, with you always reading and studying up on Pokemon since way back when we were little. Ha ha ha!”  
I smiled and nodded, looking up into the darkening sky, my eyes watering from the howling wind.  
It wasn’t snowing quite as bad as it had been before, but it was still a mess out here.  
“This is it!” Robin called out.  
I looked to Robin and noticed him pointing upward.  
There was a short, though considerably tall mountain up ahead, but the way up to the top was set up similar to steps set in stone.  
“What is it?” I asked.  
“The end of Giant Chasm is up there,” Robin said solemnly. “Nobody really makes it out this far, and those who do don’t often report having seen anything of interest. But, if there’s anything to be found out here, inside of the cave on top of this mountain is where it would be.”  
“Kiwi,” I said firmly.  
Robin turned to me. “Possibly.”  
“What would she be doing in a place like this, though?” June asked. “None of this makes sense.”  
Robin turned to June. “Then let’s get some answers, shall we?”  
June turned to Robin, and they both nodded.  
They both then turned to me, and we all nodded.  
Together, we approached the mountain and began our climb to the top.


	71. Crossing The Bridge Full Circle

“Where will we go if Kiwi’s not on top of this mountain?” June shouted through the blowing wind and snow.  
She had spoken a thought that had been on my mind for a while now. I felt certain that all three of us had been pondering this.  
Regardless, we continued to climb, unable to offer June an answer.  
“Where will we go from here? What is Kiwi planning? What ‘judgment’ does she mean?” June asked on.  
Nobody answered her.  
I didn’t think June expected us to.  
What answers could we possibly have?  
The top of the mountain was only feet away, the cold around us intensifying as the sky darkened to night.  
My hands reached deeper into my pockets, as if an area of warmth that I had missed was somewhere in my coat.  
Something stood at the top of the mountain, clouded by the flurry of snow.  
I squinted at the figure as me and my friends reached the top.  
This figure stood in front of a looming cave.  
I immediately choked as something wrapped my arms around my waist and minimized the air I was allowed to breathe. I was lifted off the ground, my feet kicking out!  
June and Robin choked out as well, sounding unable to speak.  
The loud roar right next to me would have caused me to gasp if I could have, but I was barely able to inhale. I turned my head and I coughed out at the sight of the monster next to me.  
The Pokemon roared at me fiercely, and then his tail tightened around my body.  
I felt like my insides were on the verge of being forced up out of my throat, all while my ribs and arms were pressed against each other, under pressure to be snapped like twigs. I moaned in pain from Nidoking’s tail suffocating me, wishing it would loosen up. What is this thing doing to me? I thought in terror. Why? The cries and grunts from June and Robin made me turn to them quickly.  
Held in the air by the large hands of a Conkeldurr, June screamed and struggled, kicking out as her arms were held tight against her body. Her black bag still hung from her shoulder.  
On one side of June stood a big man in black boots, black jeans, and a white parka, the hood pulled down over his head and a thick gun in his hand, glaring directly at June and Conkeldurr.  
Robin was grunting underneath the foot of a Gigalith, its foot on his back, holding him down.  
Just like June, a man stood to the side of Robin, dressed similarly to the first man, including the gun he sported in his hand, looking right at Robin and Gigalith.  
I whined loudly and lowered my head weakly. Now what?  
“Gary.”  
I coughed with little energy and managed to lift up my head.  
The figure that stood by the cave opening remained.  
Who is that? I wondered.  
“And you even brought company. All we need is Aly to bring this event full circle. But, we wouldn’t be here if she could have made it, now would we?”  
“Kiwi?” I gasped, staring through the snowflakes hiding her so well. “Aly…?” The mention of our late friend made my heart skip a beat. “Kiwi! What’s going on here?”  
“How could you join with Team Solace?” Robin groaned, no longer trying to fight against the Gigalith on top of him. “Kiwi, what are you thinking?”  
“I’m thinking what neither of you two are.” Kiwi walked forward, and I could see her more clearly through the snow around us. She was wearing her white parka, the hood lined with black fur pulled down around her head, but I could still make out her face underneath it. A metallic, silver cane was in her right hand. “What neither of you two ever cared about.”  
“What in the world do you mean?” Robin insisted.  
Kiwi stared at Robin solemnly. “I’m thinking of Aly, unlike you selfish bastards. I’m keeping Aly’s memory alive.”  
None of Kiwi’s words were making any sense, and my head was beginning to spin, my body in a tight, firm wrap from Nidoking. Thinking of Aly? I repeated to myself. Keeping her memory alive? What does she mean?  
“Kiwi, you’re with Team Solace!” Robin shouted. “You joined them! How could you join with Team Solace?”  
Kiwi walked over to Robin slowly, each step she took making my heart beat even harder, my breathing becoming more difficult with each thump against my chest. She stopped in front of Robin and sneered down at him. “I’d never join with Team Solace.” She curled back her upper lip and then pursed her lips together.  
Robin gasped in disgust as Kiwi spit a glob at his face. Cursing in shock, he rubbed his face into the snow beneath him, trying to clean himself off.  
“I run Team Solace!” Kiwi then turned to June. She smirked and walked over to her.  
June tried to lean back as best as she could, unable to really get anywhere due to Conkeldurr.  
“June,” Kiwi said. Swiftly, she smacked June in the face with the back of her left hand.  
June cried out as her head turned to the side.  
“The black sheep of the group,” Kiwi went on. “Your death will be the most enjoyable.” She snickered. “I’ll actually miss Robin and Gary.”  
June didn’t speak, keeping her head down.  
Kiwi then turned to me.  
I tried to swallow, but the harder I tried, the more I felt like throwing up, so I gave up and just watched as she stepped over to me.  
Kiwi’s sinister smile was now gone. She just stared at me blankly. “As friends, you all have let her down.”  
“Kiwi, what are you talking about?” I moaned weakly, wishing I could breathe easier, fearing that if Nidoking tightened his tail in the slightest, or if I even moved the wrong way, I’d have a broken back, along with other cracked bones. “Why would you do this? They killed Aly.”  
Kiwi’s eyes squinted angrily, and I was certain I was next to get attacked by her. She didn’t hit me. She just shook her head. “Aly became the most important sacrifice.”  
“Sacrifice…?” I whispered, not believing the word Kiwi had just used for our friend.  
As Kiwi’s face got angrier, the tears in her eyes grew that much more evident. Her right hand tightened around her cane. “Every day I think about the day you told me Aly died,” she growled, tears slowly rolling down her cheeks. She wiped at them with her free hand before they possibly froze, smearing them on her face, and then wiped at her eyes quickly. She glared at me, but her eyes still revealed her raw emotions. “Every day I revel in the shock and pain, as if it’s new. Every day!”  
Kiwi… I thought wearily. It was good to see her cry. It was good to see that she was still down to Earth. Maybe there was a way to end this all peacefully.  
“When you first told me about it, all I could think about was my hatred for Team Solace,” Kiwi told me. “I promised I’d end them for good. I would kill the people responsible for Aly’s death.” Kiwi sniffled. “There were so many things in the news that were happening back then. The attacks from Team Solace. You remember.” She paused and then swallowed. “One news report spoke of a pair of Crawdaunt that were in a fishing spot that they normally aren’t found in. The Crawdaunt were attacking fishermen there and there were several deaths before the Crawdaunt were finally captured and returned back to where they belonged. I think it was the next day that some people were caught trying to release a pack of Sharpedo and Carvanha into a beach, and a confession came out that Team Solace was behind the Crawdaunt incident, as well as attempting to let loose the Sharpedo and Carvanha. Can you imagine what would have happened if those sharks had been let loose?” Kiwi stared at me silently for a moment, daring me to respond.  
I kept silent, unsure of where this was going, but choosing to listen rather than to speak.  
“An Exploud is a Pokemon that creates loud noises that can be heard over six miles away, with the power to trigger earthquakes,” Kiwi informed me. “With that power, an Exploud tore through buildings in a town. The Pokemon was enraged by something and went on a rampage, destroying everything in its way. It had to be battled before it eventually calmed down and then was simply allowed to go back home.” Kiwi’s voice started to shake as anger took over her voice. “Jobs, houses, destroyed! The death of man by the terror created by this Exploud! And it just gets to walk home? The people in this city forgave the Exploud! They understood! Are humans even this forgiving to one another?? Is this fair?!” Kiwi shook her head hard and took a deep breath.  
I was shivering from the cold, and from being this close to my own friend. Scared because of this entire situation.  
Kiwi was talking, but no answers were being given out. Yet.  
“When my Starter, Pidgeotto, was killed, I ran away. I ran from everything and everyone and hid from the entire world. I had no idea where I wanted to go or what I wanted to do with myself. I was like an empty shell, trying to be filled with some kind of insight on what was next for my life. I mourned exactly how, and why, it died…”  
Kiwi was confusing me, the topic of her talk jumping from one thing to another with no clear pattern. Something about that scared me more than anything else tonight.  
“I reflected on many incidents that were occurring in the news from Pokemon, piled on top of the death of my Pidgeotto. And Aly… I realized that the hatred I held for Team Solace was misguided. Team Solace was showing the world what Pokemon do to our planet, to its inhabitants, and to themselves.”  
“Team Solace is doing nothing more than killing Pokemon!” I burst out, struggling in Nidoking’s hold that was feeling even more uncomfortable. “They kill Pokemon or put them in situations where they have to fight! That’s not fair, Kiwi! You’re a Pokemon Trainer! You know Team Solace is-!”  
“I am no Pokemon Trainer!” Kiwi’s screech echoed from the top of the mountain. Her hand gripped the handle of her cane hard. “That past is dead! I own no Pokemon!”  
“What do you mean? What happened to all of your Pokemon?” I asked fearfully.  
“They’re with the old man,” she answered me impatiently.  
I breathed a sigh of relief, understanding what she meant immediately. I’d forgotten Prof. Oak had possession of Kiwi’s Pokemon after she’d been paralyzed by Raikou. “Kiwi, you know Team Solace can’t possibly be right with what they’re doing,” I tried again. “Those news reports were triggered by Solace. They planned those attacks.”  
“Not the Exploud one,” Kiwi replied. “Not the attack on Saffron City.” She went silent as she stared at me expectantly.  
There was nothing I could say to that.  
“Not a lot of deaths and attacks that occur in this world, due to Pokemon,” Kiwi went on. “Did you ever consider, Gary, that Team Solace is only one group? Team Solace’s attacks, before I was in charge, only accounted for six percent of all Pokemon attacks in the world. Now, we’re at a higher thirteen percent as our numbers have grown, but that still leaves a startlingly high eighty-seven percent, of all Pokemon related attacks and deaths reported having absolutely nothing to do with Team Solace. What the news chooses to show isn’t reflective of what’s truly going on in the world, huh?”  
I couldn’t reply. I wasn’t sure what to say.  
“The untrustworthy news media is exactly why Team Solace must reign,” Kiwi said seriously. “Our influence has recruited far more than foot soldiers, but also people in power. People with access to useful resources. News reporters, police officers, people in differing stations of everyday life.”  
“The news?” I cried. “The police?!”  
“Of course, Gary,” Kiwi smirked teasingly. “It isn’t biased news if it’s the truth, right? Getting the world to hate Prof. Oak was far easier than even I admit it should have been, but I’m grateful that it was.”  
“That was you!” I shouted, ending up hurting myself as my captive body started to get pumped up from this conversation. “You twisted his words around! Those were your people reporting that news!”  
“My people, yes. Oak’s words, no?”  
Again, I was speechless. But I was also furious.  
“Funny how a stupid choice of words can lead to such a nearly worldwide agreement on things, huh? Ha ha.”  
She was smiling proudly at me, which made me nauseous. How could she do this to Prof. Oak?  
“It was the news media itself that unintentionally caused the return of Team Solace, Gary.”  
Breathing heavily, I just stared at her.  
“I had a rather controversial interview during the time I was paralyzed from Raikou,” Kiwi explained. Her right hand was now opening and closing on her cane repeatedly as she spoke. “It was after the Kanto League attack. I spoke on what occurred between me and Raikou. That simple interview led to many different feelings from people. The majority sided with me, believing my story…”  
“Believing…?” I said hesitantly, fear filling my heart. My eyes suddenly widened.  
Kiwi’s smile also grew. “I tried to kill Raikou, you idiot.”  
“I knew it!!” June struggled in Conkeldurr’s hands. “You see, Gary! I was right this whole time! I WAS RIGHT! Damn it, get off of meeee!!”  
“You lied to me!” I whispered in disbelief.  
“Was I really gonna tell you the truth?” Kiwi asked. “I found Raikou near the cliff you found me hanging from. I was traveling with Haunter, trying to figure out things in my head. At the time, I was still conflicted with feelings for Team Solace and what they were doing. Haunter and I spotted Raikou, and I had Haunter attack with Confuse Ray. With it Confused, I ran at it and tried to shove it off the cliff. Raikou was a lot quicker. Things obviously didn’t go the way I had intended, but, in fact, they turned out far better than I could have dreamed. The interview I gave led to many different people contacting me. Some accused me of instigating the attack, certain that Raikou would never attack unprovoked. Some people were genuinely concerned about my health and gave me their best wishes. But there was another group of people who struck me as very interesting. Their negative thoughts on Raikou synced well with plans I’d been dwelling on during my recovery. Thanks to that interview, I was able to reach people over the phone, and in person, and ideas came about.”  
“You rebuilt Team Solace with like-minded people,” I realized.  
Kiwi nodded. “There ya go, Gary. Word spread quickly to the right people, and I was even able to get in contact with some of the old members, both imprisoned and still on the run. Through time, and an increase in numbers, power, and influence, we attacked the prisons.”  
“Of course…” I muttered angrily. The more I listened to Kiwi, the more I felt like vomiting in her face. So much was finally beginning to make sense.  
“We were able to execute plans much more easily with the police and fire department in our grip,” Kiwi continued. “With them delaying their own services to help people, there was more time and room to spread chaos and mayhem.”  
“You’re crazy!!” June screamed at Kiwi. “Do you even hear yourself?!”  
Kiwi ignored June, keeping her eyes on me. Her right hand now rested calmly on her cane. “The moment I heard you landed in Unova, I smiled. To think that you actually listened to me. After what you did to stop Isaac’s plans back in Kanto, I had you right where I wanted you. With the official resurgence of Team Solace drawing close, I came to Unova with intentions of cleansing the world in a way Isaac was unable to with that puny bomb he had.”  
“Who told you I was in Unova? Prof. Oak?” I inquired.  
“Ha. Ha ha ha ha! HA HA HA HA HA!!” Kiwi laughed. “You’re still so STUPID!” She leaned on her cane as she screamed the last word out at me angrily and it echoed throughout the area. “I was told when you were wandering around in the airport by one of our members who stopped you and asked if you were okay.”  
I swallowed, trying to remember someone stopping me in the airport in Unova. “Nobody st-” My words were caught in my throat, and I heard June gasp. “The-”  
“We have operatives everywhere, Gary.” Kiwi’s smile showed great pleasure at my shock.  
“Excuse me, kid. Is something wrong?” I remembered the security officer at the airport asking me when I had been looking for my Porygon-Z after June and I had snuck into Unova.  
“I’ve kept an eye on your journey as best as I could, though we lost you a few times,” Kiwi stated. “I wanted you in Unova so you could witness a very special moment that will be occurring very soon. Using Purrloin and Liepard to steal your Town Map worked out just as I needed. With your Town Map, I could-”  
“The Liepard and Purrloin!” I burst out, interrupting her. “On my way to Striaton City! That was you, too?”  
Kiwi slowly nodded. “A few of our younger members were given a Pokemon to attack a Liepard and two Purrloin with. The Pokemon were beaten half to death, and then one of the Purrloin became a hostage. The promise was to return the baby to the Liepard, but both the Liepard and remaining Purrloin had to pull a façade. They had to steal your Town Map and then give it to our members. When they accomplished that, the three Pokemon were reportedly killed. Shot dead.”  
June whimpered repeatedly, listening to Kiwi.  
“Wh-wh-wh-why…?” I stammered from both the cold and what Kiwi had just told me. “What did you need my map for? Why did you have to kill those three Pokemon? That was pointless!”  
Kiwi stared at me without giving me an answer.  
Her cold eyes sent a shiver throughout my body that had nothing to do with the snow and cold wind blowing from the top of this short mountain.  
“Research,” Kiwi answered mysteriously.  
“Research…?” I repeated, furrowing my eyebrows.  
“Purrloin and Liepard are conniving little Pokemon. That’s why they were used to distract you and June.” She turned to June, and June looked right back at Kiwi with a sickened look. “Her ability to read Pokemon was a distraction. I was sure it would be an interference if I had used any other Pokemon. By using Liepard and Purrloin, I knew any trust in what she might say about them would be conflicting between you two. Even to herself.”  
Kiwi was right. June had been so sure the Purrloin and Liepard were up to no good, that even though she had heard that the Pokemon were in pain and needed help, she refused to assist them. This led to me and her fighting about what to do with them.  
It was all planned out.  
“There is no such thing as a ‘pointless’ killing of a Pokemon. They have no place on this planet.” Kiwi turned to me with a deadly look. “And neither do you. Neither does your Pokemon talking little girlfriend.” She turned to Robin. “Neither do you.”  
Robin had been speechless for a while, but had kept his wide, stunned eyes on Kiwi.  
I sighed. “She isn’t my gir-” I muttered tiredly.  
“SILENCE!” Kiwi moved swiftly, backhanding me in the face.  
My left cheek stung from the smack and my head turned sharply to the right. Angrily, I shook off the hit and glared at Kiwi.  
“The next time I got wind of where you were, you were with William,” Kiwi said.  
“William…” I muttered, trying to recall the name.  
“Yes, William. You know him. The man you traveled with for a few days. The captain who took you on his boat. He took you to obtain some Badge from a Gym, and then he dropped you two off at Nimbasa-”  
“Captain Billy!” June and I shouted in unison.  
“Yeah…” Kiwi nodded. “William.”  
“He’s a Solace member?? There’s no way!” I was exhausted and ready to land in the snow beneath me. I couldn’t handle the mix of Nidoking’s squeeze and what Kiwi was telling me any longer.   
“There’s every way with Team Solace when it comes to accomplishing our goals. We will stop at nothing!”  
The cheery man with the weird sayings, I reflected. How could he be a member of Team Solace? He didn’t do anything to harm us or any Pokemon.  
“When he told me he had you with him, I ordered him to ensure you got to Nimbasa City,” Kiwi told us. “It took you too long to get there, though, and our planned attack, which was meant to be on the Nimbasa subway hours before you finally arrived, was postponed.”  
Hearing Kiwi admit that Team Solace was behind the Nimbasa subway attack didn’t surprise me at this point. Not with everything else I’d heard so far from her.  
“The burning of the Exeggutor was planned to happen when it did, and we just launched the Aggron attack once I had been told you were taking the subway.” It was impossible that this was my Pokemon-loving friend, and yet, here she was, speaking with delight over killing Pokemon, innocent people, and even trying to kill me. “Of course, you survived.” The pleased look on her face faded to a stern look. “When everything was set in Unova and it was time for me to arrive there, I was unable to escape my house easily because of my wheelchair, so I staged a kidnapping.”  
Oh, no, I thought, my breath cut short.  
“I’m sure you’ve heard of my idiot dad’s attempt to stop the kidnappers, and how he was handled,” Kiwi said with ease.  
Nobody spoke. We all just stared at Kiwi who seemed so nonchalant about the death of her dad. A death that she was responsible for!  
“Choosing to oppose Team Solace only leads to one outcome. He learned that the hard way,” Kiwi said coldly. Her eyes were like icicles, stabbing into mine. “And you repeatedly show that same level of disobedience and retaliation. Your ending has arrived, along with your friends’.”  
“We’re all friends, Kiwi!” I screamed at her desperately, my heart full of pain.  
“My friends are not Pokemon, nor those who associate with them in a friendly manner. My friends are those who will be in the new world with me and celebrate the death of those sacrificed for our cause.”  
“What does any of this have to do with Aly?!” Robin finally spoke, shouting at Kiwi frantically.  
A BOOM rang out through the air, echoing lightly. It sounded distant, but close enough.  
I couldn’t quite place where it had come from.  
Kiwi stared at Robin with a blank look. “As Flora was to Isaac, Aly is to me.”  
“Flora…?” I mumbled the familiar name.  
“Flora...?” Robin responded.  
“Isaac’s daughter?” June called.  
“That’s it!” I remembered.  
Flora, Isaac’s daughter who had been killed by a Pokemon at a young age. This had driven Isaac mad and caused him to hate Pokemon with enough passion to start up Team Solace in the first place, in memory of her.  
“Flora was the world to Isaac, and Aly was my best friend,” Kiwi said, her voice trembling vulnerably. She raised her left hand and wiped at the pair of tears that had rolled out from her eyes. She kept her hand at her eyes, covering them, and let out a sob.  
This sign of emotion gave me hope. This doesn’t have to end badly, I told myself. She’s just been hurting all these years.  
“It was hard enough being without Aly during the Pokemon journey we all took,” Kiwi sniffled, still rubbing her eyes. “But, I consoled myself by telling myself that we’d meet each other throughout the journey, and that we’d all meet again at the Pokemon League and show off what we’d learned on our separate paths. We’d all be better, stronger people, and even closer friends.” Kiwi angrily swiped at her face and bared her teeth at me like an enraged Doberman, shaking her head as her other hand squeezed on her cane. “But, no. Pokemon took away the friend I could always talk to when I was upset about something or going through problems. Pokemon took away my study partner from when we all were in school! School, where we all should have stayed, instead of out making friends with these damn Pokemon! Pokemon destroyed the group of friends we had and has corrupted your minds! We used to hang out! We were friends! Look what I have to do to you guys to get you to even listen to me!!” Her voice echoed, her cane shaking in her grasp.  
Nidoking breathed lowly as he held me hostage.  
June breathed hard as she remained in Conkeldurr’s hands.  
Robin was silent underneath the foot of Gigalith.  
Another BOOM was heard from far away.  
Is that coming from that cave? I wondered, turning to it.  
The two men by June and Robin, silent all this time, looked around for the location of the noise.  
“Pokemon took away my very best friend! She had a determined, loving heart, and she did NOT DESERVE TO DIE!! Pokemon has ruined everything!! Pokemon killed Aly! Pokemon killed my closest friend in the world! They killed a man’s daughter! The previous leader! They’re out there killing right now!! How can you defend these things?!”  
“Stop defending Isaac! He deserved to die!” Robin screamed out. “He killed Aly, not Pokemon! He even ended up killing himself! Don’t you remember what happened??”  
Kiwi turned to Robin and waved an arm.  
“Gaaaaaah!!” Robin wailed as Gigalith applied more pressure onto his back.  
Kiwi stared at Robin like a bug she desired to step on. “Don’t ever speak of Aly like that. Don’t ever speak of Isaac like that. Pokemon killed them!”  
Robin just groaned in response.  
“You didn’t even know him, Kiwi,” I said nervously, afraid she’d have Nidoking snap my back. But I couldn’t be afraid. I had to say something. “How can you hold him in such high regard? To put him in the same category as Aly!”  
Kiwi turned to me, squinting angrily. “No one will ever be in Aly’s league. No one will ever mean to me what Aly means! It’s too bad you can’t comprehend how beautiful your death will be. You and Robin will be held in high regard by me. Just like Isaac will be. Flora. And, above all, Aly.”  
BOOM! Another loud noise, sounding just a little bit closer. This time, I was sure the noise was coming from inside of the cave.  
My heart was beating quicker with fear over this sound.  
Even the two guys with guns had turned to the cave.  
“I don’t know how well versed you are with Unova’s history, Gary,” Kiwi said to me solemnly, seeming as if she had not heard the sound. “What do you know of Unova?”  
What? I thought. What does she mean? I kept quiet, staring at Kiwi in confusion.  
“Do you know the legend of the making of the Unova region?” she asked me.  
I only shook my head.  
“Of course.” She shook her head, staring at me sympathetically. “You want to know what was so important about your electronic Town Map the Purrloin and Liepard died for, but you don’t even know the history of the region you worked your way into.”  
“What’s the connection, Kiwi?” I said seriously through gritted teeth, glaring at her impatiently. I was tired of all the mystery. I wanted nothing but answers now. “Tell me!”  
“Thousands of years ago, there were twin brothers who used a powerful Dragon Pokemon,” Kiwi spoke.  
BOOM! The rumble was louder and closer than before.  
It’s definitely coming from that cave, I knew, turning to it before returning my eyes to Kiwi. My heart was thumping even harder in my chest. What’s happening in there? Why is Kiwi acting like she doesn’t hear it? She knows what’s going on?  
“The brothers each sought something different out of life,” Kiwi continued to speak as if she wasn’t hearing the booming. “The older brother wanted truth, and the younger brother wanted ideals. They couldn’t come to a resolution and argued, resulting in fighting over who was right. The Dragon Pokemon reacted to this and split into two Pokemon. With blazing, white-hot truth, the Dragon and Fire type, Reshiram, sided with the older brother. With determination like lightning, the black Dragon and Electric type, Zekrom, sided with the ideals of the younger brother. The Dragons battled each other, but were equally matched and unable to defeat the other. This caused the brothers to stop fighting and accept that neither of them was solely right in their beliefs. The sons of the two brothers picked up where their fathers had left off and fought over truth and ideals, and in the fight, Reshiram and Zekrom destroyed the region with their fire and lightning. The two Pokemon vanished afterwards, leaving the destruction of Unova to be repaired by the people left.”  
I’d never heard this legend before, but I did recall Marcus mentioning Zekrom and Reshiram when June, Courtney, and I had met him in the Village Of Dragons. A single Dragon type Pokemon that split into two separate Pokemon. One black, and one white, I thought. Why is Kiwi telling us this?  
BOOM! The loud noise came again, closer than the last time.  
I could feel the power from the noise as my body shook from Nidoking shaking from the ground quaking lightly underneath him. My entire body was also thumping in rhythm with my heart’s progressively harder and faster beats.  
“It’s believed that when the original Dragon split into two, a third Dragon was born.” Kiwi’s face got even more focused, staring right at me. “A third Dragon, born without the heat of fire, or the surge of lightning, cold as ice, was left behind. Some even state that this battle between the two brothers took place on another planet, the split of the original Dragon creating the leftover shell, the third Dragon itself, to fall through space from an icy meteor and crash on Earth. They say this third Dragon landed right here and created the Giant Chasm, forming the Unova region itself.”  
BOOM!! The noise was moving at a slightly faster pace and was getting louder.  
Footsteps? I considered, my heart punching my throat to a rapid tune. No. No way. Not that loud, with that much power. But, what is it, then?  
“It’s said that, when someone is deeply searching for the truth, Reshiram will come to that person. Reshiram will battle that person to test their strength and heart, and if it sees that that person is a hero, it will give that person the wisdom it has acquired over thousands of years, and fight against this hero’s enemies. Reshiram will care for this hero as a parent would for their child. But the hero will become rich and powerful, and the purity of their heart will go away, and the country the hero builds will be destroyed by fire. At this point, Reshiram will leave. It’s also said that, when another hero is able to turn darkness into light, and this hero’s heart is one with the Pokemon, Zekrom will appear and lend that hero its power.”  
The only sound that was heard at this point was the howling wind, and then, BOOM!!  
“But, Gary, what about the lonely Dragon?” Kiwi suddenly asked me.  
I knew she knew I wasn’t able to answer her. I didn’t even understand her question.  
BOOM!! The noise was now louder than ever.  
“You interfered with a huge plan of mine not too long ago. Perhaps you recall seeing a Pokemon known as Manaphy?”  
I refused to nod at her. Manaphy, I remembered.  
June and I had saved a Manaphy and a group of Phione from Team Solace members.  
But what does that have to do with the story she just told me? I asked myself. What does this have to do with my Town Map? Why does she keep jumping from topic to topic?  
BOOM!!  
Kiwi seemed to nod at my refusal to acknowledge her question. “Manaphy has the ability to befriend any Pokemon, which would have been excellent for what I have planned. However, you wrecked that plan to pieces. That was when something came to mind, Gary. Would you like to know what it was?”  
I swallowed nervously, but didn’t speak.  
“We’re missing a hero, aren’t we?” Kiwi asked me.  
My eyebrows narrowed, not understanding.  
BOOM!!!  
“If there is a hero of truth for Reshiram, and a hero of ideals for Zekrom, then, what about poor Kyurem?”  
I still didn’t understand, but I suddenly knew that things were about to get a lot worse.  
I never could have predicted just how bad they were about to get.  
“Finding the truth isn’t complicated, Gary. People are just too prideful to accept it. The truth doesn’t depend on you believing in it or agreeing with it to be true. The truth remains, no matter what anyone wants to believe. People’s ideals create new, false truths that never should have been. Wouldn’t you agree?”  
I felt obliged to nod at this, slowly, but that was the only response I gave.  
BOOM!!!  
“But... Truth can interfere when it blinds people. The truth needs to be suppressed or hidden sometimes in order to be seen for what it is, itself. But that could result in what could be considered an ideal! And an ideal can be considered a truth! Someone’s “ideal truth” could conflict with the actual truth and be completely false, but people trust in it so strongly, only because they feel so comfortable with it. To them, anything that opposes it must be a lie. These people aren’t seeking truth. They’re only trying to be happy. But, the truth doesn’t allow growth, does it? The truth also creates limitations. An ideal world for humans conflicts with the truth. An ideal versus the truth creates conflicts that often result in unresolved, matching pushback from the opposition. Both sides depend on open mindedness to work, Gary! Ideals allow development and can open the door for truths that were never allowed to be considered, and even destroy past beliefs that were never the truth, but were instead poor ideals. Ideals can open minds. Truth and ideals are so close to each other, and yet couldn’t be further away. The two can be misconstrued, and are, every single day. But how do we live when we have our ideals and truths taken from us? What’s left, Gary?”  
BOOM!!!!!  
A pair of glowing yellow lights shined through the darkness of the cave.  
The two men with guns cried out in fear.  
My heart stopped beating and I couldn’t breathe.  
June gasped.  
“Whoa!” Robin uttered.  
Something huge stomped out from the cave, the ground rocking under its weight, and the being roared.  
The next thing I knew, I had landed in the snow on the ground, and I groaned in pain.  
Nidoking looked up with gaping jaws at the gray monster in front of the cave. His tail was waving freely.  
The Nidoking wasn’t holding onto me, but my body still felt restricted, as if he was still squeezing the life out of me.  
The two men backed up fearfully, looking up at the beast that had emerged.  
Gigalith and Conkeldurr stared up at the towering figure, still holding their prisoners.  
I couldn’t even describe this creature, but it looked ugly and very menacing.  
The creature stomped forward, shaking the ground easily, and then it stopped right behind Kiwi. It roared again, the noise alone causing the ground to move. This monstrosity looked down at us all with glowing yellow eyes, no pupils visible.  
“I thought I needed Manaphy to control the power of the remaining Dragon!” Kiwi shouted manically, a huge smile on her face as she pointed behind her at the monster. “But, NO! It became clear to me that the power I was seeking all along was inside of ME! I am the hero for Kyurem! Kyurem responds to ME!”  
Kyurem roared again.  
“Using the technology in your Town Map, I was able to track down something far greater than truth, or ideals!! And since this is all thanks to you coming to Unova in the first place, I’ve shown my appreciation by being gracious enough to allow you to see this magnificent beast. You’re only alive at this very moment because of my willingness to allow you to so you could behold this greatness behind me.” She took a step closer to me, her white boots just a couple of inches from my face, and she sneered down at me. “But, you’ve gotten away with far too much as it is. You should have died the moment you opposed Team Solace back in Kanto. But, better late than never, Gary.” Kiwi lifted her cane from the ground and pointed the bottom of it at my face.  
My mouth dropped open. “Kiwi,” I gasped weakly.  
“Do not argue with God, mortal.” She shoved the cane into my face.  
I was forced backwards from the strong hit, and I tumbled over the side of the mountain. My mouth opened as I screamed, unable to reach out and grab onto anything that might have been near me. My body was in too much pain from Nidoking’s hold. It still felt like he was gripping me.  
I screamed as I tumbled down towards the trees and ground beneath me.  
I screamed as I neared death.  
I screamed as I accepted Team Solace’s victory.  
But, worst of all, I screamed as I accepted Kiwi’s victory.  
This was deeper than Team Solace.  
This was a friend of mine who was now lost.  
That hurt more than anything else.  
The ground rose up quickly to meet me.  
I closed my eyes, and screamed for the last time.  
BOING!  
My eyes popped open and I continued screaming, though in shock this time as I was flying back up! I came back down, and then, BOING! I was bounced back up into the air, tumbling head over heels! “Hey! What the?” Below me, I spotted a huge, shimmering pink bubble! I fell back down towards it and then, BOING! Up I went, rebounded by the bubble that jiggled as I made contact with it and spun in the air! “Aaaahh! Stop it! What’s going on?” I fell back down.  
POP!  
My landing was a lot harder this time around. “Aaaaaah…!” I groaned, my body aching as I hit the solid ground. I rolled over onto my side, my eyes closed tight. “What was that…?” I squinted through my eyes and moaned, but the sound was stopped entirely as I stared at a Pokemon floating above me. A shocked cry escaped my throat, and then I managed to inhale deeply, a strange noise being emitted before an even louder whimper was heard as I exhaled.  
I recognized this being instantly.  
I was so stunned, not a single thought went through my mind.  
It was just impossible.  
The pink Pokemon looked down at me from the air, its head cocked to the side.  
Its long tail, similar to a Rattata’s tail, reached high above its head.  
“Mew!” it cried out at me.


	72. The Gray Area

“Mew!” I gasped at the Mythological Pokemon.  
“Mew?” Mew said softly, its head cocked to the side, staring at me intently. The eyebrows on its adorable face seemed furrowed. The Pokemon’s pink tail was raised high over its head, where it curved and came back down, stopping right over its ears.  
I couldn’t believe my eyes.   
A Mew was floating in the air above me. A creature often described as the most powerful Pokemon! A Pokemon so rarely seen, some scientists believe the species is extinct, and any reported sightings are simply mirages!  
“A Mew…” I said, mesmerized by the Pokemon.  
Mew’s eyes suddenly flashed white, and I was blinded.  
I screamed.

*

I was standing in Pallet Town, staring at a Rattata. I glanced away and looked at Prof. Oak's mansion before I stared back down at Rattata, but it was now gone. Looking back up to Prof. Oak's mansion, from out the corner of my eye, I saw something near Route 1. A tail? Rattata? I had thought as I turned towards it. I had seen the tail of the creature.  
It wasn’t the gray tail of a Rattata. It was white. Or pink, maybe. And… it was in the air!! This was a flying Pokemon that just flew off into the tops of the trees! I didn't get to see any of its body other than the tail before it disappeared. A tail like Rattata, only a different color? But something wasn't right. That tail was tickling a memory of something else in the back of my head.  
Something from deep within me was urging me to go after it.  
There was something about that tail.  
Something deeper than a Rattata.

*

My hands on my knees, I inhaled and exhaled heavily, swallowing what little saliva I had in my mouth down my dry, dying throat. My eyes scanned my surroundings once more before I let out a defeated sigh… only to hear a rustle in the grass! I turned around and saw a Spearow.  
It was hidden behind a clump of grass, staring at me.  
I ignored it and looked about my surroundings for a while. When I looked back, the Spearow was still looking at me. “What do you want?” I said angrily to it.   
It just stared back. Like it was hiding something…  
“HEY!” I screamed.  
Spearow took off, flapping its wings frantically.  
I ran after it and leaped, trying to grab it with my bare hands.  
It quickly turned mid-flight and pecked my fingers.  
I screamed in pain before making another desperate lunge at Spearow, but it was out of my reach.

*

Mew stared down from above the trees of Route 1, watching my Charmander and Mankey battle while I yelled at them to stop, all of us surrounded by a swiftly worsening fire that had been started. The Mythical Pokemon suddenly spun and rose even higher into the air. Its body became outlined in blue, and then flashed in the same color. With a gentle cry, the blue removed itself from Mew’s body and rose into the night sky, Mew still twirling up through the air.  
The blue popped gently and then vanished.  
Mew stopped spinning and looked down silently.  
I was now holding the Poke Ball with Mankey in it, smiling, but it faded quickly as I turned to Charmander furiously.  
A raindrop fell right by Mew.

*

Kiwi and I were surrounded by a group of various Psychic type Pokemon including Alakazam, Spoink, Grumpig, Gardevoir, and Gallade, all of them glaring at us with glowing, bright red and blue eyes, yelling out in one angry shout as they got ready to attack us.  
A bright flash of light came from the Gastly disguised as the Dimensia Badge on the ground near my Badge case, and several of the Pokemon disappeared!  
The other Pokemon flew backwards and hit the ground.  
“Kiwi, look!” I said, grabbing her shoulder and shaking it.  
Kiwi lowered her hands from her eyes a little and stared at the Pokemon on the ground. “Wha…?”  
The remaining Pokemon stood up and looked around angrily. They glared at us quickly and then ran away!

*

“You have no idea of how much power you have,” Gene told me softly.  
“What…?” I asked shakily.  
“You truly don’t know how much power you hold within you.”  
I shook my head in confusion.  
“Don’t you give up. You cannot change the future,” Gene said solemnly. “It is set in stone. But the things you encounter along the way can influence your ultimate decisions. The future has been finalized, the path laid out already, and always has been, but your path is only that which is laid out depending on the things you encountered, what you learn, and how you will react. Remember this, Gary. It’s all up to you. Believe in your power, Gary. Remember me in the gray area.”

*

A bright flash of light blinded me, and before I knew it, I was staring into Mew’s blue eyes.  
I understood a lot, now.  
Mew had been the Pokemon I had seen back in Pallet Town after I had left my mom’s house in a rage before heading to Prof. Oak’s Lab to choose my Starter Pokemon. It had been in the form of a Rattata, and then Transformed back into Mew, which was what I had seen get away from me. Mew then turned into Spearow before getting away from me again.  
Mew had also been there during the time Charmander had attacked Mankey on Route 1 and left us there, in danger of getting burned in the flames he had left behind. Mew had used Rain Dance to save us from the fire.   
Mew was there during me, June, and Kiwi’s travel through Route 7, climbing the mountain to Saffron City. It had been drawn there, like the other Psychic Pokemon, by the strong psychic happenings in Saffron.   
Mew had even been there during my discussion with the spooky lady, Gene, and her Psychic Pokemon, Xatu and Natu, when Gene comforted me about what had occurred in Lavender Town when Aly had been killed and I had been blaming myself for her death.  
Gene’s mysterious words were put back into my mind now. Words I had promised to never forget, but had faded from my memory over time.  
“Mew!” Mew said.  
“You’ve run into me a few times since my journey started, Mew,” I told it.  
Mew just stared at me. Its narrowed eyebrows gave it a serious face, but it still seemed really cute and harmless. I was sure that was just how it looked, and that it wasn’t glaring at me purposely.  
“You haven’t been following me, though. You just have run into me on occasion, huh?” I asked it.  
“Mew?” Mew hung upside down, keeping its eyes on me.  
“Thank you for saving me and Mankey back on Route 1, Mew,” I thanked it.  
“You cannot change the future,” Gene said solemnly. “It is set in stone. But the things you encounter along the way can influence your ultimate decisions. It’s all up to you. Believe in your power, Gary.”  
“Yeah,” I said confidently, staring up at Mew. “I can’t give up, Mew! I can’t give up on Kiwi! This isn’t over. Team Solace can’t win!”  
“Mew.” Mew tumbled in the air before coming to a stop, and it continued to watch me.  
“Mew, why are you here? Have you come to help me?” I asked it hopefully. “Will you help me against Kyurem?”  
“Mew.” Mew shook its head. “Mew!” Its eyes glowed an array of various colors.  
My sight was blinded by a flash of white light, and then, I could see again. I was now looking over the edge of the cliff I had just fallen from! “What?” I gasped, looking down at the bottom. I could see numerous standing trees and far stretches of land, both covered in snow.  
“Gary?” I heard a familiar voice gasp.  
I whipped around quickly. “Kiwi!”  
Her surprised face turned to anger. “Are you kidding me?!!”  
June and Robin were still being held captive by Gigalith and Conkeldurr, all of them looking at me in shock.  
The two men with guns were also looking at me with stunned eyes.  
“Gary, you’re okay!” June cried tearfully.  
“You’re not dead?” Robin exclaimed.  
Kyurem looked at me with its dead, yet glowing, yellow eyes, emotionlessly.  
I turned to Kiwi. “Kiwi, this can’t go on any further! I won’t let it! I can stop you! I have the power to do so!”  
“You’ve no power against God, you idiot!” Kiwi snarled at me.  
“Kiwi, stop it!” I demanded. “You’re not a god! You’re a thirteen year old girl from Pallet Town!”  
Kiwi’s face softened. “Is that so?” She nodded. “I don’t know how you’re standing here before me, but I’m glad you are. You might even live long enough to see just how truly powerful I am. Just how truly great I am!” She turned away from me and walked over to Kyurem.  
“Kiwi, what are you planning to use Kyurem for?” I called out to her.   
Kyurem got down lower to the ground.  
Kiwi suddenly tossed her cane aside and reached out to Kyurem, grabbing a hold of the Pokemon and climbing onto its back.  
The men next to June and Robin suddenly moved quickly. In their other hand not holding a gun was a Poke Ball. They held them out to the two Pokemon holding my friends and returned them back.  
June fell into the snow beneath her, crying out in pain, no longer held by Conkeldurr.  
Robin groaned loudly with relief as Gigalith was removed from his back.  
The two men ran to Kyurem and stopped, turning to each other and then back to Kyurem.  
“Move it!” Kiwi screamed at the men.  
They jumped in fright and then hesitantly climbed Kyurem’s back.  
Kiwi then looked at me. “You already know Team Solace’s ultimate goal, Gary. It’s been told to you since the beginning. With Kyurem, this plan will be pushed even further.”  
“Kiwi, Team Solace never proved that Pokemon were evil! Never!” I shouted desperately. “Using Kyurem won’t further that goal! Pokemon are not evil! Not all of them!”  
Kiwi kept her eyes on me, but didn’t speak.  
“There are good Pokemon like there are good people! Pokemon and people can also be misguided! But it’s not common that we run into people or Pokemon doing evil, knowingly! We all have different definitions of good and evil! We can only really act on how we feel sometimes, just like how you are right now! I know you’re hurt about Aly, and that’s had a major effect on your opinion on things, but you can’t act this irrationally! You have to understand the truth about things, Kiwi! You’re not seeing things clearly! I think we just all need to talk this out, together! This can be resolved if you give me the chance!”  
“I’ve had all the time I need to think everything out for myself,” Kiwi said coldly. “You choose to disobey what I’ve come to understand perfectly well, so there’s nothing more to speak on.”  
“No, Kiwi!” I yelled determinedly. “All you have is an opinion, not the facts! Opinions are important and deserved to be listened to, but you need to understand the truth about things before going off on your own ideals!”  
“And just how do people obtain these ‘truths,’ Gary?” Kiwi asked me impatiently. “What’s the proper way to live, Gary? How should everybody be living their lives, huh? How does anyone even know they have this ‘truth’ you’re so sure exists? How can you be so sure you’re fighting with the ‘truth’ on your side? What if you’re just living by an ‘ideal’ implanted in your young mind?”  
My mouth opened to shout, “I’m not!” But I couldn’t say that. I couldn’t say anything to her. I was stumped on how to prove my point.   
Kiwi nodded. “Exactly, Gary. Truth. Ideals. Black. White. So different, yet they tread alongside each other in this world on a constant basis. I’ve had enough of it all. I will live without either, in a gray world. There is only one way to truly cast judgment upon this planet, and it must be done by my hands.”   
“Kiwi!” I shouted.  
She looked away from me and towards the sky. “Kyurem, go!”   
With a roar, Kyurem stood tall. It then took off into the sky with incredible speed.  
I stared up at the Pokemon in disbelief. I couldn’t believe any of what had just occurred. Kiwi just flew away on the back of a Kyurem? I questioned. She plans to deliver judgment to the planet. Wants to wipe the planet of the life of those who don’t side with Team Solace somehow. Wants to create a gray world…?  
“Remember me in the gray area,” Gene’s words repeated in my head.  
Could this be what Gene meant about the gray area? I pondered. Kyurem? A gray world? Footsteps in the snow behind me made me whirl around quickly.  
Robin and June were staring at me, on their feet, hunched over. They both looked like they were in a lot of pain.  
“Gary, we have to stop her,” Robin insisted in a low voice, a Poke Ball in his hand.   
I grabbed a Poke Ball from my waist and turned to the sky. “I know. She’s getting away. We don’t have time to waste! Charizard!” I tossed his Poke Ball into the air.  
Charizard came out with a powerful roar and landed hard on the ground.  
I ran over to him. “We have to follow Kiwi and that Dragon she’s riding! Let’s go!”  
Charizard bent down and allowed me to climb on his back.  
“Dame Hydraen, come out!” Robin sent out his Shiny Dragonite that came out from her Poke Ball in a sparkle of colors.  
I turned to June, who was staring at me with wide eyes. “Come on!” I said angrily.  
“Right!” June hobbled over to Charizard.   
I helped her onto his back and watched as Robin got on his Pokemon. “Okay!”  
Charizard roared as he stood up tall and flapped his wings. In the next instant, he was soaring through the sky, Dame Hydraen right behind him.  
The snow and wind were starting to lighten up considerably.  
“Do you see them?” Robin called out.  
“I see something!” I called back, keeping my eyes on a small figure far away. “Faster, Charizard! We need to catch up with them, now!!”  
Charizard acknowledged my statement with a sharp snarl and flew faster.  
June wailed out.  
I wrapped my arms around Charizard’s neck tightly, squinting and blinking through the strong wind blowing into my face and tearing up my eyes.  
Dame Hydraen pulled up alongside Charizard, Robin screaming with excitement and shock at his Pokemon, hugging her back.  
Both Pokemon were trying to outspeed the other.  
Dame Hydraen was quickly shown to be the faster Pokemon as she flew ahead of Charizard.  
Charizard grunted as he increased his speed and flew as fast as he could, but he was no match for the Dragon type who continued to get further away from him.  
I didn’t mind their little competition if it got us to Kiwi and Kyurem faster. It wasn’t long before I could make out the form flying so quickly ahead of us. “It’s them!” I yelled, staring at Kyurem. The snow was gone now, and I started to feel hot and uncomfortable in my coat, but I didn’t take it off, my focus on Kyurem.  
The tiny dots that were Kiwi and the two guys she was with were on the back of Kyurem.  
The closer we got, the easier I could make out the three individuals.  
“KIWIIIIIIIIII!!!!” I exploded.  
Charizard and Dame Hydraen were no longer paying attention to each other, now focusing on Kyurem with determination.  
Kiwi looked back and she bared her teeth, narrowing her eyes at her pursuers. She turned to the two men behind her.   
The men looked back at her, gripping Kyurem’s body for dear life.   
Kiwi then adjusted herself on Kyurem’s back and turned her whole body around to face the two men. With a swift movement, the back of her hand went across the face of the man closest to her.  
He screamed as he fell from Kyurem’s back.  
June gasped. “What is she doing?”  
The final man raised one shaky hand and waved it at Kiwi, pleading not to be hit.  
Kiwi crawled over to him without hesitation, pulled back her arm, and mercilessly slugged him in the face, forcing the screaming man off of Kyurem. She looked up at me, Robin, and June, and then shouted out something I couldn’t understand.  
Kyurem looked behind it and opened its jaws in a roar. A thick, white fog escaped from its body and surrounded the monster.  
Several clear objects, barely visible amongst the fog, were now circling Kyurem’s body. They grew in size quickly, and I soon began to recognize what they were. Gigantic, deadly sharp icicles were spinning in circles around Kyurem, pointing at the Legend. Kyurem roared again, and the icicles flew away from its body and towards me and my friends, the white wave of mist following them as it spread out towards us.  
“Charizard, look out!” I freaked.  
June shrieked.  
“Dame Hydraen!!” Robin let out.  
Dame Hydraen cried out sharply and moved to one side while Charizard moved to the other.  
With a shout, Dame Hydraen flew around swiftly, staying clear of the attacks. The Shiny Dragon and her Trainer then glared up at Kyurem.  
The remaining icicles shot at Charizard, me, and June.  
Charizard grunted as he too flew around the attacks, ducking and dodging from left to right to avoid being hit. Suddenly, he roared deafeningly as he was hit by the final spear, jabbing him in the stomach.  
June and I screamed as his body was rocked hard.  
I clung for dear life to Charizard’s neck, desperate not to fall off of him.  
Charizard’s roar weakened as he tumbled down. His wings flapped hard and he managed to stop his fall, hovering in the air.  
June’s shriek made me look down.   
“JUUUUUNE!!!” I bellowed.  
June had fallen off of Charizard’s back!! She was diving quickly, nearing the trees and the grassy plain beneath us!  
Charizard roared with energy and dove down after her.  
“Dame Hydraen, get her!” Robin shouted urgently.  
June was dropping like a weight, but Charizard was right behind her. He swooped underneath her, catching her on his back, June landing right in front of me. With an exhausted moan, Charizard continued to fall. He smashed through several tree branches, crying out, and he finally landed with great force on the ground.  
June looked up at me, shaking hard from fright. She seemed unable to speak, but trying to.  
Dame Hydraen and Robin arrived, landing right next to us. “You guys okay?” Robin asked, jumping off of Dame Hydraen’s back.  
I stared up through the treetops, but I couldn’t see anything but the dark sky. I cursed, removing myself from Charizard, and I angrily stomped once on the ground.  
Charizard moaned weakly, his eyes closed tight.  
“Hey!” I walked over to him and got down on one knee as I placed my hand on the side of his head. “Charizard, are you alright?”  
“Charizard took one hell of a stab, there,” Robin commented as June got off of Charizard’s back slowly.  
She sat on the ground, still trembling, her eyes on my Pokemon.  
I softly rubbed Charizard’s head. “Take it easy. I can’t believe this.” I turned to the sky once again. “Damn it!” I glared at June. “Are you serious, June?!” I flipped out.  
“Huh?” She looked up at me, still shaking.  
“You made us lose Kiwi and Kyurem! Why do you have to screw everything up?!”  
“I-I-I’m sorry,” June whined sadly.  
“Sorry ain’t gonna help us catch them!! Now how in the hell are we gonna find them, June?? Dragonite can’t carry us all! Who knows where Kyurem and Kiwi even are right now?! Why do you always have to be so stupid??! You couldn’t hang on any tighter??!”  
“Hey, don’t talk to her like that!” Robin stomped over to me.   
“Keep your emotions in your pants, Rob! I don’t wanna hear it!” I barked at him as I stood up. The heat in my coat was becoming unbearable, and I unzipped it, pulled it off of me, and furiously tossed it to the ground.  
Robin froze, looking taken back by my choice of words.  
“We almost had her!! We almost had Kiwi!! She’s gone, now!!” I was so frustrated, saying things I shouldn’t have, and feeling close to tears because there was nothing else I could do.  
“I know, Gary,” Robin said more calmly. “I get it. I do! But yelling at us like this isn’t gonna help us find her. Would you rather Charizard have continued pursuing Kiwi?”  
His question triggered my body to freeze as I stared back at him and considered what he had just asked me. Slowly, a calm started to come over me. I sighed and my shoulders slumped. My eyes turned to June.   
She stared back at me sadly, and then lowered her eyes.  
“Of course not…” I said. “I’m sorry, June.”  
A powerful roar from far away rang through the forest.  
BOOOOOOOOOOMMMM!!  
The terrifying sounds grabbed our attention, and we turned to where they were coming from, Charizard grunting but not looking.  
“What was that?” I asked uncomfortably.  
Another strong roar from Kyurem rang out.  
BOOOOOOOOOOOMMMM!!  
BOOOOOOOOOOMMMM!!  
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM!!!  
Faint screams reached my ears, and the four of us exchanged worried glances.  
“Kiwi,” I told my friends.  
“What is she doing?” Robin questioned, staring in the direction of the sounds of more terror.  
“Let’s find out.” I turned to Charizard. “We’ll get you fixed up real soon. Thank you for saving June.” I returned him to his Poke Ball and then bent down and picked up my coat, slinging it over my shoulder.  
“Dame Hydraen, get back for the moment until I call for you, okay?” Robin returned her.  
I reached out a hand to June.  
She smiled as she stared at me with tear-filled eyes and grabbed my hand strongly with both of hers, pulling herself up.   
“You alright?” I asked her.  
An explosion was what answered me.  
June looked away from me, towards the noise behind me. “We have to stop her, Gary. She’s doing something really bad with Kyurem. A Legend in the hands of Team Solace isn’t good for anyone.”  
“It’s not in the hands of Team Solace, June,” I insisted. “It’s in the hands of Kiwi. We can get through to her.”  
June shook her head. “Gary, she tried to kill you. She tried to kill us all! She’s crazy! We have to battle and beat Kyurem, and then…” June hesitated on finishing her sentence. “…we have to get Kiwi…”  
I nodded. “We’ll get through to her. There’s no doubt. She’s just troubled right now.”  
“No,” June whispered, and then cleared her throat. She spoke louder this time. “We can’t talk with her anymore. She’s out to kill us. To kill people on this planet. To wipe out all Pokemon! She has to be stopped, Gary!”  
“She’s not really going to do it, June,” I argued. “I’m telling you. I know her. She won’t do anything. I just have to try harder to get through to her.”  
“Did she not knock you off a freaking cliff, Gary?” June shouted in frustration. “She attacked us and nearly killed me! Is that the Kiwi you know?”  
I paused for a moment before speaking again. “And what exactly are you suggesting we do, June? I’m trying my best to get through to her. I’m trying to talk some sense into her!”  
“Gary, you don’t get it, do you?” June cried emotionally. “We can’t talk to her!”  
“Then what do we do, June?” I said loudly, tossing my hands into the air.  
“She may have to be-” June wasn’t even able to finish her own sentence. She inhaled deeply and then swallowed hard, her eyes stuck on mine.  
I stared back at June silently. Seriously.  
June had her eyes on me, and then she looked to Robin, and then to the ground, finally returning her eyes back to me.  
“You’ve got some nerve thinking that shit,” I said to her strictly.  
“Gary, if she’s trying to kill-” June tried.  
“Get out of here with that crap! You think I’m gonna let anything happen to Kiwi? You seriously think I’m going to bring any harm to her? You think after all I’ve gone through, I’m gonna lose another friend?!”  
“We have to at least attack, Gary!” June pleaded. “You can’t underestimate her! She’s running an entire crime organization! You can’t just talk to a crime boss!”  
I closed my eyes and lowered my head. Kiwi, a crime boss? No way. I shook my head. This is Kiwi Tot, from Pallet Town, who received a Pidgey from Prof. Oak because I had chosen Charmander, Aly had picked Bulbasaur, and she lost the coin flip against Robin for Squirtle. This was the same girl with spunk and energy I’d grown up with. This was, is, one of my best friends in the whole entire world. Robin, Aly, Kiwi, and me. Our group of four. There was no clique more closely knit on the planet than us…

*

“Whatever happens, we have to make sure we all get at least eight Badges and all compete in the Kanto Pokémon League,” I said.  
“Yeah, Gary!” Kiwi agreed. “We all have to make it so I can beat you all and say I defeated truly tough competitors. So make sure you’re all strong so my victory against you all is at the Pokemon League in front of millions.”  
“Yeah, right,” Aly waved nonchalantly. “My team of Pokémon will be the best ones and you’ll all be kissing my butt as I stand on the podium as the winner and you guys will be applauding me humbly, tears in your eyes from my incredible victories during the tournament. You peasants.”  
Me, Kiwi, Aly, and Robin, laughed.  
“Whatever happens, we’ll do our best,” I said. I reached out my hand. “One.”  
Aly stood up and walked over. She placed her hand on top of mine. “Two.”  
Kiwi placed her hand on top of Aly’s. “Three.”  
Robin walked over and placed his hand on top of Kiwi’s. “Four.”  
“KANTO!” we all cheered, throwing our hands in the air.

*

What happened to that? I asked myself. What happened to our friendship? Everything has changed. Because of… Pokemon…? I wondered. Our friendship… Everything has changed… Because of… Pokemon…   
More screams and loud noises of destruction accompanied another frightening roar by Kyurem from far off.  
My eyes opened and I stared towards the sounds of chaos. My head slowly shook, and then I turned to June. “We don’t have to attack, June. I told you already. This isn’t Team Solace. This is Kiwi. Our friend. I know she’s not well in the head right now, but I won’t attack her, and neither will any of you.” I looked to Robin. “Right?”  
Robin stared back at me sternly, but he didn’t answer.  
“Rob?” I said.  
Robin looked towards where another explosion was heard, followed by shrieks from people. “Kiwi’s there. Why waste time talking about how to stop her? Let’s just get there and do it already before she gets away and hurts more people.”  
We all nodded in agreement.  
We all ran towards the destruction taking place.  
Without a plan.  
We all ran as one.  
Determined to stop Kiwi and Kyurem.


	73. The Final Stop In Unova

The town we had entered held a mix of different types of buildings; from houses, to business locations, to grocery stores and shops. Many of these places held one terrible thing in common: they were on fire. Some were still standing, while others were in crumpled heaps on the ground. Only a small number of buildings were intact, untouched by the attacks.  
A couple of people were outside, running and screaming as smoke ascended into the night sky.  
June, Robin, and I stared in shock at our surroundings, our coats hanging from our shoulders.  
The ground of this town was broken apart in many spots, as if something with great power had collided with it or exploded there.  
Kiwi and Kyurem had left plenty of destruction in their wake.  
I looked up a stairway that led to a walkway high over this small town.  
“What has Kiwi done?” June cried. “We have to help put out the fire!”  
“Help?” Robin replied. “The fire department and police haven’t even arrived here, yet. We’ll be fighting this on our own!”  
“We can’t just leave this town burning!” June tried. “Maybe we can help out!”  
BOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!!!  
An explosion went off from a short distance away, and the three of us screamed and backed up.  
“That sounds like a really dangerous idea,” Robin said. “We might end up injuring our Pokemon and ourselves!”  
“Then what do we do?” June inquired.  
“We need to find help! Charizard is really hurt!” I insisted. “I can’t chase after Kiwi if my Charizard is out! We can’t depend on just Dragonite!”  
“But, we don’t have time to waste on waiting for Charizard to recover, Gary,” Robin told me. “I think Dame Hydraen can hold all of our weight.”  
I shook my head. “We’ll only slow her down. But, you’re right… We don’t have time to waste. Even talking right now while this town is burning before us is jeopardizing lives. We have to do something!”  
“But, what? Help this town, or continue after Kiwi?”  
I stared at him, unsure of how to answer.   
The sounds of the blades of helicopters made the three of us turn to the sky.  
A pair of helicopters descended upon the town, one of them colored white and purple, the other one being white and gray. They were both from two separate news stations. The sounds from their propellers increased as they got even lower, whipping up a strong wind at us.  
Hard, rapid footsteps were just barely heard, making me turn towards them.  
A towering man was headed for us, dressed in an open white jacket, his white T-shirt tucked into his blue jeans. He stopped before us, scowling. “You kids are pretty stupid, you know that??” he shouted over the helicopters. “Standing in the middle of this fire like this! What’s wrong with you all? Come on!” He ran past us and then looked back as we stood still, watching him.  
Robin, June, and I turned to each other and then back to the man.  
“Come on!” he yelled at us as he continued to run.  
At once, we ran after him, following him past flaming buildings until, shortly, we turned a corner and I saw, with relief, a Pokemon Center before us!  
The man ran towards the building and through the electronic front doors as they opened for him, waving his arm at us, encouraging us to follow him.  
The three of us quickly entered the building after him with grateful sighs, glad to be there.  
The inside of the Pokemon Center was packed with people. There was hardly any room for the three of us to move. Many people were talking urgently with one another, everyone looking up at the news that was taking place on the television hanging from the ceiling.  
A newswoman was speaking about something, a video on the upper left hand corner of the screen showing a town that contained buildings that were on fire.  
“You three are seriously traveling through Lacunosa Town, at night, with Kyurem on the rage?!” the tall man barked at us. “I should have left you three there to die! You kids nowadays are all about getting thrills and excitement off life! When it’s too late to take back your choices, then you’re full of regret!” The man shook his head and then angrily turned away, pushing his way through the crowded building, disappearing amongst the people.  
My heart slammed against my throat, making me feel sick to my stomach.  
Robin, me, and June faced each other. We didn’t speak, our tongues gripped by an infamous feline.  
One important thought was in the forefront of my mind.   
Charizard.  
I had an injured Pokemon in my possession, and I had to heal him. I tried to move through the people who were focused on the news as politely as I could, nudging and slipping my way forward.  
“The attack on Lacunosa Town seems to have come out of nowhere, but early suspicions suspect Team Solace as being behind this,” the newswoman spoke. “The leader of the group, revealed not long ago to be Kiwi Tot, a thirteen year old girl from Pallet Town, is promising to cleanse the planet of nonbelievers and bring about a new world, free from the filth of those who oppose Team Solace! She will be the new hero of the world, using the power of the Legendary Pokemon, Kyurem, to rule without the limits of truth, or the inconsistencies of ideals.”  
My attention was grabbed and I turned to the television, staring at the newswoman in confusion.  
She wore a stern face and a dark blue suit without a tie. “Team Solace seems destined to reign, with plenty of support from many around the world. It is being highly recommended by experts to side with Team Solace while they still have the chance, while others are claiming that it is far too late to switch sides.”  
I froze in the crowd, my mouth open in shock as I listened to the news reporter.  
“Kiwi is rumored to be preparing the ultimate course of action upon the planet,” the newswoman spoke clearly, slowly, seriously. “This move is said to be, in a word, ‘perfect.’ Nothing will be able to escape its wrath except for those who have accepted Kiwi as God.” The woman stared out from the screen with a cold glare.  
Is this real? I wondered in fear. Why is she talking like this?   
“Our influence has recruited far more than foot soldiers, but also people in power,” I remembered Kiwi telling me. “News reporters, police officers, people in differing stations of everyday life.”  
Could this be Team Solace? I thought with fright, my eyes widening. Team Solace, reporting the news?  
The woman’s face eased up and she broke into a smile. “Also in today’s news, the movie, Mankey In Black 7, starring Bill Prince Smitty and Robert Lee Jonas, continues to rule over the box office in its fifth week, keeping Pocket Monsters University away from the top spot for the third consecutive week.”  
Can it be? I thought, a sickening feeling filling my stomach. Team Solace, running the news? I lowered my eyes to the floor. We have to find out where Kiwi got away to. We have to stop her as soon as possible. But how will we ever find out where she is at this point? I continued through the crowd, urgent to reach the Nurse Joy of this building. I couldn’t even tell if Robin and June were with me as I furthered myself to my destined goal of the counter that was blocked from my view by the tall adults, and I continued blindly forward. It wasn’t long before I could make out a red counter up ahead, and the sight of it inspired me to push forward even harder, reaching out and grabbing people as I neared it. Murmurs and cries surrounded me as I got through. Nurse Joy was all that was on my young mind as I got closer. Finally, I spotted her gazing around the room with concern. My heart lightened up at her suspiciously young face and I smiled with relief at her.  
Nurse Joy did a double take towards me, but the sorrowful look on her face never changed.  
I reached her and placed my hands on the counter, holding onto it as if I’d be taken away by a wave of water if I dared to loosen my grip. “Nurse Joy! I’m sure glad to see you!”  
She smiled at me nervously. “Welcome to the Lacunosa...” Her voice lowered to a whisper and spoke fast. “...Pokemon Center.”  
Now confused, I explained, “I was hoping that maybe you could just help my Charizard real quick. He got hurt recently and needs some care, please.” I placed my Charizard’s Poke Ball on the counter and looked into Nurse Joy’s deep blue eyes. For just a moment, I forgot about the Hell that was going on around me and considered her cloned face that I had become accustomed to seeing at every Pokemon Center, for the first time, to be rather exceptionally cute. I then noticed that something was different, and soon realized that her Audino was nowhere in sight.   
“I’m sorry, but I really don’t think that would be a good idea,” Nurse Joy said, lowering her voice and head.  
This response brought me right back down to Earth. “Huh?”  
“Please, you’ll have to locate another Pokemon Center,” Nurse Joy spoke softly, refusing to look me in the eyes. “This building will not be caring for Pokemon for the foreseeable future.”  
I stared at Nurse Joy as if she were a space alien. “What do you mean?? I have a Pokemon in need of your care! You have to help him!”  
“Gary…” I heard June whisper from behind me.  
Nurse Joy looked into my eyes, and then she lowered them again. “You’ll have to seek aid from another place. I cannot help you at this time.”  
“But, why??” I cried. My heart was hurting my chest from how hard it was beating, not understanding what the problem was. “You’re a Nurse Joy! You help injured Pokemon! How can you turn down my Charizard?”  
“Gary…” June whispered louder.  
Nurse Joy closed her eyes and then furrowed her eyebrows. She spoke more strictly now. “I can’t assist your Pokemon! Get it out of here and go someplace else. I won’t tell you again.”  
“You can’t reject my Pokemon!” I said in horror, staring at her as if her head had just exploded in front of me. “You can’t!”  
“Gary!” June whispered impatiently.  
I turned to her, Charizard’s Poke Ball gripped tightly in my hand. “What?” I demanded, staring at her in confusion, frustration, and sadness. “What is it, June?”  
June stared back at me with fear strong on her face.  
That was when I noticed the silence.  
The news on TV was now the only sound in the building.  
My eyes moved from June’s face, to the familiar face of Robin, who was staring at me with eyes filled with shock. My gaze then turned to the other people within the Pokemon Center.  
Nobody was paying attention to the TV anymore. All eyes had now turned to me. Not one of them was friendly.  
I stared back at the angry crowd. What did I do? I wondered, my eyes sweeping over everyone.  
The eyes stared right back at me, as cold as stone.  
“Kyurem has returned,” I heard Nurse Joy whisper behind me.  
I was too scared to turn my back on the threatening crowd before me to face Nurse Joy.  
“Kyurem has deemed it bad that we’ve been aiding Pokemon and Pokemon Trainers, and it has set fire to our town as punishment,” Nurse Joy said in a shaky voice. “Losing our faith in its wrath was a huge mistake. It has returned to deliver its rage and devour us all again!”  
I turned to Nurse Joy, ignoring the crowd. “What are you talking about?” I asked uncomfortably.  
Nurse Joy stared back at me, tears rolling slowly down her cheeks. “A very long time ago, a large meteor containing Kyurem fell from the sky and crashed through the ground near Lacunosa Town, forming the nearby Giant Chasm. At night, Kyurem comes to Lacunosa Town bringing cold winds, and it takes away Pokemon and humans to eat them. Since then, a wall was built around Lacunosa Town to keep out Kyurem, and a rule was put in place insisting that no one step outside of Lacunosa Town after dark. After a while, people stopped believing in this warning, but still followed the old rule, to keep up the tradition. But, over time, the rule was just ignored altogether. Clearly, our lack of faith is evident to Kyurem, and Kyurem has returned to threaten us all!”  
“No! That’s not true!” I said loudly to Nurse Joy.  
She gasped, covering her mouth with both hands.  
“Kyurem is being used by Kiwi, the girl from the news! Kyurem isn’t threatening your town on purpose! It’s being led by Kiwi!”  
“Then she must be the true hero!” a man shouted from the crowd behind me.  
I whipped around sharply, trying to spot who had just said that.  
“She must really be the hero, defining the world justly, without truth or ideals!” a lady cried in shock, covering her mouth with her hands.  
“NO!” I countered.  
The crowd ignored me completely, speaking amongst themselves.  
“Kyurem shouldn’t be looked at this way! Kiwi’s manipulating all of you!” I informed the crowd.  
Not one person even batted an eye at me, speaking to each other frantically.  
A hand landed on my shoulder and I turned to see that Robin was staring at me sternly.  
“Gary, we have to get out of here,” Robin said lowly. “There might still be time to stop Kiwi. The legend of Kyurem doesn’t stop here in Lacunosa Town, nor in the Giant Chasm. Let’s get out of here and I’ll explain outside, okay?”  
“But, these people!” I told Robin desperately. “They’re living in fear for no reason! They have to know the truth!”  
“Yes, but right now isn’t the time,” Robin insisted. “We can’t waste time. We need to reach Kiwi before it’s too late.”  
I stared into Robin’s pleading eyes and considered what he was saying. Gritting my teeth determinedly, I shook my head hard and turned away from him, to the crowd. “Everybody, please!” I begged. “Kiwi has to be stopped! I understand your concerns about Kyurem and what Kiwi has been doing with that Pokemon, but she’s wrong in her beliefs! Me and my friends are after her right now to stop her!”  
The news was the only sound within the Pokemon Center again, and my breath cut short as the crowd turned to me with rage on their faces.  
“You couldn’t just shut up, could you, Gary?” Robin whispered sharply.  
I turned to him. “What did I say?” I asked innocently, scared. I turned back to the crowd.  
They looked ready to beat the life out of me, many men punching a fist into their other open palm. Other people just shook their heads at me angrily, their arms crossed in front of their chests or tightening their fists at their sides.  
“I’m truly sorry,” I heard Nurse Joy whisper behind me. “I really suggest you try to run at this point.”  
Run where? I thought with rising panic in my heart as it beat in my mouth.  
“Breaking news, ladies and gentleman!” a man’s voice now spoke cheerfully from the television. “Marine Tube, an underwater connection between Undella Town and Humilau City in the Unova region, has just been attacked by a launched missile from Team Solace! The Marine Tube was built to commemorate the friendship between Undella Town and Humilau City, bringing humans and Pokemon safely together in a way never experienced before. So much for that!”   
Everyone had now turned to the TV screen to see a newsman sitting behind a gray counter in a newsroom, laughing in his gray suit.  
“At this very moment, Humilau City and Undella Town are both being flooded by water that has been released after the nearly ten inches of glass built to withstand high water pressure and contact with the underwater Pokemon was easily destroyed,” the male newscaster spoke with blatant delight.  
“Team Solace!” a man in the Pokemon Center instantly shouted out.  
“They’re back!” a woman cheered.  
The crowd of people began to speak excitedly to each other, everyone now wearing smiles.  
“Team Solace is back to save us!” a man spoke out loudly.  
“With Kyurem on their side, there’s no doubt that Team Solace is the path!” a woman cried. “We must obey Kyurem! We must obey Team Solace!”  
“Team Solace is the future!” a man called out. “They’re saving the world! Kyurem and Kiwi are the only way!”  
I couldn’t believe my ears, shaking my head as I watched the crowd of people around me, Robin, and June. This is Team Solace, I knew. This news report is being run by Team Solace, just like Kiwi told us. And these people are being sapped right into it. They’re eating this stuff up without question. Maybe a couple of people in this crowd are actually Team Solace members, themselves. Team Solace is winning.  
“Breakfast, Teleport us out of here!” Robin’s voice broke through the crowd’s as they continued to talk eagerly.  
The familiar sound of a Pokemon being released from its Poke Ball sounded through the Pokemon Center.  
“Alakazam!”  
Before I could turn, my sight was blinded, a white light covering my eyes. I blinked repeatedly for a moment before I could see again.  
Around me now was a thick forest.  
June was looking around in surprise.  
Robin breathed a sigh of relief.  
An Alakazam clutched its spoons in its hands, staring at Robin.  
Robin turned to the Alakazam and smiled. “Thanks, Breakfast. You saved us!”  
My legs gave out underneath me and I hit the ground in exhaustion. “Breakfast…?” I managed to smile weakly up at Robin.  
“Ha ha ha ha! Genius, no?” Robin beamed back at me proudly.  
Genius, no, I thought back jokingly as I got to my feet.  
“Return!” Robin recalled back his Pokemon to its Poke Ball before turning to June and I. “Well, at least we’re okay, now.”  
I nodded. “I guess…” I stared down at my Poke Ball in my hand. “But what will I do about my poor Charizard? He needs some healing for his wounds he took from Kyurem.”  
“We’re out of options, Gary,” Robin smiled at me. “We’ll have to heal your Pokemon up manually.” He slipped his backpack off of his back and knelt down, opening the bag. His hands dug through it and he soon came out with two of the same items. “I have some Ethers. They’ll help out with the stamina of your Pokemon.”  
“Yeah? That’ll help out a bunch,” I said positively to Robin, smiling at the objects in his hands. “I think I might have a Revive in my bag, too!”  
“Good. That’ll boost energy,” Robin noted. “We’ll have to work with what we’ve got.”  
“Yeah,” I agreed. “But, even after Charizard is okay, that doesn’t help us figure out where Kiwi is. She’s long gone.”  
“Definitely,” Robin acknowledged, which brought me down even further. “But that doesn’t mean she’s gone for good. I told you, Giant Chasm and Lacunosa Town are not the final places for Kiwi to go.”  
“What did you mean by that?”  
“There’s one more place connected to Kyurem. I might be wrong, but there’s a chance that Kiwi has gone there.”  
“Where??”

*

“So, a Mythical Pokemon like Mew appeared before you, and informed you that it was a friend of yours from the past, and then deserted you?” Robin snickered. “You need to work on your buddies, man.”  
“Yeah, maybe I’ll start with you,” I snapped at him.  
Robin’s smile faded.  
“I know what I saw, okay? It was a Mew!”  
“Okay, okay. Take it easy. All I’m asking is, where is it now?”  
I swallowed. “I asked if it would help me against Kyurem, but it just Teleported me back to you guys after shaking its head.”  
“So, it gave you a ‘no’?”  
I sighed. “Seems so.”  
“Ha ha ha! One of the most powerful Pokemon in the world fled from Kyurem. Then again, those in Unova say that Kyurem is actually the most powerful Pokemon. There’s a lot of rumors about Kyurem. It’s hard to know what’s true and what’s not.”  
I pulled out my Pokedex and stared down at it, flipping through it carefully as I held onto my Charizard as he carried June and I through the air.  
“What are you looking for?” Robin inquired from the back of Dame Hydraen.  
“The Legends,” I answered.  
Robin didn’t speak after that, focusing on the path ahead.  
Reshiram. The Vast White Pokemon. This Legendary Pokemon of truth has immense power and can change the weather and move the world’s atmosphere when its tail flares. Its jet engine-like tail is used to accelerate itself to fly incredibly fast.

Zekrom. The Deep Black Pokemon. This Pokemon of Legend from Unova is said to be a defender of ideals. Zekrom’s tail is similar to an electrical generator and provides energy for attacks and can cause an anti-gravity field. This Pokemon hides in thunderclouds.

Kyurem. The Boundary Pokemon. Kyurem creates a powerful, freezing energy from within, but when the energy leaked out, its body became frozen. This Pokemon is rumored to be very vicious towards humans and Pokemon, so caution is suggested if approaching this Pokemon. Tales of its relation to Zekrom and Reshiram, varies.  
“Thousands of years ago, there were twin brothers who used a powerful Dragon Pokemon,” Kiwi’s words replayed in my mind. “The older brother wanted truth, and the younger brother wanted ideals. The Dragon Pokemon reacted to this and split into two Pokemon. With blazing, white-hot truth, the Dragon and Fire type, Reshiram, sided with the older brother. With determination like lightning, the black Dragon and Electric type, Zekrom, sided with the ideals of the younger brother. The Dragons battled each other, but were equally matched and unable to defeat the other.”  
There was once an original Dragon, I pondered. This Dragon split into two and each one chose a side. Truth and ideals.  
“It’s believed that when the original Dragon split into two, a third Dragon was born. A third Dragon, born without the heat of fire, or the surge of lightning, cold as ice, was left behind.”  
Kyurem was born after the original Dragon split, I thought. The remains of the original Dragon breaking apart. This, of course, is just what the legends say. There’s no proof of any of this… My eyes stared down at Kyurem in my Pokedex as I reflected on how Reshiram and Zekrom looked. The original Dragon… It’s nowhere in the Pokedex, from what I see. Did it ever really exist? Is there any data on this original Dragon? Do I need an upgrade? What did the original Dragon, a combination of Kyurem, Zekrom, and Reshiram, look like, if it ever did truly exist? Electric and Dragon. Fire and Dragon. Ice and Dragon. What type was this original Dragon? My eyes started to close on me against my will.  
Robin yawned loudly.  
I slipped my Pokedex into my pocket. I just need to lower my head a little bit as I try to find Kiwi and that Kyurem, I convinced myself. I don’t need sleep. I haven’t slept in a little over twenty-four hours, I think, but I’m fine. I have other things on my mind to worry about other than getting sleep. I glanced back briefly at June and smiled slightly. No wonder she’s been silent for so long.  
June had her arms wrapped tightly around Charizard’s back, her eyes closed, snoozing quietly.  
Seeing her sleeping so peacefully, Charizard flying carefully so as not to lose her, I rested my own head on Charizard’s back. But not to fall asleep. No. Not at all. I just was taking it easy until I could see Kyurem and Kiwi. Once I could spot them, I’d be ready to stop them.  
There was nothing in sight ahead except for the dark sky above and the trees and mountains beneath us.  
I’ll be ready once we find them, I thought. Robin’s leading the way to that place he said that Kiwi might be headed to with Kyurem. A basketball court or something… Something like that…

*

A loud roar ripped through my eardrums and I sat up quickly, my eyes popping open and then immediately closing shut hard from the bright light shining in my face, and I gripped the back of my Charizard out of instinct.  
June screamed from behind me.  
“It’s Kyurem!” Robin shouted.  
I turned to him, squinting underneath the sunlight. My eyes blinked repeatedly. Whoa! Where did the sun come from? Being awoken to the sun was difficult. I felt like my eyes would never adjust to the brightness. The loud, familiar roar made me squint hard to see ahead of me, but my sight was blinded.  
“KIWIIIIII!!!” Robin screamed from the back of Dame Hydraen, who was a short distance ahead of me, June, and Charizard. “IT’S ROBIIIIIN!! COME BAAAAAAACK!!!”  
My eyes adjusted enough to the light to see a shape far ahead of us.  
It was Kyurem, flying away.  
“KIWIIIIII!!” I screamed after Kyurem. “YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO THIIIS!!” I squinted hard at Kyurem’s back.  
“KIWIIIIII!!! LISTEN TO UUUUS!” Robin called.  
The sun above us, blazing hot, made it difficult to see.  
I could make out Kyurem, but I couldn’t spot Kiwi on the back of the Pokemon. And then I gasped. “Robin!” I turned to him in shock.  
Robin was squinting hard at Kyurem.  
“Guys! I don’t see Kiwi!” June noticed.  
“She’s on that thing! She has to be!” Robin kept his eyes on Kyurem.  
Kyurem let out a roar and opened its mouth. A mix of snow and ice flew out from it in a blizzard towards the ground. With another roar, orange flames replaced the Blizzard attack, burning from Kyurem’s jaws.  
I watched where the two attacks were headed, and that was when I saw the huge city far beneath us. “What is it doing?!”  
“Where is Kiwi?!” Robin screamed, realization in his voice revealing that he was now believing that she was not on Kyurem’s back.  
“Kyurem’s attacking the city!” June pointed out.  
Kyurem’s Blizzard had landed and immediately froze over a section of the city below, ice covering the streets, cars, and several buildings of varying heights.  
Some people who had been walking by on the sidewalk were frozen with shock on their faces, looking up at Kyurem, some pointing at the Legend.  
The people who weren’t caught in the Blizzard were now running in terror, screaming.  
Kyurem’s second move burned through the city, sweeping over it mercilessly. The flames crashed through buildings and vehicles, causing some to explode or collapse, and engulfed endless amounts of terrified people swiftly.  
“Kyurem’s attacking on its own, now? Where did Kiwi go?” I demanded.  
“Maybe Kyurem is still listening to Kiwi, somehow…” June said softly.  
I looked back to her. “What can you read off of it?”  
June turned to me and shook her head. “Nothing useful. Kyurem seems determined to attack that city, but I don’t know why. I can’t hear anything useful to explain any of this!”  
Frustrated, I turned back to see Kyurem send out more flames at the city, searing the land and people fleeing by foot and car.  
“I was right!” Robin exclaimed.  
I turned to him, waiting for him to explain.  
Robin looked back at me, and then June. When he turned to me again, he took me by surprise as a smile crossed his face. “I know where we are! Kyurem has to be headed exactly where I thought!”  
“The court?” I tried to remember what he had told us last night.  
“Full Court,” Robin reminded me. “It’s another place linked to Kyurem. It must be headed there.”  
“Why? What’s there? And where’s Kiwi?” I asked.  
“It’s what they call an abandoned mine near this city below us; Roshan City,” Robin explained. “It lies within a mountain crater. Legend states that Kyurem has a home in Full Court. I don’t really know much else about it.”  
“But is that where Kiwi is?”   
Robin shrugged at me. “I don’t know, but Kyurem seems to be headed there. Kiwi is nowhere in sight, but she seems to have some kind of connection with this Pokemon. I think our best bet is to follow it.”  
“I’m just worried. Kiwi isn’t with Kyurem. This could be a setup. Maybe we’re just being distracted!”  
“Maybe, but where else are we gonna go?” Robin replied.  
Kyurem was now leading us over a different setting of countless trees and grass.  
Far behind us, smoke was rising into the air from Roshan City.  
Kyurem turned its head back to us and let out a growl. It opened its mouth and its body released a white fog. Clear objects surrounded Kyurem’s body in a spinning circle, increasing in size as they became huge icicles, their deadly points aimed at the Legendary Dragon and Ice type. The icicles flew away from Kyurem, still spinning in a circle, the space between them widening as they spread apart more, and they surrounded Charizard, me, June, Dame Hydraen, and Robin, accompanied by the white fog.  
The fog blanketed us, blinding the view and bringing with it an unwelcome cold, causing me, June, Robin, Charizard, and Dame Hydraen to cry out from the shocking drop in the temperature.  
I gripped Charizard even tighter as his body gave a hard shiver in the sudden wind.  
The icicles then flew towards us.  
“Dodge it!!” Robin and I both ordered as June shrieked.  
Charizard flew underneath the icicles, Dame Hydraen ascending above them.  
The icicles smashed into each other.  
As Charizard flew out of the fog, I saw Kyurem roar in our direction and then fly away even faster.  
“After it!” I commanded Charizard, my body warming up instantly now that I was out of that chilling fog.  
“Go, Dame Hydraen!” Robin urged.  
Both Pokemon took off after Kyurem.  
“What’s that?” June questioned.  
I stared in awe at the sight up ahead.  
A very thin, gray mist was splashed throughout the area we were now in. The unnerving sight of a towering mountain was up ahead, with shorter, jagged spikes surrounding it, reaching for the sky.  
“Full Court!” Robin said strongly.  
Kyurem roared and zoomed forward, flying into the gaping opening at the top of the mountain.  
“I knew it!” Robin said, to my immense surprise, happily. “Kyurem entered Full Court! We have to follow it, guys! This is it!”  
“Keep going, then, Charizard!” I told my Pokemon.  
Charizard roared and flew even faster, trailing behind Dame Hydraen as she flew after Kyurem.  
Together.  
Dame Hydraen.  
Robin.  
Charizard.  
Me.  
And June.  
Followed Kyurem into Full Court.  
For a finale that surpassed anything we could have ever expected.  
Or wanted.


	74. Boxing With God

Charizard roared as he picked up speed, flying after where Kyurem had just entered.  
Dame Hydraen was ahead of Charizard by several feet.  
Charizard grunted as he struggled to keep up with the speedy Dragons, but he didn’t seem to be in the best shape right now.   
“We’re almost there, Charizard!” I encouraged him, staring down below, trying to see through the mist around us.   
Some sort of bridge was far below, just a long shadow extending out to the mountains ahead.  
Dame Hydraen and Robin flew into the opening of the mountain where Kyurem had gone, Charizard, June, and I following after them a few seconds later.  
The temperature dropped drastically as Charizard and Dame Hydraen dove down inside of the mountain.  
Robin inhaled sharply as I lost my breath entirely, unable to even gasp as I squeezed my eyes shut and tightened my arms and legs around Charizard’s body, June crying out from the sudden shock of cold we all felt.  
Dame Hydraen and Charizard let out stunned cries along with us.  
I shivered helplessly as cold wind blew into me from Charizard flying down so fast, and I gripped my Pokemon’s warm body even harder as I slowly squinted through my eyes. The sight inside of the mountain almost made me forget about the cold for a second.  
Everything seemed to be made of ice!  
As I stared at the beautiful ice designs that stretched across the ice walls and stuck out at random angles, creating a dangerous obstacle for Charizard and Dame Hydraen as they maneuvered around them, headed for the bottom, I realized that what looked like steel ladders, beams, towers, and other varying, metallic objects were frozen in the ice.  
“It’s like a castle made out of ice!” June exclaimed.  
“It’s kind of cold,” I shook in my T-shirt. I was getting sick of things going from hot to cold back and forth.  
“I hate the cold,” Robin complained. “Kyurem couldn’t have picked a place with a little sunlight?”  
Full Court was coated in ice from the walls to the floor below, where…  
“Kyurem!” the three of us yelled, Charizard and Dame Hydraen roaring with us.  
Kyurem stood on the ground, looking up at us. It roared.  
“Kyurem, stop!” I screamed at it.  
Charizard landed with Dame Hydraen.  
I leaped off of his back and stood next to him, glaring at Kyurem as I continued to shiver.  
June jumped after me and cried out as she stumbled on the ice coating the floor, slipping into me and holding herself up as she grabbed my shoulder.  
Robin also landed on the ground and stood by his Pokemon, holding onto her side.  
“Kyurem, you’re being used!” June insisted. “What you’re doing isn’t right! I need you to relax and listen to what I’m saying!”  
Kyurem opened its mouth wide and a white mist surrounded its body.  
“It’s doing that attack again!” I took a step back.  
Robin and June didn’t move.  
“Kyurem, don’t! Just listen to me!” June pleaded.  
“Kyurem, where’s Kiwi?” Robin yelled.  
Kyurem roared in response, ready to attack.  
A whitish-blue beam flew from out of nowhere and slammed into Kyurem.  
Kyurem’s attack was interrupted and it roared as it was tossed backwards through the air. Its roar was increased as it slammed into the icy wall, the force causing the two spikes of ice on Kyurem’s wings to smash apart. Gray tendril-like appendages waved around in the air frantically, reaching out from where its wings had been.  
I couldn’t read the Pokemon, but the change of tone in its roar easily told me that Kyurem was in pain, and I could see why.  
Kyurem had just slammed into several sharp icicles that were jutting out from the wall.  
The wall had a wide splash of blood on it now.  
Blood was dripping rapidly to the floor underneath the Legendary Pokemon. It roared desperately, staring down at its body as it heaved hard, the large icicles jabbed through its back.  
The entire court was shaking, small icicles falling from above and breaking on the ground.  
Before I could turn to see what had knocked Kyurem aside, Robin yelled, “WATCH OUT!!”  
I turned to him and saw him pointing up. My eyes looked up and I gasped. “KYUREM!”  
June stared up and screamed.  
Dame Hydraen and Charizard uttered a shocked noise as they also stared at what we were looking at.  
Huge icicles were falling from the wall of the mountain and headed right for Kyurem!   
Kyurem was struggling to free itself from the icicles that were still stabbed inside of it, stomping its feet and roaring helplessly.  
Full Court quaked even harder.  
The sharp shards of ice hit Kyurem, starting with one giant stab in its back, even more blood splattering the wall behind it instantly.  
June’s breathe came out with a sickened lurching sound and she lowered her head.  
Robin groaned in disgust and turned away, covering his mouth with one hand.  
Dame Hydraen let out a cry and turned away, also covering her mouth.  
Charizard just watched in shock with me.  
Another shard of ice landed in Kyurem’s lowering back, spurting out a large amount of blood and dropping the roaring Dragon to its knees. Two more icicles followed suit, one stabbing through Kyurem’s back while the other one stabbed its left arm, more blood spraying out. The Pokemon was forced down to its face, breathing hard, its breath coming out in painful gasps as blood ran down from the wounds on the creature.  
“Kyurem!” June ran towards the injured Pokemon.  
“Don’t take another step!” a voice ordered.  
June tried to stop and she slipped to the frozen floor.  
We all turned to see who had spoken.  
“You won’t be getting in the way, June,” Kiwi said nastily. In her hands was a large cannon!  
This item was thick and almost as tall as the short Kiwi herself. Three small dots on the side of it sat near the barrel, which was thicker than the rest of the gun. A black screen was at the top of the cannon, barely visible against the gray weapon. A red dial was near the trigger, where Kiwi’s finger was wrapped around. Several black buttons sat behind the trigger.  
“I don’t need your Pokemon talking powers to ruin what I’ve worked so hard to accomplish. You won’t interfere! Back up!”  
June looked from the weapon in Kiwi’s hands, to the weakly moaning Kyurem. “You hurt Kyurem…” June said fearfully.  
“I’ll kill you on the spot if you don’t get back with the other two and their rotten monsters,” Kiwi threatened, pointing the gun at June.  
Me and Robin’s Pokemon growled at Kiwi.  
Kiwi didn’t bat an eye.  
June didn’t move.  
“June, just get back here!” I insisted, fear bringing my heart into my throat.  
“June, please! We can’t help Kyurem now, anyway!” Robin begged. “Not with Kiwi in the way!”  
June turned to Robin, then to me, then to Kiwi, and finally to Kyurem.  
Kiwi grabbed the dial of her familiar looking cannon and twisted it.  
The screen by the top of the cannon glowed white, displaying a series of rapidly spinning black numbers and letters.  
I gasped as I now recognized the large item Kiwi held. “June!”  
June crawled backwards immediately, keeping her wide eyes on Kiwi.  
Kiwi sneered at June and released the dial, nodding slowly.  
The white light from the screen of the cannon faded quickly to black.  
“Now, return those two.” She waved her cannon at Charizard and Dame Hydraen.  
They both snarled viciously at Kiwi before Robin and I returned them, our glaring eyes on her cannon.  
“You three will be able to witness the events that will give the planet Earth new meaning. That will redefine everything!” She turned to me and snickered.  
My eyes were glued to her weapon.  
“Familiar with this, aren’t you?”  
I didn’t answer her, but I did look into her eyes.  
They were cold. Uncaring. So unlike the girl I had grown up with. “I know what occurred in Ghyst Town. The brown child with a gap between his front teeth, and the redheaded white girl. That was all I needed to know.”  
The cannon in Kiwi’s hands looked almost exactly like the one Ray was using in Ghyst Town when the Litwick were taking over. The cannon that was able to utilize Pokemon attacks and increase their power to incredible levels.  
“You two, plaguing Team Solace for so long.” Kiwi shook her head. “Even if Isaac had actually succeeded with his plan at the Pokemon League in Kanto, it wouldn’t have been enough. A set of bombs blowing up only two-thirds of the Kanto region? Tsk, tsk. That isn’t enough to create worldwide fear and control. I love Isaac, but he was not only defeated, he was killed. He wasn’t immortal, so he wasn’t perfect. He was not the true God. He had flaws, and he was unable to see them.”  
“Kiwi, nobody lives forever,” I said carefully. “All people have flaws. Me, June, Robin, you. Nobody’s-”  
“I am God!!” Kiwi bellowed at me. “I am perfect!! I will never die!!” She rubbed the cannon in her hands. “And with this right here, I can prove it. I can prove once and for all that Pokemon are evil, as Team Solace has proven all this time, but thanks to fools like the three of you around, constantly defending Pokemon, our message has not come through to everyone like we wanted. So, those against us will suffer. Ignorance will not be bliss in this new world I create.”  
“No, Kiwi,” I said determinedly. “You’re wrong.”  
“We’ll see how wrong I am, Gary. We’ll have all the answers after this.” She looked at her gun and grabbed the red dial on it.  
“Pokemon aren’t perfect, Kiwi!” I said loudly to her.  
Kiwi squinted at me.  
June turned to look at me, Robin also staring at me.  
“Pokemon were never perfect, Kiwi. They wreck this planet daily, kill people and each other, and make a lot of things a lot more difficult than they have to be in this world,” I said shakily.  
Kiwi stared at me blankly.  
June and Robin were also silent.  
“But, so do people!” I continued.  
Kiwi sneered and shook her head.  
“People do just as much evil as Pokemon! Team Solace has proven this perfectly! People and Pokemon get along in this world, benefit each other, and make this planet far more enjoyable, together! Without the other, I can’t even imagine how much more different this world would be! Both people and Pokemon also both destroy each other. There’s good and bad in both species. Team Solace failed to prove Pokemon are evil. They never did that! Pokemon aren’t perfect. Nobody and nothing is! That’s all Team Solace has proven, if anything. Nothing else. You’re not a god, Kiwi!!”  
“I am the God,” Kiwi responded calmly but sternly. “But why waste time arguing this when I can demonstrate, once and for all, exactly how and why?”  
Kyurem called out weakly from the ground, grabbing our attention. Blood was pooled around the Pokemon. It groaned with heart wrenching pain, a sound which would have brought emotion through the body of anyone with a soul.  
Surely Kiwi can sympathize with this Pokemon, I thought, holding back tears. She can’t be so cold as to see past the pain she’s putting it through. “Wait.” I turned to Kiwi as I realized what was going on. “Kiwi! You attacked Kyurem?”  
Kiwi turned to me. “Duuuhh.”  
“But, why?” June cried from the floor, taking the words right out of my mouth. “I thought you were using Kyurem to rule the world or something! You think you’re some great hero for Kyurem, don’t you? Why are you attacking Kyurem, then?”  
Kiwi smiled at June. “I am the hero for this world. I used Kyurem to prove it. How could I control such a powerful, Legendary Dragon type so easily if I weren’t the hero? You witnessed this for yourselves, and yet you still oppose me. You’re far more than just innocently ignorant. You’re actually stupid. With Kyurem as my proof that I am meant to reign, I no longer need it. It’s now disposable.”  
“How sick can you get?!” June screamed shrilly. “You used Kyurem to make some kind of point to yourself, and now you’re just going to kill the poor creature??”  
“Kyurem only proved how kind Pokemon can be!” I yelled out.  
Kiwi turned to me.  
“If Pokemon are so evil, why didn’t Kyurem just kill you on the spot?” I demanded. “It didn’t! It helped you! This just proves how good Pokemon are!”  
Kiwi burst out laughing. “Good? A good Pokemon burns down cities? Didn’t you see what it did to Roshan City? Lacunosa Town? Is that the good you are trying to prove Pokemon are for this world?”  
“You ordered Kyurem to do that!” June accused.   
“I’m not its Trainer,” Kiwi shrugged. “It attacked on its own free will.”  
“You manipulated Kyurem!” June argued.  
“Enough!” Kiwi turned the dial on her cannon, the screen lighting up again. “All of this damn talking has gone far enough. You’ve all proven exactly how worthless you are to even breathe on this planet, let alone think logically. You can’t see what’s clear, so I’ll just have to rid the likes of all of you at once.”  
June got to her feet and stumbled over to me. She grabbed my arm with her hands. “That’s that weapon that can use Pokemon moves,” June stated, keeping her eyes on the gun. “She’s got one, too.”  
“What?!” Robin looked at June as if she had just turned into a Pokemon.  
Kiwi looked up at June. “This is actually far more advanced. The one you two are familiar with was just a prototype. I would never let anyone use this one. This was made specifically for me. The strength of the moves I can control is even greater than the prototype. The move list for this cannon is far more vast. But, really, there is only one move I need to bring in the new world.”  
“What move?” I asked hesitantly, not really wanting an answer. I just wanted all of this madness to end already!  
“A move fit solely for God.” Kiwi lowered the bottom of her cannon to the floor and stared at us all in turn. “Arceus, ‘The Original One,’ as some claim it to be. A Pokemon that supposedly created the Sinnoh region, and some even say, the entire Universe. I’ve read that, in ancient times, Arceus protected the destruction of Earth by slamming into a meteor that threatened the planet. Arceus was saved by some guy who came around and Arceus lent the man some of its power to rebuild the land that was dying. The man returned the power to Arceus, and Arceus said it would return one day in the distant future. It did, and it was pleased with what it saw, and then departed again. But then, there are rumors of another story of Arceus that’s entirely different…”  
I have to figure out a way to get through to Kiwi, I thought. While she’s talking, she’s keeping busy by not attacking with that cannon. If I can get that thing away from her, she’s helpless. No Kyurem to battle by her side or anything!  
“There’s a contradicting tale that states, when the man was supposed to return the power to Arceus, he was put under some kind of spell that made him betray and attack it,” Kiwi went on. “Arceus was hurt, but in a rage, attacked back with devastating force before leaving the planet. It rested after this fight, promising to return to deliver justice to humans. When it did return, the descendents of the people who betrayed Arceus attempted to return the power to it, but they didn’t know they had a fake version of it. Arceus was pretty pissed, thinking it was a purposeful trick by humans, and it attempted to destroy the planet, but the Legends, Palkia, Dialga, and Giratina, supposedly the rulers of space, time, and antimatter, appeared and used their powers to clear up the misunderstanding, and the wrath of Arceus was subsided. But the details are unimportant, honestly. It’s Arceus that’s the interest, here.”  
“What about it…?” I asked her cautiously.  
“The move Arceus was going to use to bring justice to Earth is… Perfection,” Kiwi smiled at me.  
I squinted in confusion. “Perfection?” I didn’t recognize the move.  
Kiwi nodded. “The perfect move. A move that can only be used by God. A move that will attack the planet and destroy all life on it, except for the lives of those who have sided with Team Solace. The ultimate move! A move called Judgment!”  
The move is called Judgment, then? I questioned. “But, if Arceus can use that move, then it can’t be used as you say!” I reasoned. “Arceus wouldn’t have a move to spare people who are against Pokemon! Arceus is a Pokemon! You’re not making any sense, Kiwi. I really think we should talk this over.”  
Kiwi shook her head and patted her gun with one hand repeatedly. “You misunderstand, and underestimate, the power of this device. I control the move. Judgment will react according to my will!”  
“You crazy bitch. I’ve had about enough of this!” June’s bag dropped to the floor and she opened it, digging inside before standing up with a Poke Ball in her hand. “You’re done, Kiwi! Electivire, let’s go!”  
“June!” I tackled her to the icy floor and we slid to a stop. I grabbed her wrist and held her down. “We can’t attack her!”  
“Gary!” June shouted at me, and she shoved me off of her. She got to her feet and pulled back her hand holding the Poke Ball.  
I leaped to my feet, trying not to slip on the ice, and I blocked her, extending my arms. “No, June! I won’t let you!”  
“Get out of my way!!” June barked at me.  
“NO!” I said firmly. “I won’t let you!! Nobody has to get hurt here! Nobody has to die! Nothing is going to go wrong! Kiwi won’t do it! She won’t!” I turned to Kiwi. “Don’t you remember Aly?”   
Anger took over Kiwi’s face. “How dare you speak her name,” she growled. “You’re not worthy!” She raised her cannon and pointed it at me.  
I jumped in reaction, my heart nearly popping, but I stood my ground. “I’m not running!” I told Kiwi. “Not anymore! Not from anybody! Not from anything! This can’t be about Aly! Aly believed in Pokemon! She knew they were good! Killing them isn’t what she would have wanted!”   
“She was brainwashed like you three! A sacrifice for what is next to come!” Kiwi insisted.  
“She was a Pokemon Trainer, like you!”  
“I didn’t know better, and neither did she! She didn’t live long enough to understand! She would have come around!”  
“She died refusing to side with Team Solace!”  
“She died because of Pokemon!”  
“Pokemon are our friends!” Aly had screamed in the Lavender Radio Tower, taking a step towards Isaac who had been speaking about Team Solace on the radio, live, while holding the entire station hostage.  
“Stop it!” I had shouted, pulling her back.  
“NO!” Aly had screamed, squirming out of my grasp.  
Guns were being pointed at us by other members of Team Solace.  
“I’m not afraid of these bullies!” she had told me. “You have to stand for what you believe in. You can’t just cower away! How can we win if we let people like this step all over us?”  
I shook my head. “Aly died for the Pokemon! They were her friends! We were her friends! I’m not cowering away from you! I’m standing my ground! For Aly! People like Team Solace won’t step over me, Kiwi! Don’t let Team Solace step over you!”  
“I think at this point, killing you will be a pleasure,” Kiwi leered. She grabbed the red dial of her weapon.  
“Your path is only that which is laid out depending on the things you encountered, what you learn, and how you will react,” Gene had told me.  
What I’ve encountered… I repeated to myself, my eyes on Kiwi’s hand twisting the dial. What I’ve learned… How I will react…  
“Believe in your power, Gary,” Gene had said.  
Believe in my power… I told myself, glaring into Kiwi’s eyes. This is it. Right now. Whether I live or die from this, I have to believe in myself! This is the gray area. “Take your best shot, Kiwi!!” I said bravely. “I’m not running!!”  
Kiwi kept her eyes on mine, pressing a couple of the black buttons that sat behind the trigger. “Suit yourself.” She squeezed the trigger and the three dots near the barrel lit up in turn.  
“CATHERINE, PROTECT!!” Robin ordered.  
A large, white shape formed in front of me, and it gave way to the body of a Blastoise! “BLASTOOOOOOOOISE!!!” A blue force field surrounded me and Blastoise as a large, silver beam was fired from Kiwi’s gun and took the form of a huge, spinning drill.  
The silver drill hit Catherine’s Protect and tried to drill its way through, white sparks shooting off between the struggle, but in the next couple of seconds, the drill disappeared.  
Catherine looked back at me and smiled. “Blastoise!”  
The Protect faded from around us.  
“Catherine!” I smiled.  
“Blastoise! Blast!” she exclaimed happily.  
“You… You saved me! Catherine!!”  
Robin ran past us and stopped in front of his Pokemon. “If you’re not siding with Aly, then you’re against her!” he pointed at Kiwi angrily. “You’re against all of us! I’ve heard more than enough! I hate to say this, but there’s no way to end this peacefully!”  
June also ran forward, stopping next to Robin. She had her Electivire’s Poke Ball in her hand and her bag was open, hanging from her right shoulder.  
“You guys can’t do this!” I ran desperately, my feet slipping on the ice, but I kept my balance and ran in front of my friends tearfully.  
“Gary, it’s time to stop being so stupid!!” Robin looked furious. “She just tried to kill you again! We have no choice but to fight! I know it’s Kiwi, but that doesn’t matter to her, so it shouldn’t have to matter to us any longer!”  
Several white beams of light flew out from June’s bag and landed on the ground, causing June to cry out in surprise and stare at her bag in confusion. The beams of light took the form of individual creatures.  
Ampharos bleeted determinedly.  
“Magnezone!” Magnezone cried.  
“Pika!” Pikachu shouted.  
“Manectric!” Manectric growled.  
“Blllitzle!” Blitzle exclaimed.  
Lanturn cried out at Kiwi with a serious look.  
“Galvantula!” Galvantula hissed.  
Rotom cried out, smiling.  
“Vaporeon!” Vaporeon said, looking elegant on her legs, her tail in the air.  
A white beam fired from the Poke Ball in June’s hand as the Pokemon broke free from the capsule.  
“Electiviiiirrrre…” Electivire growled, flexing his muscles.  
“Yeah!” Robin nodded with approval, smiling. He grabbed his Poke Balls from his waist and tossed them.  
A big blue Pokemon landed on all fours and cried out loudly, a long, beige horn reaching high into the air, sticking out from its head.  
Breakfast raised its spoons. “Alakazam!”  
“Audino!” an Audino cried, staring uncharacteristically seriously past me.  
A strange looking creature appeared as another one of Robin’s Pokemon. It was wrapped up in blue cloth and had a disgruntled face. It said its name in as nasty a voice as the look it had in its eyes.  
Dame Hydraen roared dangerously and stomped once on the ground, taking a step forward.  
Kiwi laughed. “Here I am.” She waved her cannon with both hands. “You have no idea what you’re messing with. It must be an honor to be destroyed by God. To even be allowed to battle against me when I could so easily smear your blood along this frozen floor in one motion.”  
I ran past the Pokemon and their Trainers, stopping in front of Kiwi, and I turned my back on her, extending my arms out in front of me. “Just wait, you guys!! All of you!! June, Robin, Kiwi! Look at what’s happening between us!!”  
“Gary, you’re really starting to tick me off with this peacemaker crap!” Robin snapped at me.  
“Move it, Gary, or you’re gonna get hurt!” June warned me.  
I narrowed my eyebrows and my hands fell to my sides. “What do you mean, ‘hurt’?”  
June swallowed and then spoke, “Move it! If I have to get you moved myself, I’ll do it!”  
“Are you threatening to attack me?” I gasped.  
“Gary.” June stopped, glaring at me.  
“Gary, there’s no time left! Get out of the damn way or I’ll do it!” Robin’s hands were in impatient fists, his teeth bared and his body shaking visibly.  
So it’s come to this, I realized.  
Robin, and his Pokemon waiting for their Trainer’s orders.  
June, and her Pokemon waiting for their Trainer’s orders.  
Kiwi with a cannon with the power to kill all life on Earth.  
And me.  
I refuse to fight, I told myself determinedly. “THEN DO IT!” I raged at June and Robin.  
A white beam flew out next to me, and a roar made me stumble back a couple of feet.  
“Charizard!” I smiled up at my Pokemon.  
Charizard stomped past me angrily and roared at the opposing Pokemon, his voice echoing terrifyingly.  
June swallowed again and took a nervous step back.  
Robin stood his ground, but his angry face did soften up with fear at my Charizard.  
“Charizard, no!” I ran in front of him and faced Robin, June, and their Pokemon, pushing out one hand behind me, holding back Charizard. “We’re not fighting!” I pleaded, my voice cracking with emotion. “None of us are going to fight! We don’t have to fight!”  
“I’m tired of you saying that, Gary!!” Robin shouted at the top of his lungs.  
June looked away from Charizard and glared at Kiwi behind me. “Then screw it!” She bared her teeth with her next words: “Pokemon, attack!”  
“GOOOOOO!!” Robin pointed at me.  
June’s Pokemon came at me on cue, without any hesitation.  
Ampharos’s body was outlined in electrical sparks.  
Magnezone flew forward.  
Manectric bared her teeth, her body sparking.  
Electivire’s fists were sparking with electricity as he roared.  
Pikachu’s cheeks sparked.  
Lanturn bounced hard to get to me.  
Galvantula’s body sparked brightly.  
Vaporeon ran quickly, faster than the rest of June’s Pokemon.  
Blitzle’s mane flashed yellow as he ran to attack me, sparks flying from his body.  
Rotom’s smile faded as it flew above the Pokemon, headed for me, its ghostly appendages waving at its sides, lighting up from electricity.  
Five of Robin’s collection of Pokemon charged towards me with June’s Pokemon.  
Catherine and I met eyes for a second.  
She was the only one of Robin’s Pokemon to not move. That changed in the following second.  
My eyes were glued to hers as she took one step forward.   
This step was followed by a second step, and then she closed her eyes. “STOOOOOOOISE!!” She narrowed her closed eyes and ran forward blindly, joining the Pokemon who were nearing me.  
I don’t really know what Gene was talking about, I admitted, my eyes on the Pokemon approaching me. And really, it doesn’t matter anymore. I’ll die for what I believe in.   
The Pokemon were only feet away.  
I’ll die alone, with my friends fighting against me, I told myself as Charizard roared behind me. I won’t be silenced. Just like Aly.  
Charizard ascended into the air and flew past me, to the crowd of attacking Pokemon, roaring powerfully.  
A ball of white light flew in front of the raging Pokemon and suddenly…  
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!  
The ball exploded in a bright flash, blinding me, and screams were heard everywhere, including from my own throat, as the explosion threw me through the air.  
I coughed out in pain as I bounced along the floor and ended up tumbling. When I came sliding to a stop, I was still choking, gasping for air and trying to catch my breath. My ears were ringing from the noise of the mysterious object that blew up, my heart sitting right on my tongue, throbbing within my mouth. I was trembling on the ground, afraid to even open my eyes.  
The sound of glass, or perhaps ice, breaking, sounded continuously for a moment.  
Groans from the Pokemon filled the air.  
June coughed weakly, moaning.  
Robin was grunting and muttering something I couldn’t hear from far away.  
“Your stupid bickering has gone far enough,” Kiwi’s voice said, and I heard footsteps approaching from behind me.  
Groaning, I managed to roll over and opened my eyes slowly.  
Kiwi had her cannon in her arms, walking over to me. “I just took out every Pokemon there with one Explosion attack. I didn’t even have it set to half the maximum strength I could have set it to. What do you think you can truly do to stop me? Stop fighting the inevitable. Concede to my power. Admit to my superior strength and maybe you’ll be spared Judgment’s destruction.”  
I glared at her, but sighed weakly. I was out of strength to argue with or fight her. I was defeated.  
Kiwi smiled down at me evilly.  
A sharp chittering noise from above me reached my ears.  
I wouldn’t have had the energy to look up to see what it was if Kiwi hadn’t looked up in surprise. I rolled onto my back and looked up at a Pokemon! “Rotom,” I whispered.  
Rotom glared down at Kiwi and charged up a Shadow Ball!   
Kiwi smiled and raised her cannon at Rotom, turning the dial, causing the screen to turn on, and she quickly pressed a button.  
With a cry, Rotom tossed the attack at her.  
Kiwi squeezed the trigger of her gun and the three dots near the barrel lit up in turn before the weapon fired a much larger black ball at Rotom.  
Rotom’s Shadow Ball was torn through easily and Kiwi’s attack slammed into Rotom!  
Rotom wailed out and was dropped to the floor of the mountain.  
That was when I got the chance to see the collective behind me.  
Charizard, Ampharos, Breakfast, Audino, Pikachu, Lanturn, Manectric, Galvantula, Magnezone, Vaporeon, Dame Hydraen, Electivire, Catherine, Rotom, Blitzle, and Robin’s last two Pokemon I didn’t recognize were all laid out far apart from each other, motionless on their backs.  
June was on her knees by her Lanturn, her hand on her Pokemon’s stomach as she gazed down at her Rotom in disbelief.  
Robin was by Catherine, laying shakily on her stomach as he stared at Kiwi weakly.  
“Now that’s how you use a Shadow Ball!” Kiwi cackled mercilessly.  
The sound of her laughter rang through my ears, filling my head. My teeth grit against each other and I shakily got to my feet as my eyebrows narrowed, keeping my eyes on my friends and their Pokemon. What have I done? I’ve jeopardized the lives of my friends, myself, and our Pokemon. And for what?  
Kyurem wasn’t moving, laying in a wide pool of its own blood. Possibly even dead.  
Kiwi continued to laugh.  
I couldn’t take it anymore! I whipped around to see Kiwi staring right at me. I grabbed at my waist. “Kiwi, you’ve gone too far! You’ve been gone too far! I should have put an end to this a long time ago, but I tried to reason with you! No more! Darmanitan, Sawk, Seismitoad, go!” I threw three Poke Balls.  
“Seismitoooooad!!” Seismitoad gurgled angrily.  
“DARMANITAN!” Darmanitan roared, slamming both fists to the ground threateningly.  
“Sawk!” Sawk bowed before Kiwi before taking his karate stance.  
“Hydro Pump, Seismitoad! Darmanitan, Flare Blitz! Sawk, use Close Combat!” If they all attack her at once, she won’t be able to focus on just one of them, I told myself. One of these three guys has to land an attack. It’s all I need! Just one hit!  
Seismitoad inhaled deeply, puffing out his chest, and then he sent out a huge stream of water from his mouth.  
Kiwi twisted the dial of her gun, smiling.  
Darmanitan charged forth and his body was covered in flames. He leaped at Kiwi.  
Kiwi pressed a button.  
Sawk ran to Kiwi, ready to strike.  
Kiwi squeezed the trigger of her weapon.  
The gun sent out a turquoise beam that immediately stopped in midair and formed a wall in front of her.  
Seismitoad’s attack hit the wall and didn’t go any further. He cried out in frustration.  
Darmanitan and Sawk both collided with the wall, the fire dying from around Darmanitan’s body as he hit it and flew backwards, Sawk swinging punches and kicks at it before backing away and yelling out.  
“Protect,” I muttered bitterly.  
Kiwi turned the dial on her gun around and then pressed a couple of buttons.  
“Kiwi’s next move!” I shouted.  
The Protect faded and Kiwi aimed her gun and squeezed the trigger.  
A beam bluer than the waters of the ocean fired out and then transformed right before our eyes into a lengthening, widening wave of water!  
“Surf!” I screamed out.  
The wave crashed into my Pokemon and they all screamed out in a sound that could only be described as defeat.  
I looked down at them as they all slid to a stop in a heap near my sneakers, and I swallowed in shock. “You guys…” I said weakly. I stared up at Kiwi.  
“You haven’t even seen the worst, yet, Gary!” Kiwi laughed, and she turned the dial of her gun again.  
We can’t even touch her with that weapon, I realized. She can do almost any Pokemon move, and with unbelievable power! I looked down at my three wiped out Pokemon, and then I glanced back at the crowd behind me, June and Robin turning to me, all hope gone from their faces. What was I thinking? I wondered, turning to Kiwi as she pressed several buttons on her dangerous toy. She took out… ten… sixteen… seventeen Pokemon in one hit. What did I think I could really do with just three? I got my Pokemon hurt for nothing.  
Kiwi stared up at the ceiling and pointed her gun into the air carefully, seeming to be aiming for the opening at the top of the mountain. She looked down at us all with satisfaction. “Gary, June, Robin, and all your filthy creatures before you,” Kiwi addressed us. “Judgment Day is here. Take your final breaths and watch, before your very eyes, Judgment!” She squeezed the trigger.  
The mouth of the gun glowed brightly in a shimmering gold color.  
I stumbled backwards in amazement, watching this move take place. Is there really no way to stop this? I thought, watching her gun. A way to stop her gun…  
“No!” June begged Kiwi.  
Taking me by surprise, a beam of white light fired out from close by me. My eyes landed on the white light that took shape before it faded away to reveal what it truly was. “Hey!! What are you doing?!”  
June gasped.  
Porygon-Z looked down at Kiwi and started spinning in the air like a clock, keeping its eyes on the glowing attack before it.  
Staring at my Porygon-Z, a last second idea suddenly came to mind.  
Before I could stop myself.  
Before I could think the thought all the way through…  
I opened my mouth. “Porygon-Z! I need you to listen to me!”  
Porygon-Z whined and turned around to face me.  
My chest expanded as I took the deepest breath I could possibly take. “GET INTO THAT MACHINE!!!” I bellowed.  
Porygon-Z whined and shivered in place for a second before flying at Kiwi.  
“It’s too late!” Kiwi screamed at me, her now enraged eyes on Porygon-Z.  
An orange orb formed from the mouth of the gun.  
“Oh, my gosh! Gary!” June gasped in horror.  
Porygon-Z neared the gun, and a glowing white hole appeared on the side of the weapon itself.   
Kiwi gasped and shook her large gun frantically, but the white hole didn’t move from her cannon. “What is this thing?!”  
A cry was followed by a little figure that zipped right over my head.  
“ROTOM!!!” June shrieked. “GET BACK HERE!!!”  
Porygon-Z zipped right into the hole, and Rotom flew as fast as it could, entering the hole just a couple of seconds later.  
The white hole closed up behind Rotom and disappeared.  
In the next instant, the orange orb from Kiwi’s gun faded away, and the gold glow around the mouth vanished.  
Kiwi’s eyes bulged out in shock, and she shook her gun. “What?!” She shook it again, which was visibly hard to do with such a large, and surely heavy, weapon. She squeezed the trigger.   
Nothing happened.  
“Whaaaaat?!?!” She smacked the gun several times and then squeezed the trigger repeatedly. When nothing occurred, she whipped her head to me, resembling Medusa.  
I turned to stone, unable to move, terrified but happy that Judgment had just been stopped. It really worked!  
“You little mother f-” She squeezed the trigger and the mouth of the gun started glowing gold again! She gasped and smiled. “Yes!” She aimed the gun at the ceiling of the mountain and turned to me, looking at me like I was freshly puked. “You didn’t really think you’d be able to stop me, did you? You little shit. You can’t stop the plan of God! FACE MY JUDGMENT!!!”  
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!  
I wasn’t sure what had exploded. Smoke filled the place and I was forced backwards, sliding on the ice until I came to a stop against something. Choking repeatedly, I squinted through the smoke, but I couldn’t make out anything.  
The sound of more ice crashing to the ground was heard, coming to a stop shortly after.  
“Rotooooom!!!” June called out.  
“Gary!! What’s going on?” Robin’s voice cracked.  
I swatted my hands through the air, trying to clear it in vain, and my hands collapsed at my sides. I wanted to call out to my friends to let them know I was okay, but I would have rather just slept. Passed out. I was too low on energy to do much else. Except for one thing.  
The Pokemon behind me groaned loudly.  
The noises startled me. I was unaware that I had landed so close to them. Coughing a few times, I managed to burst out, “KIWIIIII!!” The energy used to scream caused me to hack loudly several times. I didn’t hear anything from Kiwi, but as the smoke began to clear out, I could make out a figure up ahead of me, floating high above. I squinted up at it. “Kiwi?”  
No. It was Rotom!  
“Rotom!” I smiled at it tiredly.  
“Rotom?” I heard movement from somewhere behind me. “Rotom!”  
Rotom didn’t even respond to its own Trainer.  
I was starting to see more clearly now, and I realized that Rotom was staring down at something.  
The usual smile on its face was nowhere to be seen.  
I looked down to see what it was staring at. “NO!” I scrambled on the slippery ice on my hands and knees to the thing lying underneath Rotom.  
“Kiwi!” Robin’s footsteps pounded into the ice as he ran towards, and then past, me. He stopped running several feet away and knelt down next to something on the ground.  
June let out a startled cry behind me. “Please, no…”  
My hands rested on the center of attention between me and Rotom, the air around us clearing out more as time passed. I felt as if an icicle from Full Court had forced its way through my chest and into my heart, my heart now bleeding nothing but pain and sadness, the chill from the icicle gripping my body, freezing me solid.  
“I have to get her to a Pokemon Center!” Robin called out. “Dame Hydraen, please! I need you!” Robin ran away from Kiwi. As he ran past me, he slowed down, glancing at what I had my eyes on. He then ran even harder past me.  
I didn’t look behind me to see what he was doing, but I heard Dame Hydraen grunt weakly.  
“Dame Hydraen, we don’t have much time,” Robin said softly to his Pokemon. “Please!”  
The sound of Pokemon being returned to their Poke Balls sounded.   
“Dame Hydraen, are you okay to carry me and Kiwi out of here?” Robin asked his Pokemon.  
Dame Hydraen cried out an answer with much more strength than before.  
Robin grunted as he ran past me again, glancing back at me, and a cold gust of wind blew past me from Dame Hydraen flying after him.   
The Dragon type lowered herself to the ground.  
Robin struggled to lift up the motionless Kiwi as he just barely managed to get her onto Dame Hydraen’s back. Robin then climbed on the back of his Flying type. A couple of minutes later, he called, “Gary!! June!! I’ll get Kiwi to safety! I’ll get help back here!”  
I didn’t say anything, tears dripping on the lifeless form as my hands tightened around its body.  
“I-I-I’ll check on Kyurem…” June whispered to someone, and she slowly walked away from me.  
Dame Hydraen flew into the sky at the speed of light, out of sight and out of the mountain in perhaps a second’s time.  
I heard the pained groans of the remaining Pokemon behind me.  
June’s slow footsteps came to a stop near Kyurem.   
I could hear her whispered voice say soft words inaudible to my ears.  
Several Pokemon walked over to join June, moving away from me slowly, while another group of Pokemon stayed behind me.  
I could hear Charizard’s low growl of a cry.  
Sawk’s deep voice muttered behind me.  
Seismitoad gurgled sadly.  
Darmanitan let out his breath lowly.  
My hands pulled Porygon-Z into my arms, and I cradled its still body.  
Its appendages and tail drooped lifelessly.  
Its head remained on the ground, silent.

*

“It’s really great that your mom is letting you do this,” June said softly.  
I simply nodded once, gazing at the boardwalk.  
A small number of people were walking by us as we sat on a bench underneath the hot sun dazzling above. Several stands selling food, toys, clothes, and a variety of other things were lined up on either side of the boardwalk, bored and otherwise hot vendors inside, gazing at the beach beyond. The sounds of kids laughing, adults calling out, and splashing water was constant.  
Seagulls were mixed with Wingull, both creatures crying out from above the sand, flying around slowly in the blue sky dotted with large, puffy white clouds.  
Pelipper and another group of seagulls flew over the water in wide, slow circles.  
I gazed down the boardwalk that led off of the beach and to a wooden pier that stretched out alongside the ocean, stopping several feet past an enormous ship that sat docked.  
“Are you alright, Gary?” June asked me.  
I squinted down at my black sneakers. “How do you feel?” I asked her, turning to stare at her.  
She brushed aside her red hair. She couldn’t even hide her smile. “I’m excited. I’m happy to be going back home. To be back with my family.” She took a deep, shaky breath. “I’m gonna be a Gym Leader again!”  
I smiled and nodded. “That was a pretty serious phone call.”  
“You have no idea! When I had spoke to my parents, and they told me to call Lt. Surge the next day, I was practically losing my mind with anticipation! I had no idea what could be so important that he had wanted to speak to me, but they told me he wasn’t home and that he’d be back in Vermillion the next day. I wasn’t sure I’d have the privacy at any other time than during your match with Courtney that day, so I took it as a chance to speak to him. I never would have imagined he would be asking me to return as a Gym Leader!”  
“Well, finally mastering Electivire and building a relationship with him must have really shown him your growth,” I told her.  
June nodded. “I’m glad I told my parents. I’m glad they passed that on to Lt. Surge! This is all just so wonderful!”  
I smiled wider at her joy and looked away from her to the wooden planks of the floor beneath us. A funny feeling built up in my eyes and I decided to look up into the sky instead. My eyes closed against the sun. Inhaling deeply, I held my breath.  
“My ship will be leaving soon,” June said quietly.  
I opened my eyes and exhaled, squinting against the sun in the sky. “Yeah.”  
Neither of us spoke after that.  
The sound of a camera going off made us turn around.  
A girl lowered her Pineapple smartphone from her face, the back of the thin, short device showing a design of a diced, shiny golden pineapple. She beamed excitedly at me. She was pretty and had very nice eyes, but thick eyebrows. The girl ran up to me and jumped in front of me repeatedly. “You’re Gary! You’re Gary!! Oh, my, gosh!! Can I take a picture with you?!” Before I could answer her, she grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet.  
“Whoa!” I cried out.  
The girl rested her head on my shoulder, smiling, and held her phone in the air, the front facing us.  
I could see my stunned, awkward face on the screen next to her gleeful one.   
The girl snapped the picture. “Smiiiiiile!” she sang out, and turned her body to the side, her curvy behind showing off in her brown stretch pants. She puckered out her lips and landed a kiss on my cheek.  
My eyes widened to the size of basketballs and my face felt like it was broiling in an oven.  
She took the picture. The girl then used her free hand to push up the side of her curly brown hair and look cute. She blew a kiss for the camera and then took another picture, this time, my face looking down at her wearily. “Thank you soooo much, Gary!” the girl said excitedly. “My name’s Nova, by the way. So awesome to meet you!” She turned to June. “Sorry for interrupting your date.” She winked at June.  
June’s eyes had been wide the entire time, but now, her face was also going red at Nova’s last sentence.  
Nova flipped through the pictures we took and stopped at the one where she kissed me. “Dat ass, tho!” she giggled. She looked at me and sighed. “Thanks for saving us all, Gary,” she said sincerely. “You’re a hero.” She waved at me. “I’ve gotta go, now. See you!” She ran away from me, pressing on the screen of her phone repeatedly, and then raised it to her ear.  
I turned to June, my face still flaming.  
June sighed and smiled at me sweetly, caringly. “You better get used to that, Gary.”  
“As long as I don’t have to hear the word ‘hero’ for as long as I live, I think I’ll be okay,” I sighed, managing a weak smile. “I’d rather just forget about it altogether.”  
“Yeah, but you know that’s not gonna be possible.”   
We smiled at each other for a moment.  
June’s smile suddenly faded and she looked towards the ship. “I’ve really gotta get going, now…” She got to her feet and stared at me, but she didn’t move.  
I nodded. “Okay.” I opened my arms and waited.  
“Ha.” June seemed to want to say something, but she just shook her head and let out another laugh, walking quickly towards me and pulled me into a hug.  
Her hug could have suffocated an elephant, but I didn’t mind, and I did my best to match her squeeze, closing my eyes just as tight.  
We stood there for a while, refusing to let go.  
I didn’t want to let go of June. I couldn’t. But I knew I was out of time. I had to let her go. Tears tried to make themselves known in my eyes, but I refused to let them show, using all the strength inside of me to keep them away. My eyes opened as my arms slid down June, and I gently held her by her sides. “June.” I pushed against her, and she finally let me go, sniffling and turning away from me.  
June wiped at her eyes with her arm and gave me a gentle smile. “Sorry.” She sniffled again, her eyes shimmering behind her tears. “I’m just gonna miss ya, you know? We’ve been through a lot.”  
“I’ll miss you, too, June,” I told her, pursing my lips together, smiling slightly.  
She inhaled deeply and then let it go. “Are you sure you’ll be okay without me, Gary?”  
“I’ll be fine,” I insisted.  
A teardrop rolled down one cheek and she wiped at it. “Okay, then. I’ll leave you alone now, Gary.” She laughed and grabbed my shoulder with one hand.  
I raised one hand and placed it on hers. “Good luck, June. You’ve accomplished so much. You’re gonna be great.”  
“You just make sure you visit my Gym before it gets shut down, you hear me?” she laughed.  
I didn’t laugh with her. I stared into her pained eyes solemnly. “We’ll meet again. Real soon.”  
“I know.” Tears were practically streaming down her face now. She swallowed, keeping her smile. Her mouth opened, but only her breath came out and she closed it again. She lowered her eyes, shaking her head, and then looked back at me. “Buh-bye…”   
“So long.”  
June pulled her hand away and walked past me.  
I didn’t want to watch her walk away, so I kept my eyes on the spot she had just been standing on just a couple of seconds ago, hearing her footsteps pick up speed as she got further away from me.  
A few people were watching me, walking both towards and away from me, seeming interested in what was happening with me and June.  
My eyes on these people, I smiled. Quickly, I turned around to see June walking at top speed, still on the boardwalk. “JUNE!” I called out to her.  
June stopped instantly.  
There were people on the other side of the boardwalk, headed towards and away from June, watching her.  
June turned around, her cheeks soaked in tears.  
“Wait.” I walked towards her and stopped several feet away.  
She stared at me sadly.  
I stared back firmly. “There’s one last thing I want to ask you, June.”


	75. Closing Statements: The Autobiography Part 1 Of 2

“My name is June. I’m the Gym Leader of Gringey City,” June introduced herself. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She smiled brightly and brushed her red hair out of her face. “It looks like Squirtle and that Trainer over there with the Charmeleon have a closer bond than the Squirtle has with her owner.” June walked up to us and smiled a dazzling and warm smile, looking directly at me. “You and this Squirtle have history, don’t you?” She explained to Robin, “that Squirtle is a she. I can tell plain as day.”

“Yes, Gary?” June asked me tearfully. She sniffled. “What is it?”

*

“I’ve been a Gym Leader for one year and have never won a battle.” June grabbed my hand and pulled me to where the water was. “Look at the sunset! I come here every day, all alone, to watch this. It’s nice to have company this time.” She smiled at me. “I want to know all about you! You interest me so much!”  
“I really only came here for a Pokemon battle,” I explained.  
She frowned, all the warmth and love from her face now cold as ice. “Fine!” she said angrily. She turned and stormed away.

“We battled about four years ago, June,” I said with a smile. “You were only twelve, and I was just ten. Now, you’re sixteen and I’m fourteen. We’ve been through a whole lot. So much has changed.”

*

I knocked on the door to the Gringey City Gym. One tap.  
ZZZZZZZZTTTTTTTT!!!  
I was on the floor before I knew what hit me.  
June glared down at me. “I guess my trap door worked,” she spoke. “Welcome to Gringey City Gym.”

“We’re the same people we always were, and yet, so much more than that,” I told her.

*

“I choose you! Ampharos!” June tossed her Poke Ball with grace and out came Ampharos.  
“Go Beedrill!” I yelled out, tossing the Poke Ball. “Beedrill, use Twinneedle, now!”  
Beedrill flew forward and Ampharos began skillfully dodging the Poison Bee’s constant jabs at her face and body.  
“Cotton Guard!” June called.  
Ampharos’ body became covered in a white fluff. The fluff continued to grow and Ampharos was no longer visible behind it.  
Beedrill was jabbing, but the damage was now cushioned.  
“Beedrill, Toxic Spikes!”  
Beedrill put his two stingers in front of him and a deep purple orb appeared between them. The orb was tossed into the air and it exploded into multiple spikes that hit the ground before disappearing.  
“Use Rage attack!” I yelled.  
Beedrill was hit with Thunderbolt and in the next instant, Beedrill flew forward and slammed into Ampharos with all his might.  
The collision caused a bright flash of light and a loud explosion occurred.  
I returned Beedrill to his Poke Ball and smiled at June.  
June returned Ampharos to her Poke Ball and then glared at me. “Next up. Go, Manectric!” She threw her Poke Ball.  
Suddenly, Manectric howled in pain as her body began to shiver and become covered in a purple shade.  
“Manectric??” June cried out in horror.  
“The effects of Toxic Spikes,” I smiled confidently. “Primeape, go! Seismic Toss!”  
Primeape grabbed Manectric by her back paws and started spinning, faster and faster and faster. Finally, he let go and Manectric was flung right into June!  
June fell and slid fast towards the bleachers where her supporters leaped down to cushion her fall. She kept her cold eyes on me as she threw her final Poke Ball.  
The Toxic Spikes Poison hit the Electrode.  
It didn’t seem like it was enjoying itself as the Poison set in and turned it a shade of purple.  
Suddenly Electrode exploded!!!

“I still remember our very first battle, and I always will, June,” I told her, my smile fading.  
More tears flowed down June’s face, and I was sure she was thinking of her late Electrode.

*

“Gary! Please! Hold on!” I heard a voice calling.  
I turned and saw June running down the path towards me with a very large black duffel bag on her shoulder. “June?”  
“I’m relieving my duties as a Gym Leader at Gringey City,” she said with a sigh of relief. “I am going to go off on my own journey trying to understand how to become a better and stronger Pokemon Trainer.”  
I turned away. “Well, I wish you good luck on that quest, June. I’m headed to Celadon City, myself.”  
“Huh? Let me come with you!” she offered.

“I’ll remember… everything about our time traveling together. The good, the bad, the everything. You helped me out with your incredible ability to read Pokemon countless times. Not just me, but so many other people and Pokemon, alike.”

*

Ivysaur opened one of her eyes as June’s shadow blocked her sun and growled.  
“Ivysaur, my name is June,” June introduced herself. She held out a hand to Ivysaur, who sniffed it. June then slowly touched Ivysaur’s head and stroked it gently.  
Ivysaur stared at June, not moving, and then growled again. She stood up and two vines appeared from her bulb! She began chasing June around the clearing, whipping her repeatedly as June screamed, begging for her to stop.  
“Ivysaur!” Aly yelled. She tried returning Ivysaur to her Poke Ball, but the Pokemon kept narrowly avoiding the red beam trying to suck her back in.  
Eventually, Ivysaur stopped running and June ran a distance before stopping and looking behind her, gasping for air.  
Ivysaur laid back down on the ground and closed her eyes.

*

“Me and Kadabra are going back to Sabrina’s Gym to save his Trainer,” I told Kiwi and June. “So hurry up already and get out of here so we can go get ourselves killed.”  
June looked at the ground and shook her head. “I’m not leaving you.”

*

June was looking at me from the other side of the Pokemon Center. She licked her lips and slowly stood up, her face breaking instantly as she walked over to me. Her eyes were red. She’d been crying. She sat down next to me.  
I grabbed her in a hug and cried immediately against her chest, heaving.  
June wrapped me in a hug.  
I could hear her crying, too.

*

June reappeared with her bag on her shoulder, in a two piece, red bikini!  
Catherine, still a Squirtle, stood on the ground at her side.  
My eyes scanned June up and down a number of times before I made a swift and noticeable turnaround and gazed at the trees behind me. “June, what are you doing??!!” I bellowed.  
“Me and Catherine are gonna go for a swim!” June said happily. “See you guys later!”  
Robin, standing next to me, began to walk ahead, after June.  
I turned around and saw June running away from us. My eyes were admittedly glued to her body as she ran away. I closed my eyes and shook my head, and then I grabbed Robin by the arm, stopping him in his tracks. “No, Robin!” I said angrily.  
“Come on, Gary! What the hell is wrong with you?” Robin struggled against my pull.

“And whether I needed it or not, whether I wanted it or not, you were always there to give me advice while I tried to learn how to work with my Pokemon. And yet, you continued claiming that you were learning from me!”   
June was no longer crying, her eyes wide, and at my last sentence, her face went red.

*

I grabbed my last Poke Ball. “Charmeleon, go!”  
“GARY! YOU KNOW WHAT HER LAST POKEMON WILL BE!!” June yelled immediately. “WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?? WHY ARE YOU SO STUPID, DAMNIT!!!”  
I turned to June furiously and marched towards her, stopping just a couple of inches from her form sitting in a chair she was gripping the sides of. “Are you the one out here battling?!” I barked. “Are you even a Gym Leader anymore?? Who exactly are you trying to learn from, huh? Me? Right! ME! Unlike you and your Pokemon, we actually have trust and work as a team! So how about you butt out until you actually know something about battling with your own damn Pokemon?!”  
June was shaking before me.

“June, I wanted to ask you if we could have one last Pokemon battle. Like when we first met, and I won. And then our rematch that we had, where you won. The score is even. Three-on-three. Before your ship sails. What do you say?”

*

“Electivire! Just listen to me! Give me a chance! I'm sorry! I hate myself just as much as you hate me for what I did to you! But, I love you, Electivire. Can we try to just talk? Don't you remember how we used to talk? Because I do…” June stood up shakily and looked at Electivire with pleading eyes. “Electivire, remember when we first met? I remember that day. I was in the woods with Magnemite, Flaaffy, and Electrode. You came up to me and-”  
“TIVIRE!” Electivire screamed, and he electrocuted June.  
June fell to the ground, but shook the shock off, glaring at Electivire, her hair sticking up in the air.

*

Raikou suddenly charged forward!  
June ran forward and stepped up to Raikou, her arms outstretched.  
Raikou slammed into June.  
June screamed as she was taken down, slamming down hard.  
Raikou stood on top of her, growling over her, its face inches from her's.  
June's eyes were closed tight in pain. Slowly, she opened them and stared up at Raikou. “Raikou...” she groaned. She reached up her shaking hands and placed them gently on Raikou's front paws.  
Raikou screamed angrily the instant she touched it and the thundercloud on its back sparked with electricity, soon followed by Raikou's entire body.  
June burst into a powerful yell as she was electrocuted. “Raikou, talk to me,” June begged, her voice sounding weak, her eyes still closed. “What's wrong? What happened? Tell me!”  
Raikou's thundercloud sparked again.  
“If you want to attack me, then do it!” June challenged. “My name is June. I'm the ex-Gym Leader of Gringey City. I raise Electric type Pokémon. If you want to kill me, then you better hit me with a much better attack than that. Your Thunder Shocks and Thunderbolts are cute, but I've been through worse with my Electivire. I'm going to help you, even if it kills me! Now, TELL ME WHAT'S WRONG!!!”  
Suddenly, Raikou slowly backed off of June.  
June slowly sat up, not taking her eyes off of Raikou, that serious, perhaps angry, look remaining on her face. She took a slow, deep breath, and then let it out. As she got closer to Kiwi, just a few feet away from her, June pulled back an arm and slapped Kiwi across the face! She charged at Kiwi and got on top of her, slapping Kiwi's face repeatedly with one hand while her other hand grasped Kiwi's face and held it down, squeezing hard, digging her nails into her face. Her slaps turned into punches, and Kiwi blocked her face with her arms, begging for help.  
“JUNE, HAVE YOU LOST IT??!!!” I angrily yanked her off of Kiwi. “What has gotten into you?!?!”  
“SHE TRIED TO ATTACK RAIKOU!!!!” June shrieked, struggling in my arms, making it incredibly difficult to hold on to her.

“Yes!” June cried happily, her eyes twinkling under the sun as they filled up with tears. “Of course!” She dropped her bag and opened it, digging through it excitedly. When she got to her feet, she was gripping a Poke Ball and smiling with determination. “Three-on-three, Gary from Pallet Town! Against me, June, from Gringey City! No time limit! Substitutions allowed!” She nodded.  
“Right!” I nodded back.  
The vendors were looking from their booths at us, some of them stepping out onto the heated boardwalk to watch, crossing their arms over their chests.  
Pedestrians stopped around June and I as well to watch our battle, talking excitedly, a few smartphones and cameras coming out.  
“Let’s go!” June threw her Poke Ball.   
I grabbed one from my waist and sent out the Pokemon inside as well.  
“Galvantulaaa!” Galvantula landed.  
“Doooooooo!!” Kingdra said.  
June and I smiled at each other.  
“Go ahead, Gary. You go first,” June offered.  
I shook my head, declining her offer. “It’s okay. Go on, June.”  
“No, just go, Gary!” June insisted.  
I went first during our first battle, I remembered. And then she went first for our second match. I looked past June, past the crowd around us, and saw the ship. We don’t have time to waste. “At the same time! One!”  
June’s eyes widened, and then she smiled as she understood. “Two!”  
“Three!” we shouted in unison.  
“Hydro Pump!” I ordered.  
“Discharge!” June screamed.

*

June was squirming, gasping, and twitching in pain from her poisoning. She fell onto her back and stretched out, her fists clenched, tears silently falling from her eyes. Her face was flushed with purple. Her eyes turned to me, begging for help as she convulsed on the floor.  
“June! No!” I screamed, grabbing her shoulder, my heart feeling ready to explode from panic.  
Her eyes littered tears, her chest heaving repeatedly, her face growing darker. June's eyes started to slowly close. She was shaking hard, reaching out beyond me, towards her bag.  
Does June want to see her Pokemon? I wondered tearfully. I sent out all of her Pokemon at once. Her closest friends, I thought. Her family...  
Ampharos let out a low cry and stepped up to June. She placed her hands on June's shoulders and let out another cry. Her tail shook rapidly, the ball at the end of it glowing blue.  
A bell rang through the air, causing me to look around for a moment before looking back at Ampharos, realizing she was causing the chime.  
The Pokemon’s hands glowed blue, and immediately, June started to glow blue! Ampharos stood there for a long while, and finally, her tail stopped shaking and glowing, and her hands stopped glowing as well. The chiming stopped.  
June’s blue glow disappeared. The color in her face returned completely within a few seconds, the purple disappearing entirely! She sat up slowly, groaning, her eyes squinting as she looked at us all. Her eyes suddenly popped open and she crawled away on her hands and knees towards the trees, held her hair back, and I heard her vomit.  
Before I could move, her Pokemon all ran to her, except for Electivire. They landed on top of her, showing her affection.  
Electivire crossed his arms and turned away, grunting.  
June gasped in surprise at her Pokémons' affection and laughed loudly.  
“June…” I murmured, a smile spreading broadly across my face.

“Dooooooo!” Kingdra sprayed a thick stream of water at Galvantula.  
Galvantula’s body sparked and she sent out multiple lines of electricity towards Kingdra. She was blasted back by Kingdra’s attack.  
Kingdra screamed out as she was zapped by Galvantula.  
They both shook off the hits and faced each other.  
“Dragon Dance!” I told Kingdra.  
“Sucker Punch!” June instructed her Pokemon, and she gasped, covering her mouth with one hand.  
Kingdra’s body was outlined in red, and she cried out to the sky, bouncing in a slow circle. Her body started to spark with clear electricity.  
“Oh, no! Wait!” June cried to her Pokemon, lowering her hand.  
It was too late.  
Galvantula had already been ordered to use Sucker Punch, and since Kingdra didn’t do a damaging attack to her, Galvantula couldn’t use the move.  
“Ice Beam!” I said.  
“Use your Agility to dodge that!” June shouted.  
Galvantula avoided the beam of Ice by moving extremely fast along the floor, her spider movements creeping me out.  
I rubbed my arms as goose bumps crept along them, staring down at the spider’s legs moving so disgustingly.  
June smirked at me, shaking her head. “Now let’s hit her with Thunder!”  
Galvantula’s body was covered in electricity.  
“Use your own Agility to dodge, too!” I told Kingdra.  
“Do!!” Kingdra bounced along the ground, picking up Speed, but not enough being out of water, and she was zapped by a bright flash. “Doooooo!!” Kingdra bent over, breathing heavily, her eyes closed.  
“Kingdra, don’t give up! Please! Let’s do this together! Hang in there!” I encouraged my Pokemon.  
“Bug Buzz oughta do it!” June said quickly.  
“Use Dragon Pulse, Kingdra!”  
Kingdra moaned weakly, her body sparking.   
“Noo! Kingdraaaa!” I called out to her, realizing she was Paralyzed. “Gaaaaah!” I covered my ears as Galvantula let out a sharp cry, red waves emitting from her body.  
Kingdra leaned back against the attack, screaming in pain.  
June flinched against the noise, and the crowd around us whined and cried out from the irritating sound until it finally ended.  
“Doooo… Doooo… Doooooo… Dooo…” Kingdra breathed hard. She was still in this battle!  
“That’s the spirit! Don’t give up! Let’s try Brine, Kingdra!”  
Kingdra hit Galvantula with a strong blast of water.  
Galvantula stumbled back and then shook her head hard. “Galvantula!” she shouted strongly.  
“Wait, Brine! That does extra damage if the user is weak…? Or the target…?” I asked hesitantly.  
June smacked her forehead and lowered her head, smiling.  
A few people in the crowd laughed, but most of them were shrugging at each other, unsure of the answer themselves.  
“The target has to be weak, silly,” June told me caringly. “That error will cost you. Electro Ball!”  
Galvantula charged up a yellow and orange ball sparking dangerously in front of her mouth. She tossed it and it hit Kingdra, surrounding her in smoke and dust that sparked as well.  
When the smoke cleared, Kingdra was on her back.  
“That’s it for Kingdra,” June declared. “One down, two to go.”  
The crowd was getting excited, clapping and talking as my Pokemon was declared unable to continue.  
“That was fine work, Kingdra. That was nothing short of my own fault.” I returned her, mad at myself. What an amateur mistake, I scolded myself. June made her own error with Sucker Punch, but she came back really well.   
“That was great, Galvantula! Let’s keep it up!” June congratulated her Pokemon.  
“Galvantulaaaa!” Galvantula waved her feelers in the air.  
I looked away and shivered, sneering for one second, keeping my face at the ground so as not to blatantly show my detest for the Bug, though my fear was known well enough by the two. Okay, so what should I go with next? I wondered. It can’t hurt to give her a try, right? I grabbed the Poke Ball from my waist and stared at Galvantula. “Alright, my second choice is going to be…!” I tossed the Poke Ball. “Stoutland!”  
Stoutland appeared from her Poke Ball and barked at Galvantula.  
“Oh, how interesting,” June commented.  
“Yeah,” I said, staring at my Pokemon happily.

*

“Stoutland,” I said, smiling at her. “What are you going to do?”  
June stopped laughing and turned to Stoutland, Robin being the last one to stop laughing and turn to her, too.  
“Stoutland. Stout,” Stoutland said in a low voice, and she nodded at us. She turned around and walked away into the trees and snow, disappearing from view a moment later.  
The three of us turned to each other.  
“Wherever I might be needed, I guess,” June said.  
“Huh?” I turned to her, as did Robin.  
“That’s what she said,” June told us. “She seems sad…”  
We turned to where Stoutland had vanished.  
“Stoutland!” I walked towards where she was last seen.  
“Gary? Where are you going?” June called to me.  
“Yeah. We have to go, man!” Robin added.  
I stopped walking and nodded. “Yeah, I know. I just…”  
The Poke Ball in my hand suddenly glowed white and vanished, sent to Prof. Juniper.  
I sighed and glanced back to the woods where Stoutland was no longer visible. “Alright. We’re out of here, I guess.”  
Stoutland’s head suddenly appeared through the trees. She cocked her head at me.  
“Stoutland’s back?” Robin said with surprise.  
“I’m glad.” I approached her carefully and got down on one knee. One hand extended slowly towards her.  
Stoutland sniffed the air and her tail began to wag slowly. She walked towards me cautiously, glancing up at June and Robin every couple of seconds, and then focusing on me.  
“There’s no need to be afraid of any of us, Stoutland,” I told her reassuringly. “We’re good people, and you’re a really great Pokemon for saving us. Thank you so much.”  
Stoutland stopped at my hand and sniffed it, her tail wagging even faster. She licked my hand.  
“I think she really likes you, Gary!” June stated.  
“Maybe she wants to come along with us and make sure we get through this place safely! I say we take her along with us! Hell, catch her, Gary!” Robin urged.  
Stoutland looked up at Robin, her tail no longer wagging.  
I also turned back to Robin. “Really? In a Poke Ball?”  
“No, in a cardboard box. Yes, a Poke Ball! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!”  
Stoutland and I exchanged weary stares at Robin’s joke. At once, we smiled, and then she leaped at me, making me cry out as she tackled me to the ground.   
She licked my face repeatedly, aggressively.  
I laughed, warmed by her body, held down by her weight, and I tried to push her away from me. “Okay! Okay! You can come with us!”  
Robin and June laughed together as Stoutland barked and then licked me some more.

“Stoutland, let’s make this a win! Fire Fang!!” I commanded.  
Stoutland ran rapidly at Galvantula, her jaws open wide, her fangs on fire, and she leaped.  
“Agility!”   
Galvantula was too fast, dodging just as Stoutland was about to bite with the Super Effective move.  
“You’re slipping, Gary,” June teased me. “You’re becoming way too predictable right now. Is this really the way you want me to remember you?”  
“Predictable? Me? Not at all,” I waved off. “On the contrary, Galvantula’s dodge is me predicting you!”  
June’s smile faded, and one spread across my face.  
“Roar, Stoutland!”  
“Roar! Then use Thunder Wave!”  
“Move, Stoutland!”  
Galvantula attacked, zapping at Stoutland with a thin blue beam of electricity.  
Stoutland leaped over it and landed. Her body was outlined in red and she howled, her voice echoing loudly.  
Galvantula cried out as she stumbled backwards. Her body glowed red and she was returned to her Poke Ball. A white beam of light from out of June’s bag sent out her second Pokemon.  
“Pika Pi?” Pikachu looked around in surprise. He stared up at June. “Chu?”  
“Pikachu!” June said in surprise, and then she smiled. “Then let’s use Thunder, now!”  
Pikachu faced Stoutland and narrowed his eyes. They closed as his cheeks started sparking.   
The area darkened suddenly, causing us all to look up into the sky. The clouds above were now all dark and gray and flashing with lightning. It was a lot cooler now, the crowd muttering over the change in weather.  
“Piiiika Pikaaaaaachuuuuuu!!” A thick bolt flew up from Pikachu’s body, into the clouds.  
The clouds sparked, and a beam of lightning came down at Stoutland.  
My Pokemon howled as she was electrified and she collapsed.  
The light from the sun returned as the clouds lightened up and separated, and the heat made a comeback.  
“Yes!” She dug through her bag and stood up, now holding Galvantula and Pikachu’s Poke Balls in her hands.  
“Stoutland, no! Get up! Come on!” I begged. “This isn’t it! Fight back with Dig!”  
“Stout!” Stoutland growled as she got back up, shaking her head with her eyes closed tight. She then glared at Pikachu and quickly tore through the boardwalk, disappearing into a hole.  
“Pika!” Pikachu looked around seriously, unsure of when or where Stoutland was going to come up.  
“Agility, Pikachu! Quickly!”  
“Pi!” Pikachu ran around in quick spurts, moving around the boardwalk and trying to confuse Stoutland as to exactly where he was.  
“Now use Double Team to really throw her off!”  
Pikachu continued running, and then he split into several identical Pikachu, all of them darting all over the place, crying out excitedly!  
Something burst from underneath the boardwalk, into the air. “Stoutland!” She flew through one of the clone Pikachu that vanished on impact.  
“Stoutland, Odor Sleuth from the air, and then attack again!” I instructed her.  
The Pikachu all stopped running and looked up at Stoutland, smiling.  
Stoutland looked down at the Pikachu from the air and her nose glowed green. She sniffed hard as she started to fall down. “Stout!” She lowered her head and slammed into one specific Pikachu.  
The other Pikachu clones vanished, the real one calling out as he was tackled.  
“That’s the one! Now, Work Up!”  
Stoutland barked, and her body became outlined in red.  
Pikachu got up on all fours and then shook his head. “Chu Pi!” His cheeks sparked, his face showing he was ready to keep going.  
“That’s the spirit, hon! You’re doing wonderful! Pikachu, show them your Wild Charge!” June pointed at Stoutland.  
“Stoutland, counter with Giga Impact!”  
“Pika Pika Pika Pika Pika Pika!!” Pikachu ran at Stoutland, and his body became covered in bright lightning.   
Stoutland also charged at Pikachu, her body surrounded by an invisible energy. A bright flash of yellow light appeared in front of her face. She leaped at Pikachu, her body now covered by light purple energy, yellow streaks spiraling around it. Her body flashed red right before the impact.  
Both Pokemon collided into each other, and a strong explosion covered the field in smoke.  
“Chaaaa!”  
“Pikachu!” June called to her Pokemon.  
Stoutland appeared from the smoke, tumbling on the ground before coming to a stop. Her body was still outlined in red.  
“Stoutland, you okay?” I asked her.

*

“Exactly where has Porygon-Z disappeared to?” the announcer at the Kanto League questioned during my third round at the preliminaries. “It was just here a second ago!”   
“What?” I cried out, looking around. I hadn't even noticed that Porygon-Z was gone. A loud shriek made me jump and I turned towards the audience. “Porygon-Z?!” I screamed in shock.  
Yes!! It was Porygon-Z! Chasing June in the stands!!  
June shrieked in a deadly fright and reached the stairs, running down them and leaping out of the stands and into the arena, running towards me!  
“Porygon-Z has left the match and is hereby disqualified!” the referee determined, waving the red flag at my opponent, Carter.  
“WHAAAAAAAAAT?!?!?!?!” I bellowed in horror.

The smoke finally faded.  
Neither Pokemon was moving.  
June knelt down next to her Pokemon and rubbed the red dot on his right cheek. “Is that it, Pikachu? We done, here?”  
“Stout…” Stoutland’s eyes opened, and she lifted her head, looking over at Pikachu.  
“Pi!” Pikachu gasped and lifted his head, staring at Stoutland.  
Both Pokemon were breathing heavily, glaring determinedly at each other.  
“That’s right, Stoutland! Show them who’s tougher! Get up and let’s win this one!” I told her strongly. “I know you can do it!”  
“Stout. Stout,” Stoutland nodded, and she got up, growling at Pikachu.  
“Pikachu, there’s no way they’re tougher than us, right? Show them what you can do!” June urged her Pikachu.  
“Piiii…” Pikachu struggled to get up. “Chu…” He collapsed again.  
June sighed and rubbed her Pikachu’s back, a sad smile on her face. “Thank you for trying. Return, Pikachu!” She called back her Pokemon. “One down,” she acknowledged to me, and then put Pikachu’s Poke Ball away.   
Everyone around us was cheering and applauding, several conversations going on at once as the sun filled people with good energy and also impatience.  
June extended her arm out and sent out her second Pokemon. “Galvantula, once more! Let’s end this!”   
Galvantula returned.  
Both Pokemon looked exhausted.  
“We get the first move since Giga Impact has Stoutland incapable of attacking for a moment. Spider Web!”  
Galvantula spit out a thick white string.  
It flew over Stoutland’s head and then split, forming a web behind her that disappeared immediately.  
“What?” I said in confusion.  
Stoutland looked back at me. “Stout?”  
“Don’t try retreating Stoutland. She’s stuck in this battle, now,” June winked. “Just had to make sure you didn’t try anything.”  
“What a waste of a move. I had no intentions of switching her out,” I smiled challengingly. “Fire Fang!”  
“Sucker Punch!”  
Stoutland ran rapidly and leaped at the Bug.  
Galvantula moved quicker and tackled her to the ground.  
Stoutland whined as she was tossed back, but she landed on her paws and ran immediately for Galvantula again. She sank her flaming lips into the spider.  
Galvantula struggled to break free from the burning attack, but Stoutland dug in even deeper.  
“Bug Buzz!”  
Galvantula attacked again with Bug Buzz.  
Stoutland let go of Galvantula and howled before finally dropping.  
“Stoutland’s out! You did it, Galvantula! You really did it, baby! Yay! Ha ha ha!” June was jumping repeatedly, overjoyed with her win.  
“That was g-” I stopped talking as Galvantula let out a scream.  
Her body was engulfed in flames and she fell, too!  
“A Burn!” June gasped.  
Even the crowd gasped, pointing at the beaten Bug type.  
“Galvantula is out, too…” June muttered. She smiled up at me. “Ha! Well, it’s one-on-one from here on out, Gary.”  
“Sounds fine by me. You better pick your best,” I warned her. “Stoutland, thanks a lot. We’re gonna bring this battle all the way home!” I returned her.  
“Galvantula, good working beating Stoutland. You gave it everything.” June returned her Pokemon and dug through her bag. She came back up quickly and smiled at me wickedly, a Poke Ball in her hand. “My Pokemon are all tough guys, but there’s nothing like this one here.”  
“Just as I thought, June,” I nodded, secretly feeling a little nervous on the inside, my heart beating quicker.  
“Electivire, let’s win!” June tossed the Poke Ball.  
“Tiviiiiiirrre!!” Electivire’s body sparked as he flexed his muscles.  
The wild Electivire, now tamed, I thought as I stared into his eager, demanding eyes. All that power. All that strength. June now controls it. Is it too much for her? Maybe. I’ll give it my all, and I’ll win. I trust my Pokemon. Let’s fight fire with fire! “Charizard!” I grabbed his Poke Ball. “You’re gonna do this!”  
Charizard appeared from his Poke Ball and roared powerfully, blasting the air with his flames.  
“ELECTIVIIIIIIIRRE!!!” Electivire, not wanting to be outdone, blasted the air with electricity.  
Both Pokemon were putting on a fantastic show for the crowd who was cheering even louder, drawing more attention and people, mostly everyone snapping photos and taking videos.  
“Electivire, let’s focus all that energy into the battle!” June smiled at her Pokemon.  
“Charizard, send that power at Electivire, not the sky!” I told my Pokemon seriously.  
Both Pokemon glared at each other silently.  
June and I stared at each other, her face more light in attitude than my focused one.  
“Flamethrower!”  
“Thunder!”  
Charizard sent out flames for Electivire and Electivire blasted a beam of electricity at Charizard.  
Both moves collided and exploded, tossing back both Pokemon, the air clouding with smoke.  
Charizard grunted and stood his ground, waiting for the smoke to clear.  
A pair of red lights shined through the smoke on Electivire’s side, and a familiar growl was heard. As the smoke cleared, Electivire was shown to be standing, his glowing red eyes staring back at Charizard, waiting, and his eyes then faded back to their normal red.  
“Try your Thunder Punch instead!”   
“Charizard, keep him back with Fire Spin!”  
Electivire ran, pulling back a fist coated in electricity.  
Charizard roared and opened his jaws, sending out a spiraling tornado of flames at Electivire.  
Electivire was caught in the attack and screamed in pain. “VIIIIIIRRRRRRE!!!!” Electivire leaped out of the inferno and slugged Charizard in the stomach with Thunder Punch!  
Charizard roared as he flew back through the air and slid on his feet.  
“Into the air, Charizard!” I commanded.  
Charizard leered at Electivire, and his wings flapped as he flew into the sky.  
“Thunder! GOOOO!” June pointed up.  
Roaring, Electivire attacked again.  
“Charizard, dodge! Get out of the way!”  
Charizard roared and flew around the first couple of jolts.  
“Flamethrower!” I yelled.  
Charizard dodged another zap and fired back.  
Electivire was hit! He stumbled back and screamed from the pain, and then shook his head and continued trying to get Charizard.  
“Don’t give in, Electivire! Catch that thing! If you have to, take a hit from Charizard in order to take him down!” June told her Pokemon.  
Electivire nodded obediently and continued trying to attack.  
Is she nuts? I thought, looking down at her. Does she think taking a hit to deliver one is really the smartest plan against my Charizard? Is she seriously underestimating his power? I snickered as she kept her eyes on the sky. I’ll show her. “Charizard, another Fire Spin!”  
Electivire grunted, trying to catch the Flying type, but he kept missing.  
Charizard roared angrily as he flew around another attack from Electivire and attacked with his Fire Spin.  
“That’s it! Just stay there!” June smiled.  
“What?!” I exclaimed.  
The crowd also uttered surprise at June’s order.  
Electivire stared back at June, and she nodded at her Pokemon. Electivire nodded back and stood still, looking up at Charizard as the spiraling flames consumed him. He yelled out from the towering move that held him captive.  
“June, what are you doing?!” I shouted at her. “Are you crazy?”  
She winked at me. “Crazy like a Delphox!” She looked into the air at Charizard. “Thunder, now!”  
“Tiviiiiiiiiirrre!!” Electivire growled.  
Nothing happened at first, all eyes on the spinning fire.  
Suddenly, about a quarter of the tall flames, starting from the bottom, was ignited in a bright yellow glow! This glow quickly ascended up the tower of flames until it was a bright, yellow, spinning structure! The structure then sparked brightly as if it was made of electricity!  
“June…” I gasped in amazement, taking a step back as the strange sight grew taller and taller, reaching into the sky where Charizard was.  
Charizard flew back a few feet, gazing in shock at the phenomenon.  
I swallowed, unsure of what to even say or do.  
“Psychic attack!” June clapped her hands once with a bright face.  
Something stepped out from the bright yellow creation.   
“Electivire!” I said in disbelief.  
The crowd was silent. Many people looked scared, while others were shocked. Several people had their cameras focused on what was taking place, but one guy had dropped his camera to the floor, his mouth wide open.  
Electivire’s eyes were glowing blue. He faced the strange form in front of him and raised his arms.  
The electrifying structure rose into the air, making everyone except June and I scream and back up.  
My mouth was agape.  
“VIRE!!” He forced his arms forward, as if pushing the electric tower, and the sparking form flew at Charizard!  
Shocked, Charizard roared, not sure of what to do, still taken by the sight, and he was consumed by the attack. He roared deafeningly, out of sight as the move engulfed him. After several long seconds, the move disappeared, burning itself out, and Charizard dropped heavily to the ground.  
“Vire.” Electivire’s eyes turned back to normal, and he dropped to his knees. “Tivire… Tivire… Tivire…” Electivire was gasping for air, exhausted, his head lowered, his eyes closed.  
Charizard was on his back, twitching in pain.  
“Electivire, you did it! That was wonderful!! I can’t believe that worked out so well!” June gushed. She ran up to Electivire and hugged him from behind.  
Electivire continued to breathe hard, but a smile crossed his face.  
“Charizard!” Man, I can’t believe she… Did that… I thought, completely blown away by what just happened. “Charizard, please! Charizard…” My hand tightened around his Poke Ball. That was incredible… I accepted, and sighed.  
June looked over at Charizard, still holding onto her Electivire. She squinted and then gasped.  
Electivire opened his eyes and stared at Charizard. “Tivire?”  
June backed away from her Pokemon with a smile. “I see.”  
“Huh?” I stared at my Pokemon. “Charizard!”  
Charizard’s tail flinched. He let out a grunt.  
“Charizard!”  
His head moved a little bit, and he grunted again.  
The crowd was muttering.  
“Charizard, are you still able to do this?”  
My answer was received as his tail burst into a powerful flame. His groan turned into a huge roar as he pushed himself back up. His body was outlined in red, and his wings spread wide.  
“Blaze!” June and I nodded at each other knowingly, smiling.  
“So, this is it, Gary!” June called out to me. “The next move that hits might just be it! This might be a bit rude, but I’m here to win! Quick Attack!”  
I gasped. “Oh, no!”  
Electivire moved with blinding speed and slammed into Charizard, toppling him over.  
Charizard fell to his back.  
“Charizard, no!” I looked up furiously at Electivire and June. That was so unfair! I thought, knowing it was simply a really well played move.  
Charizard took everyone by surprise again as he got up once more! He roared and flew into the air!  
“Charizard, we only have one shot at this! Blast Burn! Do it!”  
Charizard’s tail flame ignited even higher, far above his own height. His eyes burst into flames. He pulled back his head, and his body suddenly began to spark with electricity. A groan erupted into a pained roar as he opened his jaws and closed his eyes tightly, and the towering flame from his tail shrunk down to where it had been when Blaze had been activated.  
“CHARIZAAAAAARD!!” I wailed, my eyes glued to my Pokemon, not believing what I was seeing.  
Electivire was smiling up at Charizard.  
“Our turn,” June said, sweat trickling slowly down her forehead, her eyes on Charizard. She raised her arm to wipe at her face, and her already short enough shirt rose up even further, her stomach showing temporarily before she lowered her arm again. Her eyes lowered to me, and my eyes rose to her face, widening. June looked down at herself and then back to me, smirking, and she adjusted her shirt, pulling it down further.  
My face went red, burning with embarrassment, and I looked away from her, to our Pokemon.  
She brushed her hair that was stuck to her sweaty forehead aside, and breathed out. “I win, Gary.”  
I turned to her and nodded. “I know.” I smiled. “Congrats.”  
“You did well, too.”  
“You’re gonna be the best Gym Leader in the world, June.”  
June laughed. “Let’s start with Kanto, first.”  
I snickered.  
June turned to Electivire, and her face went serious. “DO IT!”

*

“FERALIGATR!!” Robin screamed, facing his Pokémon. “STOP IT!!!”  
“CHARIZAAAAAAAARD!!” I tried.  
Neither Pokémon listened, continuing to fight to the death.  
“This is more than just an electric shock,” someone said from behind me.  
I turned with surprise to see June, a horrified look on her face.  
“There are Ground types here as well as Electric types. It's hurting all of the Pokémon the same! This shock is something else and it's driving them all crazy!”  
“June, what are you doing here?” I demanded.  
“My Pokémon are in here, too!” June fought back. “And I'm not gonna leave you two out here alone!”

June and I stared at each other, standing next to the ship on the pier that was crowded with other people, some happy, many crying.  
“Gary, thank you again. For everything,” June told me. “And I mean, everything. I don’t regret a day we had together. I regret not having spent more time with you. Like, after Saffron… I’m still sorry for leaving you after that…”  
“June, I accept your apology, but you don’t have to be sorry for that,” I told her.  
“No, Gary. I do! I-”   
I raised a hand to silence her. “That whole situation was nuts. I don’t blame you one bit for leaving.”  
“But-”  
“June!” I said loudly, tired of her trying to be sorry for this.   
She gasped a little, going silent.  
I smiled and let out my breath. “I accepted your apology. Let’s just leave it at that.”  
She smiled back and nodded. “Okay.” She raised a hand towards me and placed it over my mouth. “Now, let me speak.” She lowered her hand. “Earlier, you said I gave you a lot of advice and help during our time traveling together. You said you were learning a lot about your Pokemon, but I was still attempting to learn from you at the same time.” Her face started to get red. “It sounded like you were saying it was impossible for me to learn from you while you were still learning, and that I couldn’t have been learning a lot from you if I was helping you.”  
I stayed quiet, listening to her.  
“Well, one thing you should know for sure is that, I learned a ton from you. From day one. I learned about how to care for my Pokemon. Really care for them! How to interact with them better. I learned that they feel my emotions, and that we’re connected. We’re like one. I don’t just push them to battle; they push me to stay on my toes during a battle so I can direct them in what to do! It’s a mutually beneficial relationship we have. I learned too much from you! More than I’ll ever be able to properly express to you. Gary. When you met me in Gringey City, I told you I knew a lot about Pokemon, but I can say that, from traveling with you, I knew next to nothing back then. I have you to thank for all I now know. I’ll keep it with me forever, and grow even further because of what we’ve shared together. Thank you, Gary.” June wrapped her arms around me in a hug, and I hugged her back. She pressed her lips to my cheek, and I had no real choice but to accept it.  
I paused for a moment, and then quickly kissed her back.   
Shyly, we pulled away from each other and looked towards the ship, our faces red.  
“June...” I inhaled for a moment. “Thank you for…” I swallowed and my tongue traced my lips slowly, my eyes on the pier.  
“Hm?” she asked, turning back to me.  
“Lavender…” I whispered.  
“Oh, Gary. Of course, sweetheart.” Her lips pressed together as she smiled. Her eyes began to tear up. “I’ve gotta catch ya later.”  
“Okay. Take care.” It was hard to hold back the tears in my eyes as I looked into June’s.  
“I’ll miss you.” She smiled sweetly. Then, she turned away and walked shakily towards the ship. Her footsteps turned into running, and she wiped at her face with her hands as she boarded the ship. She revealed her ticket to a man on the ship and was allowed on.  
I stood on the pier and waited.  
Several more people hurried onboard, and it wasn’t long after that before the ship was setting sail.  
People out on the ship were shouting and waving to their loved ones, while the people on the pier waved and shouted back; an emotional, tearful occasion for all.  
June was nowhere in sight.  
I held back the tears in my eyes.  
The ship was moving slowly, but getting further away from me.  
I stood there, watching it.  
Someone appeared in the crowd on the ship and they pushed their way through. It was June! She opened her mouth in a smile and raised one hand. Her mouth closed and, even at a distance, I could see the tears rolling down her cheeks. Her hand lowered to her side.  
I lowered my eyes away from her and stared at the pier ground. Two tears fell from my eyes, taking me by surprise, and I took a sharp intake of breath. I looked up at June, now further away than she had been, but still staring at me. I instantly regretted ever looking away from her in that brief moment.  
I didn’t look away again.  
Even after the ship was long gone.  
Even after the pier was completely empty.  
Even as the sun was setting.  
I remained there.  
Tears running from my eyes.  
Enough to create a thousand oceans.

*

“That sounds like a good idea.” I received a nod from the person on the other end of the screen with a bruised face partially wrapped in bandages.  
“How have things been?” I asked.  
“Good,” was the short response I got.  
Neither of us spoke for a moment.  
“It’s nice that you called me,” I was told.  
“Like I said, we’re friends. No matter what.”  
There was no response to this.  
An awkward silence met us, but we didn’t look away from each other.  
“Is there anything else? You never were good at holding conversations,” were the words told to me.  
“Ha, yeah. You’re right about that. I just wanted to call and see you. That’s all.” I gave a genuine smile, truly happy to see her.  
She nodded back solemnly.  
“I guess I should go. I have to catch my ship.”  
“Good luck, Gary.”  
I smiled. “Thanks, Kiwi. I’ll keep in touch, okay?”  
She didn’t respond.  
I let out my breath silently, but maintained my smile. “I’ll see you.” I hung up the phone and turned around in my chair. She didn’t once apologize, I told myself, still smiling, and I snickered. My eyes lowered to the crumbled letter in my lap. I held it up, my eyes running over it:

I didn’t sleep. I’ve only thought about, well, everything I’ve been through since I met you, Gary. You are a truly amazing and utterly astounding human being and a blessing to the Pokemon world. I truly mean that, Gary. I, on the other hand, still have tons to learn about Pokemon and am a complete disappointment to everyone I come in contact with. I guess I now have one more person to add to that list. You. But you won’t be the last, I’m sure of that. I’ve never been very good at goodbyes, as you well know. You saw how I left Gringey City without a word. Now, I must do the same thing to you, I’m afraid. I don’t think I can be of any assistance to you, anyway. I think I’m only getting in your way and making you feel uncomfortable. And now, I’m just making excuses and trying to justify me leaving so rudely and abruptly, so I’ll stop it. You deserve that much from me, Gary. And much more. You truly do have my utmost respect. I can’t deny that I am terrified of anything more occurring on this journey like what happened in Saffron City. And even the other stories you’ve told me about your journey scare me. I’m just a big coward I suppose. I’m not sure where I’ll be running off to. I can’t go back to Gringey City. I can’t go back to Vermillion City. But I’ll find my own way. I promise. Don’t worry about me. I’ll find my place in this world and I’ll find… Myself. My poor, lost little self. Thank you for everything, Gary.

My eyes teared up as I finished reading it, remembering me, June, and Kiwi’s escape from the horrors of Saffron City, which led to Kiwi leaving us out of frustration over the entire situation, and June also departing out of fear.  
“Gary? Your Pokemon are ready.”  
I looked up and saw the gorgeous face of Nurse Joy behind the counter. A smile crept over my face. Nurse Joy, I thought. My heart. My love. My muse. My wife. My-  
“Gary?” Nurse Joy stared at me, her eyes wide.  
I shook my head hard. “Um, coming!” I ran over to her.  
“Your Pokemon are all ready,” she smiled at me.  
“Thank you.”  
That hair. Those eyes. That smile. That pure white and pink outfit. Every last thing about her was incredible!  
I needed to tell her how I felt!  
“Are you feeling okay, Gary?” Nurse Joy asked me in her sweeter than apple pie voice, staring at me with her wide eyes filled with delicate concern.   
“Yeah…” I sighed happily. “This might sound crazy, but, I just think you’re the most-”  
“The ship is leaving! Everybody boarding has to leave immediately!” a familiar voice in the Pokemon Center shouted, and I heard several footsteps pound the floor to leave the building.  
“The ship! Oh, no!” I shoved the aging letter I still held in my hand, into my pocket, and grabbed the Poke Balls from the tray Nurse Joy had set in front of me. Staring into Nurse Joy’s beautiful blue eyes, I smiled. I never had a chance, anyway, I thought sadly. “Bye, Nurse Joy!” I bolted out of the building, running past a very voluptuously shaped Officer Jenny, staring at her curves as I ran past her, wishing I had an extra second to stare at her. It’s good to be back in Kanto, I thought as I tore down the pier, towards the ship. And it’ll be just as nice where I’m headed.  
It wouldn’t be long before I’d be off of Seafoam Islands and on that ship.  
And from there…


	76. Closing Statements: The Biography. The Epilogue Part 2 Of 2

…Gary stared out from the ship, watching the ocean break apart as the ship ripped through it. He paid no mind to the passengers lounging in beach chairs underneath beach umbrellas or looking over the sides of the ship. Gary had plenty on his mind already. From his family and friends he left behind in Kanto, to his journeys through Kanto and Unova, to June.

*

June was in tears as she stared out from the ship on its way to Vermillion Harbor. Her hands gripped the strap of her huge bag that hung from her shoulder. She thought sadly of Gary as she watched her own tears fall from her cheeks. The tears disappeared long before she actually witnessed them hit the ocean, if they ever did at all. June ignored the people on the ship around her talking happily about arriving in Vermillion City, lost in her own sorrows. Even though she was finally heading back home, she questioned if she had made the right decision. What is it about this that bothers me so much? she wondered. Is it because I’m scared of seeing that man again after all this time? She thought of the intimidating though attractive figure of Lt. Surge, his army jacket open, revealing his cut chest and abs. June was hot enough in the sun as it was, and an added wave of heat hit her thinking of Lt. Surge, her face starting to flush red as a smirk crept across her face. Or is it… something else…? She wiped at her eyes as they filled with more tears, her smile vanishing. “Aaaaaaaahhh!!” she screamed as she felt a pair of powerful electric jolts go through her body. She collapsed helplessly, breathing hard, and turned around angrily. “Rotom! Electivire!” she shouted.  
Rotom hovered above her, Electivire standing next to it. Both Pokemon were smiling down at her.  
June knew they were only trying to cheer her up. She knew that they knew she was upset about things. She smiled at her Pokemon. “Thanks, guys.”

*

The restaurant in Striaton City was as busy as it usually was these days, the three brothers, Chili, Cilan, and Cress, running about with refined elegance to not only take orders and make food, but serve it as well.  
They had never been as busy in all their lives since the day they hung the huge picture of Gary in their restaurant. Below the framed photo was a platinum plaque with the words: Having Served Gary: Unova’s Hero From Kanto’s Pallet Town! Proud to have defeated him in a peculiar tasting battle, and even prouder to have later been served a unique dish of defeat, presenting him with his first Badge in Unova.

*

Bianca bounced in place in front of a Machamp that flexed uncomfortably in front of her. “Oh, look at those muscles!” she gushed, and she stopped bouncing and adjusted her half rimmed glasses. Her hands then grabbed at her green fleece hat on her head. She reached out and squeezed Machamp’s multiple arms in turn, aroused by the muscles on the Pokemon. “Oh, goodness me! I just love muscles, honey!”  
Virgil sighed, staring at his wife. “I know, honey. I know.” He knew where this was leading, and it honestly disturbed him a bit, as well as made him very jealous. He knew his own frame was a lot more modest than a Machamp’s, but he didn’t have time to work out and maximize the size of his muscles. Aren’t I good enough, considering all the work I do? he thought bitterly. Does she really need Machamp sized pecs in her life?  
Bianca returned Machamp to its Poke Ball and placed it on the counter in the room they were in. She then gave Virgil that familiar, sultry look he’d come to know. “Oh, Virgiiiiilll…”  
“Bianca, honestly, when you do this when we’re at home, it’s one thing. But, why in Prof. Juniper’s lab?” Virgil took a step back. “I really don’t-”  
Bianca jumped Virgil and took him to the floor.  
Something crashed, startling Virgil, but before he could say anything about it, his lips were covered by Bianca’s.  
She pulled back, breathing hard, and pulled off Virgil’s brown vest.  
Virgil gasped as he heard something rip. “Hey! Wait!” he protested, and sat up, placing his hands on his wife’s green skirt, his hands tightening on her thick hips that he loved so much. “Bianca, we can’t-!”  
Her husband’s touch drove her insane with desire, and Bianca swiftly removed her white lab coat, her pronounced chest heaving underneath her white tank top. She forced him back down onto his back easily and kissed the black, long sleeved shirt that covered his chest. Her hands grabbed at his baggy brown pants, forcing their way down inside them.  
The door to the room burst open.  
“I heard something cra-ah-ah-aaahh…” Prof. Juniper’s voice came out weak and stunned as she saw her assistant and Virgil in a compromising position.   
“Prof. Juniper!” Bianca pulled her hands out of her husband’s pants and crawled backwards until she bumped hard into a table, and something else fell and crashed to the floor.  
“This isn’t how it…” Virgil stopped and sighed, lowering his head.  
Prof. Juniper’s face went a deep red and her eyes rolled up to her head before she passed out and hit the floor.  
“Prof. Juniper!” Bianca and Virgil cried out.

*

“Munna, defeat it with Psybeam!” a young Trainer told his Pokemon.  
“Scolipede, you can do it! Steamroller!” Ike ordered his Pokemon.  
“Scoooolipede!” Scolipede curled into a ball and spun at Munna quickly.  
Munna attacked with Psybeam, but Scolipede leaped over the attack and slammed into the opposing Pokemon.  
Munna slid on the ground and moaned weakly.  
“Munna is unable to battle! Scolipede is the winner!” the referee in black pants, black shoes, and a black button up shirt, a purple bandana around his forehead, announced, waving to Ike. “This match goes to the Accumula Town Gym Leader, Ike!”  
“Oh, no! We didn’t win!” the challenger groaned.  
Ike ran to Scolipede and wrapped his arms around it. “We did it! We’re really winning matches, now!” He sighed and spoke more quietly so only he and Scolipede could hear. “Thank you, June. Thank you for everything.”

*

“The Kanto region’s Gary, coming all the way from Pallet Town, interrupted his challenge at the Interough Conference to stop Kiwi, accompanied by his friends, Robin and June, and destroyed her weapon of assured mass destruction, also saving the Legend, Kyurem’s, life,” the newswoman spoke.  
Aurora gasped at the pictures shown onscreen, her eyes focusing on the face of the brown skinned child amongst the other two pale skinned kids. She adjusted her naked form under the thin sheet she and her husband were sharing and squinted. “It’s him again, Forrest,” she said coldly.   
Her husband stirred and then continued snoring.  
Aurora turned to him furiously, her blanket slipping from the top of her body, revealing her breasts. “Wake up!!”  
“Huh?! What? Huh? What?!” He flapped around in confusion and sat up in bed, his bare, muscled chest heaving as he looked at his wife, startled. “What happened?” He saw his revealed wife and smiled stupidly.  
Aurora growled.  
Forrest didn’t even notice. He also didn’t notice the swift, open palm that slapped his nude body out of the bed.

*

Clay smiled sinisterly after his win against a Trainer as their platforms rose out of the underground cavern the battle was held in. The three-on-three match didn’t even require Clay to lose a Pokemon, defeating the kid with just his Gigalith.  
The crowd’s cheers were deafening.  
The electronic strip on the outside of Clay’s Gym proclaimed the words: VICTORY: CLAY. The words flew across the screen repeatedly. About an hour later, when the crowd was leaving the building, the words that normally passed across the screen were displayed: CHALLENGERS TO CLAY’S GYM, WELCOME. FACE THE COMPETITOR OF THE UNOVA REGION HERO, GARY. VIDEO FOR SALE. INQUIRE INSIDE FOR DETAILS.  
Commercials for the video of Gary and Clay’s battle were shown heavily on TV, and they sold very well, despite the outrageous price. They were even promoted during commercials for upcoming matches for Clay’s matches against other Trainers!

*

As her ship reached Vermillion Harbor, June smiled and waved as she recognized the faces of several people on land.  
Electivire and Rotom smiled, crowded by other people who were calling out to those they knew, as they gazed around at the people waving from the harbor.  
“Mommy! Daddy!” June screamed, waving her arms as she jumped up and down.  
Her adopted parents waved back, her mother wiping at her eyes, desperate for her daughter to be back in her arms again.  
June’s eyes stopped on a Nurse Joy. Immediately, she knew who this was.  
This Nurse Joy wasn’t just any Nurse Joy. This was the Gringey City Nurse Joy.   
All Nurse Joys have a remarkable resemblance, but some people believe they can tell the differences between them.  
The Nurse Joy June felt she was familiar with was the same one who gave her the Electirizer that evolved her Electabuzz. This nurse’s eyes widened as she spotted Electivire standing next to June.  
Electivire also recognized the Nurse Joy and shouted out to her, waving his arm.  
Nurse Joy let out a stunned, yet joyful cry and sniffled, waving at June and Electivire tearfully.

*

Gary sat on one side of a tree, his eyes closed tightly, his eyebrows narrowed in concentration, pondering what he should do next with his life, and where he should go.  
Charizard sat at the opposite side of the tree, his eyes closed, smiling as the sun beamed down on him.  
They both were sitting alone in the outskirts of Pallet Town.  
Charizard opened one eye and stared towards Gary, not turning his head, and then closed it again, still smiling.

*

Ella and Trixa, down to their last Pokemon, were breathing as hard as their worn out Pokemon, glaring at each other.  
Trixa’s Aerodactyl screamed out threateningly at Ella’s Pokemon.  
Ella’s Omastar shouted back.  
“Aerodactyl! Hidden Power!” Trixa shouted.  
“Omastar! Use Gyro Ball!” Ella told her Pokemon.  
Aerodactyl’s body became outlined in green. Crying out, it opened its mouth and a green orb formed inside of it.  
The orb shot out at Omastar.  
Omastar glowed light blue and leaped high into the air. It spun rapidly, pulling itself inside of its shell, and it flew at the Hidden Power attack. At the last second, it swiftly dodged to the side, the Hidden Power exploding as it crashed into the ground, and Omastar rammed into Aerodactyl’s face.  
Aerodactyl wailed out and dropped.  
Omastar landed and kept its eyes on Aerodactyl.  
“Aerodactyl has been defeated! Omastar wins! This round goes to Ella!!” the referee declared.  
The crowd went crazy, President Cyn speaking enthusiastically about the battle.  
Trixa looked stunned as she stared at her defeated Pokemon.  
Ella was thrilled to bits on the inside, but she held her excitement in and smiled at Trixa as she approached her. “Trixa, that was a really good battle. It was anyone’s match. I’m really sorry, though.” She extended her hand to her friend.  
Trixa jumped, startled by Ella. She hadn’t even seen her walk towards her. She laughed. “Ella!” Trixa grabbed Ella’s hand and pulled her, taking her by surprise, and wrapped her up in a hug. “You don’t have to be sorry. Don’t sweat the small stuff. I guess this is where my journey comes to an end, huh?”  
Ella hugged her friend back, confused. “An end?” She pulled away from Trixa and stared her in the eyes. “It doesn’t have to end here, Trixa. You can always compete here next year, or go to another region to try your luck there, too!”  
Trixa just smiled at her friend, her eyes twinkling in the sunlight that shined on them.

*

The man smiled at the city around him.  
It was a beautiful place, with not a sign of the horror that had taken place there about four years ago. Tall buildings reached into the sky alongside shorter buildings. Restaurants, toy stores, clothing shops, delis, banks, and many more establishments were all freshly built and ready to be run by a manager and open to the public.  
Not every building in the city was completely reconstructed and ready to be used, plenty of them only halfway done being built while a few others had barely even been started.  
Construction workers were in their bulldozers and cranes as they worked in the intense heat.  
Silph Co. loomed most noticeably amongst the buildings due to its importance, and also because of its destruction years ago. It also stood out because it was one of only a few buildings in the city with any workers inside of it.  
After all the years rebuilding Saffron City, most people were still too scared to return, even though the haunted Gym was torn down, and there had been no sights of the evil Haunter who took over the city since his defeat. Very few people lived there anymore.  
The smile on the man’s face faded slightly. He was hopeful that people would return one day. As the new mayor of the city, he knew he had to do his best to return it back to its former glory. One day at a time, he told himself calmly. One day at a time.

*

“Ferrothorn!” Ferrothorn said happily, staring down at its defeated opponent, a Klinklang.  
“Oh, no!” Ruko cried out in dismay at his Klinklang, its gears spinning weakly. “Good try. Return!” He recalled his Pokemon to its Poke Ball.  
“Ferrothorn, good stuff!” The young boy returned his Pokemon and then looked up at Ruko. “Yo, that Klinklang was killer! You wanna trade for my Ferrothorn?”  
Ruko’s eyes widened in shock. “You actually want my Klinklang? We lost!”  
“You could have won, though! You weren’t really using the best order of moves for your Pokemon,” the boy insisted.  
“Really…?” Ruko brushed his hair from his eyes.  
“Yeah! I could teach you a bit about what you should have done in our battle with that Klinklang, but that thing was still fighting like crazy! That’s why I was sure I would lose. But using moves like Facade cost you. I can tell you what you did wrong, and I can even tell you what moves my Ferrothorn knows and the best combos to use with it to raise your chances of a win to almost a guarantee!”  
“Wow…!” Ruko was excited by this, and he smiled. He opened his mouth to accept this guy’s offer, but then, his smile faded. He closed his eyes and angrily shook his head. When his eyes opened, he smiled at the boy again. “That’s kind of you, but I have to refuse. Thanks anyway.” Before the boy could plead his case, Ruko turned away and ran through the city they were in. He smiled as he ran, reflecting on a memory.  
“You wanna trade that Snivy for my Zorua?” a boy asked Ruko about a year ago.  
Zorua looked back at its Trainer for a moment before looking up at Ruko, who stared back at it with wide, intrigued eyes.  
“I know we won, but Snivy is really cool, and tough! Plus, I can tell you all about Zorua’s moves and the best way to use it in battle!” the boy pleaded with Ruko. “Pleeeeease? Zorua’s a really rare Pokemon, too!”  
Ruko’s Snivy managed to its feet after its defeat, groaning. It shook its head and looked back at Ruko, staring into its Trainer’s eyes.  
Ruko looked back at his Snivy as he considered the offer.  
Ruko shook his head hard, emotions rising up from his chest and into his eyes from the painful memory. He ran even harder, knowing that no matter how fast he ran, he’d never leave behind the regret he now felt over that first trade he selfishly made that cost him his very first Pokemon. But he refused to cry, but just learn from the experience. He slowed down to a walk, put on a brave face, and continued on towards his future.

*

Mrs. Tot sat in her house, in the dark, crying. She had been in her room for days, and hadn’t eaten in just as long. All she could think of was the fact that, essentially, her daughter had killed her own father. Mrs. Tot’s husband. Knowing her daughter had no regret over it made the pain even worse, and she knew she would be haunted by this for the rest of her life. She contemplated suicide a lot these days. The smell of vomit was strong and made her nauseous, but she refused to clean it up, or do anything else with herself. Despite the high temperature in her room, Mrs. Tot was freezing cold, shivering uncontrollably in her bed underneath a blanket.

*

Courtney looked around at her location.  
New Bark Town. The town was more like a city with its tall, commercial buildings everywhere.  
Well, here I am, she thought to herself. Johto. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply as a strong wind blew against her, blowing her blonde hair back wildly. The town where the winds of new beginnings blow, Courtney thought to herself. Her eyes opened and she glared ahead. This is where I can start fresh, all over again. Just me and Sceptile, like it’s always been. No more Gary. No more redhead. Why couldn’t they have just died in the explosion? I swear, if I run into them again, I’ll…   
A strong wind blew against her again.   
She breathed out and then inhaled again, trying to calm herself down. New beginnings, Courtney. New beginnings. I won’t see either of them ever again. This is where I start anew. Despite the obvious rage she felt for Gary, the loathing she held towards him, there was a feeling of regret in a very deep place within her that she was well aware of. I did one good thing, Courtney told herself. One act of kindness. For that, I feel redeemed enough. She smiled, satisfaction relieving her of her anger.

*

“There he is! Gary! It’s him again!” Gale excitedly pointed at the news on the television, having pulled her confused husband into the living room from the kitchen. She was jumping up and down like a thrilled five year old.  
On the screen was a picture of Gary, the news reporter speaking of the kid who had stopped Kiwi’s planned attack against the planet.

*

Vincent had his lips puckered out, staring at himself in the humongous, gold framed mirror before him as he applied lip gloss to them. Sitting in his magnificent, golden chair, leaning over his luxurious, golden table, he occasionally glanced at the TV behind him through the mirror as a news report was given on the foiled plot Kiwi had attempted to fulfill. He sputtered and dropped his lip gloss on the table, jumping out of the chair and turning to the television. “What?!?!”  
“Sweetheart, that’s the same child who survived the attack against Team Solace at the Kanto League a few years ago, isn’t it?” Vincent’s wife, Erika, said calmly, fanning herself with her hand-held paper fan.  
Vincent stood in black stretch pants, his shirtless chest heaving hard as he stared in shock at Gary’s picture on the screen.

*

Tera was laying on her bed, on her back, holding a newspaper.  
Gary’s face was on the front page, the words: KANTO KID STOPS UNOV-ERSAL JUDGMENT on the top of it.  
Tera hugged the newspaper to her chest and sighed happily, her eyes closed. When she opened them, she was gazing at the ceiling of her room.  
“Spina! Rak!” A Spinarak crawled along the ceiling, stopping on the face of Gary that was plastered there, taken from an old newspaper.  
The paper was torn in half, only keeping Gary’s face intact. The words: CONNECTIONS BETWEEN- were still there, and underneath that read: AND- The rest of the words didn’t make it past Tera’s cutting. More pictures of Gary from magazines and newspapers were all over the walls and ceiling of her room.

*

Dame Hydraen attacked June’s Electivire with Dragon Rush, her body surrounded by a light blue orb with white streaks. As she flew at Electivire, her body was covered by a dragon-shaped energy, and she slammed into the Electric type.  
“VIIIIIIIIRRRRE!!” Electivire’s stomach flashed white from the Critical Hit. He slid back painfully but didn’t fall.  
“Electivire, don’t stop! Use your Ice Punch, now!” June shouted.  
Electivire shook off the powerful hit he had taken and pulled back an icy fist, leaping at Dame Hydraen and slugging her in the chest.  
Dame Hydraen belted out painfully as her chest started to become covered in ice.  
“Dame Hydrean, Fire Punch your chest and smash that!” Robin yelled.  
Dame Hydraen raised a fist and it burst into flames. She punched at the ice that was taking over her body and it was destroyed, breaking into pieces. She shouted challengingly at Electivire.  
Electivire growled back, eager to continue battling.  
“You’re really something nowadays, June, ha ha ha ha ha!” Robin laughed, winking at her.  
“We’ve only just begun, Robin,” June smiled back teasingly, her cheeks flushing lightly with a red hue.  
“Same here! Dame Hydraen, Fire Blast!”  
“Electivire, Thunder, now!”  
Lt. Surge smiled proudly as he watched the battle, his arms crossed over his chest, his right hand on his chin, nodding.  
Both Electivire and Dame Hydraen roared powerfully and attacked.  
Fire Blast and Thunder met in midair and exploded, covering the field in smoke.

*

“Pansage, use Bite, now!” the young girl ordered her Pokemon.  
“Gastly, use Night Shade!” the opponent ordered Gastly.  
“Pansaaage!” Pansage ran towards Gastly.  
“Gaaaaastly!” Gastly’s eyes glowed bright pink and its body turned a pale purple. Multiple crimson rings flew out from its body.  
“Paaaan!” Pansage’s attack was interrupted as its body was surrounded by a matching pale purple. It was forced to the ground on its back.  
“Come on, Pansage, we can do this! Let’s get our first Badge!” the girl encouraged her Pokemon.  
“Saaaage… Pan!” The purple faded from around Pansage and it wearily got back up.  
Shane watched the battle taking place between a young girl and her Pansage, and a Gastly that was taking orders from a young man who looked exactly like him.  
A Haunter hovered over the illusion of Shane, laughing to itself, unseen by Pansage or the girl Trainer.  
The girl watched her Pansage cry out determinedly as it stood on what she and her Pokemon believed to be the Gym floor, unaware that there was no Gym. She and her Pokemon were actually outside in the middle of Obsidian City, believing they were battling for the Dimensia Badge against Shane!  
The real Shane sighed tiredly and shook his head, his hand to his forehead. Not again… he thought.

*

“We’re still here waiting for Gary to appear for his battle against Ella,” President Cyn said. “I’ve gotta say, to leave such a fine dime as Ms. Binks hangin’ like this, totally not cool, bro! Oh, and also, by calling her a dime, I am absolutely not hitting on her. I got plenty of fine, full grown, brown sugar babies waitin’ for me at mah crib on mah laptop. I mean, on mah bed. Ha ha ha ha ha! I’ma get in trouble for that one. HA HAAAA!”  
Ella looked around tearfully, waiting for Gary to appear, gripping a Poke Ball in her hand. Knowing he would appear.  
He had to!   
For every second that passed without Gary appearing, Ella’s heart slammed itself more and more painfully against her throat.  
The referee approached Ella and stopped near her with a stern face.  
“No!” she pleaded to him.  
The referee raised one hand. “We’ve waited long enough. At your insistence, I gave you an extra fifteen minutes, and then another ten. Due to not arriving, I hereby declare that Gary has forfeited this match against you. You are the winner!”   
Ella dropped her Poke Ball at the announcement, more tears flowing from her eyes as she stared at the referee with her mouth wide open.  
“And that’s it, y’all! It’s official! Even if Gary appeared right now, it’s too late! Ella Jane Binks wins and is moving on to the second round!” President Cyn shouted out.  
Ella lowered her head against the silence of the crowd that was watching her, thinking that this was possibly the most embarrassed she had ever felt in her entire life. She could only think of one other time she had felt so embarrassed.  
When Gary had left her during their date.  
She covered her face and ran out of the stadium, tears silently streaming down her face, completely forgetting her Poke Ball on the ground.

*

Mrs. Tot knocked on the front door, and her hands went through her freshly washed hair nervously. She had taken a shower for the first time in almost a month, this also being the first time in that time period that she had left her house. She hadn’t eaten a proper meal in that same amount of time, and it showed in how skinny she had gotten. She no longer had her curves. “Esto es estúpido. No puedo!” Mrs. Tot cried, and she turned from the door, ready to run.  
The front door opened.  
“Mrs. Tot?” Gary’s mother gasped.  
Two more gasps were heard from inside of the house.  
Mrs. Tot turned around, shivering that very hot day, sweating, her arms wrapped around her body.  
“Oh, my gosh! Mrs. Tot!” Gary’s mother ran to her and held her shoulders. “What’s happened to you??”  
Mrs. Tot looked back shakily and noticed that Gary’s mother’s eyes were red and puffy, dried lines of tears on her cheeks. Mrs. Tot’s head lowered as she turned away and she wept loudly.  
“Oooh, it’s okay,” Gary’s mother told her soothingly. “Come inside, please. I think you belong with us today, okay?” She wrapped one arm around Mrs. Tot’s shoulders and guided the woman towards her house.  
Mrs. Tot sniffled repeatedly and followed Gary’s mother. She looked up and came to a stop, gasping.  
Staring at her in disbelief from the doorway was Ms. Say and Gary. Both of them had red, puffy eyes.  
Mrs. Tot covered her face and cried even harder.  
Gary and Ms. Say shared a caring smile before turning to Mrs. Tot and stepping aside as she was guided inside.

*

The young fourteen year old stared at the TV screen.  
A newsman was speaking about the leader of Team Solace, who apparently had been stopped by a young kid named Gary while she was attempting to launch a catastrophic attack in Unova.  
The girl squinted hard at the photo of a boy with brown skin and a crooked, though sweet, smile. “The boy from the Kanto League attack?” she muttered. He looks so familiar, she thought. Where do I know him from? The girl had the same reaction the first time she had seen Gary in the news after Team Solace had been stopped back in Kanto. She was unable to pinpoint exactly where she had seen Gary before, or if she had truly ever seen him in her life. But he looked so familiar to her…   
“Drocky! I said it’s time to go!” a woman shouted from outside of the house.  
Drock shook her head. “Coming, Mummy!” She ran away from the TV and out the front door. “Beeeeeeedriiiiill!! It’s time to goooooo!”  
Beedrill flew through the beautiful garden in front of the house, having been focused on a large sunflower, and past a window of the house, not even noticing the television, and flew after his Trainer.

*

Peter typed on his keyboard rapidly, a serious glare on his face, his eyes focused on the screen of his desktop computer.  
A series of letters and numbers and complicated formulas flowed down the screen continuously. Suddenly, a black box opened up on the screen.  
“Huh?” Peter stopped typing and leaned back. He rubbed his eyes and then squinted.  
The black box was a video.  
“Gary, one of the survivors of the Kanto League attack about three years ago, appeared once again during one of Team Solace’s schemes,” a news reporter said from the box.  
“Whoa-ho-ho!” Peter laughed. “It’s him!”  
A white light covered the screen temporarily while the news reporter continued talking, and two beings flew out of the light before it vanished.  
Porygon2 and Porygon watched the report cheerfully with Peter.

*

“You sure you’re okay with this, Cottonee?” Gary asked his Pokemon as they stood outside together under the hot sun. A welcome breeze hit Gary and his Pokemon, the areas of Gary that were wet with his sweat becoming cool. Gary enjoyed the chill, keeping his solemn eyes on Cottonee.  
“Coooottoneeeee!” Cottonee said joyously.  
“There’s no going back once this happens, bud,” Gary warned him, his heart beating hard. He raised his hand with the stone in it. “There’s no need to do this unless you really want to.”  
“Cooottonee! Cooooooottonee!” Cottonee nodded eagerly.  
Gary released his breath happily and nodded at his friend. “Then let’s give it a shot!” He raised the Sun Stone towards Cottonee and pressed it against his body.  
Cottonee flashed with a blinding light.  
Gary shielded his eyes and backed away from his Pokemon.  
Cottonee’s body lowered to the ground as it began to shift and twist its form. The light flashed again and disappeared as it sprinkled to the ground. “Whimsicott!” the new Pokemon exclaimed.  
“Whimsicott!” Gary gasped. “Ha! Courtney told the truth! I’ve got a Whimsicott!” Gary knelt down and opened his arms.  
“Whimsicott!” Whimsicott ran towards Gary and leaped into his arms, hugging him and feeling warmed by his Trainer’s hug.  
“Congratulations, Whimsicott! This is awesome!” Gary enjoyed the soft feel of the cotton around his Pokemon’s body pressed against his face and arms.  
“Cott! Whimsi!” Whimsicott agreed.

*

Cory’s room door burst open, startling Cory and causing him to almost drop his book as he looked up in fear. As a Ghost type Gym Leader, being scared wasn’t something that occurred often to him or his brother, but it was in fact Spector who had scared him just now, running into his room. “Spector, what is going on? Surely, you have the decency to-” Cory said angrily.  
“Dude, you’ve gotta see this!” Spector ran to Cory’s bed and pulled him from it.  
Cory’s book fell from his hands. He reached out frantically to catch it, but it landed on the bed, closed. “My page!!” Cory raged. He absolutely hated to lose his place in a book! “CORY!!”  
“Screw that book! The TV! It’s important!” Spector pulled his brother, who was actually more muscular than his skinny self, out of his room and down the hallway.  
“Spector, if this information is not absolutely requiring my immediate attention, and I have lost my place in my book I was reading, which is the latest thriller from Chauntel, mind you, over nothing, I promise you-” Cory threatened as he was dragged into his brother’s room.  
“It’s him!” Spector pointed at the TV in his room, something his brother’s room lacked.  
Gary’s face was on the screen, the news reporter speaking about how he saved the world from Kiwi’s intended plan.  
Cory’s eyes widened as he stared at the screen, dumbfound, his mouth open, his breath flowing out noisily.  
“Chandelure!” The Ghost Pokemon floated through the wall and into Spector’s room, followed by a couple of Lampent and several Litwick.  
“Jellicent!” The Ghost type also appeared after the Litwick.  
The group of Pokemon were all curious as to what was going on. They all cried out happily at once as they saw Gary’s face onscreen.

*

“Elesa, enough is enough! Stop seeking sympathy and pitying yourself and get out of this rut already!” the Flying Gym Leader, Skyla, shouted at Unova’s Electric Gym Leader. She’d been trying to comfort Elesa for almost three hours now, but Elesa was refusing to stop crying and moping.  
Elesa had a brown paper bag with eyeholes over her head. She gasped loud and long and cried harder than ever, her hands to her face. “Just go away!!” she shrieked at Skyla. “I just want to be left alone!!” She grabbed at the paper bag and tossed it to the ground, revealing her mascara smeared face. “And I can’t breathe in that damn bag!” She covered her face and continued to cry. “Just leave me alone… Why don’t you just go away already? Don’t you get that I don’t want you here? Just get out of my Gym! Allow me the dignity to die without having poisoned someone else’s eyes at my ugliness. I have no friends! I have no family! I have no future! I have only myself!”  
Skyla slapped Elesa in the face.  
With a gasp, Elesa was silenced. Her head had jerked to the side, her eyes to the floor. Tearfully, cautiously, she looked up at Skyla, stunned, her eyes wide with fear.  
Skyla glared down at Elesa, her arms crossed over her chest.  
The half-naked Elesa whimpered and was about to cry again, her lips quivering, her cheek now red and stinging.  
Skyla got down to her knees and her face softened. She raised a hand and placed one finger on Elesa’s lips, silencing her. “You have your Pokemon, Elesa,” she spoke softly. She smiled slowly, gently, lovingly. “You can’t forget that your Pokemon are by your side. They always have been, and they always will be.”  
Elesa sniffled hard.  
“And you know your family loves you,” Skyla continued, her finger lowering from Elesa’s face. “You can’t break contact with people and then act as if they’re avoiding you. And don’t tell me you don’t have any friends, because I’m only here because I’m your friend. You know that, Elesa. Right?” She stared into Elesa’s blue eyes with her own blue eyes.  
Elesa stared back into Skyla’s doe-eyed face. “Oh, Skyla!” she sobbed, and lunged at her, wrapping her arms around Skyla’s sky blue jumper in a tight hug, crying against her.  
“It’s okay, Elesa. It’s okay. I’m here.” Skyla hugged her best friend, rubbing the bare skin on Elesa’s back between her matching black and yellow bra and panties, slowly.  
Both women sat on the floor in each other’s arms in the middle of the bathroom.

*

Stoutland, Snover, Cottonee, Elgyem, Excadrill, Seismitoad, Darmanitan, Sawk, Unfezant, Electivire, Lanturn, Vaporeon, Galvantula, Manectric, Ampharos, Pikachu, Weepinbell, Butterfree, Magnezone, Blitzle, Dugtrio, Kingdra, Noctowl, Primeape, Charizard, Baltoy, Drifblim, Rotom, Prof. Oak, June, and Gary were the only ones inside of the House Of Memories that day. The party had been granted permission to be in that room that day without any other people, including the owner.  
June, Prof. Oak, and the Pokemon were in tears, none crying harder than Gary. The others were offering pained sniffles compared to Gary’s open cries, his hands muffling the noise a little as he covered his face, kneeling before a gravestone, his head down.  
Prof. Oak wiped at his tear-filled face with the sleeve of his lab coat, shakily gripping his cane tightly.  
June slowly approached Gary, stopping next to him. She got down on her knees.  
Gary could feel June’s presence, and he took June by surprise as he quickly reached out and wrapped his arms around her, crying against her.  
June held him tightly, tears streaming down her cheeks even faster, and she looked at the gravestone in front of them, reading the name to herself.  
Porygon-Z  
Her eyes moved over to the gravestone behind it, and she silently read the name.  
Electrode  
She swallowed hard and closed her eyes, quietly crying even more, and she hugged Gary tighter. 

*

Ella walked down an open, dirt plain, her hands in the pockets of her blue denim short shorts. She was glaring down, and her eyes closed as the wind whipped up some dirt around her. She didn’t care that she had won the Unova League. She didn’t care that she was taking the steps very few were privileged to take; seeking out the members of the Unova Elite Four. The only thing she could think about was the fact that Gary had not shown up for their battle. Despite most of the world knowing by now why Gary had skipped the Unova League match, Ella had been left out on the information. Once she had won the Unova League, she immediately, and angrily, pursued the Elite Four, pain in her heart.   
Traveling as a Pokemon Trainer makes it hard to keep up with the things going on in the world, making television in buildings like Pokemon Centers, and picking up a newspaper every once in a while, very vital.  
Cursing Gary’s name, Ella stomped ahead. Her eyes would water every once in a while, but she remained strong for herself and shook away her honest feelings of sadness, confusion, and concern over Gary. I hate him, she tried to convince herself. I hate him! Her eyes filled with tears again, and she angrily wiped at them with the back of her hand, sniffling hard. She came to a stop and gasped as more dirt was blown through the air at her, but it was more than just dirt.   
Something glittery was sparkling around her, too! She shielded her eyes as a large shadow covered her, and she looked up as something descended from the sky, glitter falling all around her.  
It was a huge, pink flower, taller than Ella herself! It hovered over her. The giant petals of the plant opened, and the entire thing seemed to disintegrate into nothing!  
Ella blinked against the glitter still falling into her face as she stared up at a beautiful blonde woman who floated in the air.  
The woman quickly, but softly, descended to the ground, smiling sleepily at Ella in a white and pink nightgown, a large, white nightcap on her head, and pink sandals on her feet. Her mounds of flowing, blonde hair was wider than her entire body and reached down almost to the ground. A big pink bow was nestled in her hair by each side of her face.  
The glitter stopped falling around the two girls.  
“Caitlin!” Ella gasped in disbelief.

*

Trixa stared at her little brother eating his chicken fingers at the table.  
The child grabbed another piece of chicken and dunked it into the ketchup on his plate, mashing into it, and then he made sounds like a plane as he swung his hand through the air, playing with his food.  
Trixa smiled at the sight, and her eyes began to tear up.  
“Trixa? Did you hear me?” Trixa’s mother said loudly.  
“Huh?” Trixa’s smile faded as she turned to her parents. “Oh.” She wiped at her cheek as something rolled down it and then she stared at her hand. Something wet was there. A teardrop?  
“Trixa, is something wrong?” her father asked, lowering his fork that was stabbed through a piece of his cheeseburger he had cut with his knife.  
Trixa turned back to her brother, who had stopped playing with his chicken and turned to his older sister.  
He stuffed his food into his mouth and chewed it slowly, watching Trixa.  
Trixa turned to her parents. “I hope not, daddy. Right now, everything is perfect, but it doesn’t stay that way.”  
Trixa’s father stared at her in confusion, her mother watching her daughter curiously.  
“Trixa, what’s going on? You’re not making any sense,” Trixa’s dad insisted.  
Trixa swallowed nervously, but she knew she had to say what was on her mind. She narrowed her eyebrows and cleared her throat, building up her courage. She then inhaled deeply. “I’m quitting becoming a Pokemon Trainer!”  
Nobody spoke after this.  
Trixa’s little brother swallowed his food hard, his wide eyes on Trixa.  
Trixa smiled. “Mommy, daddy, Ceaser. I missed each and every one of you so bad on my journey. It’s not the life for me. I want to be home with my family!”  
Trixa’s mother sighed with relief. “Honey, if you want to stay and not be a Pokemon Trainer, you know that’s your decision and we all more than support-”  
“It’s not just that, mommy!” Trixa interrupted. She shook her head as her eyes filled with tears. “Excuse me for interrupting you, mommy. I’m really sorry. It’s just… I love you.” She turned to her dad. “And I love you, too, daddy.” She closed her eyes and her hands rose to the sides of her head. “But I can’t stand the fighting!” Tears flowed down her face. “I don’t want you two to get divorced again! You have no idea what I went through during that time! And then, when you got back together, the fighting drove me away to become a Trainer! I left to get away from the noise!” She covered her face as she began to sob uncontrollably. “But… But… But… I don’t wannaaaa!” Trixa continued to cry, letting a lot off of her chest. She gasped as she felt something touch both of her shoulders. She turned to see her dad standing at her left, his hand on her shoulder.  
He smiled at his daughter. “Trixa. I’m so sorry for putting you through so much pain.”  
“Daddy…” Trixa trembled as she turned to her right and saw her mother.  
“Baby, we love you. And we love each other. And we love Ceaser, too.” She released her daughter’s other shoulder and ran her hand through Trixa’s hair. “I’m sorry for hurting you. I’m sorry for my part in driving you away. I had no idea.”  
“Mommy…” Trixa smiled.  
Ceasar appeared next to his mother, crying silently as he stared at Trixa. “I don’t want you to go again, sis.” He turned to his mom. “Or you, mommy.” He turned to his dad. “Or you, daddy! I just want us all to stay. Pleeeease! Nobody leave! Ever! Let’s stay here forever!”  
Trixa’s parents joined their daughter as they all stared lovingly at the young boy.  
Trixa looked up at her parents.  
The parents turned to Trixa before looking at each other.  
Trixa’s dad walked over to his wife and gently wrapped his arms around her.  
Trixa’s mom sighed comfortably and leaned against her husband’s chest, her arms wrapping around his waist. “Forever.”  
Trixa’s dad kissed his wife’s forehead. “Forever.”  
Trixa got to her feet and hugged her dad from behind. “Forever!” she said happily.  
Ceaser hugged his mom from behind. “Forever!” he shouted.  
“Forever!” Trixa’s dad yelled.  
“Forever!” Trixa’s mom screamed.  
“FOREVER!” Trixa screamed even louder.  
“FOREVER!!” Ceasar screamed even louder than her.  
“FOREVER!!” Trixa’s mom’s voice was even higher than before.  
“FOREVER!!” Trixa’s voice competed with her mother’s.  
“FOREVER!!!” Trixa’s father’s voice boomed throughout the house.  
“FOREVER!!!”  
“FOREVER!!!”  
“FOREVER!!!!”  
“FOREVER!!!!”  
“FOREVERRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!”  
The family laughed with each other as they held tightly onto each other with love.

*

“In recognition of your work as a Pokemon Ranger, you are hereby promoted to 7 Rank Area Ranger and presented with your very own Capture Styler. Congratulations, Kai Eraser.” The man behind the podium, wearing a dark blue suit, handed Kai the mostly red object.  
Kai was in tears, beaming brightly as she stood onstage with the man and excitedly snatched the item away from him.  
The man looked surprised at Kai’s action, but he laughed it off and applauded with everyone else.  
The people in the room were mostly other Pokemon Rangers, most sitting in metal chairs, watching the stage, while a line of other Pokemon Rangers waited onstage to be presented with either their own Capture Styler or other reward.  
Kai was trembling as she stared at her machine, tears rolling down her cheeks. “Yyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyy!!! I finally got my own Capture Styler!!” She swung her arms out and cheered.  
The crowd gasped and the room went silent.  
“Oops.” Kai covered her mouth and stared down at the man who had just awarded her the Capture Styler.  
His left eye was blackened where Kai had accidentally socked him with the device, unconscious on the floor.

*

“Whimsicott! Whimsicott! Whimsicott!” Whimsicott jumped repeatedly, pointing at the television screen that held Gary’s face.  
Gramma stared at the screen from her couch and smiled. She turned to her Whimsicott. “He saved the world! Pretty cool, huh?”  
“Whimsicott! Whimsicott!!” Whimsicott jumped excitedly, jabbing towards the screen. “Whimsicott!! Whimsicott!!”  
Gramma became confused. “What is it? You’re acting as if you know him or something, ha ha!” She turned away from Whimsicott’s cries and jumps and stared at the screen, scratching her head.  
Gary’s face faded away and was replaced with the image of a smiling Prof. Oak.  
“Due in large part to Gary, Prof. Oak’s name has been strengthening in popularity following the downfall of Team Solace,” the newsman spoke. “Members all over the world are being arrested, while police as still searching for other, more elusive members.”  
Prof. Oak’s face disappeared from the screen and was replaced with four rows of faces belonging to other people, each row holding five faces.  
“Here are some pictures of people associated with Team Solace that police are still after. William Skippy, also referred to as Captain Billy, Dave-”  
“So sad,” Gramma shook her head. “At least the team is done with. Amazing what good kids are doing these days, right, Whimsicott?”  
“Whimsicott…” Whimsicott sighed and lowered her head in dismay, giving up.

*

“Scolipede is out…! Bisharp is actually the winner! Yooooo, this is insane! Virbank City’s Lana has beaten Roxie in a three-on-one battle!” the announcer at Virbank Gym shouted in disbelief at the turnout of the Gym battle. “Roxie may have only had one Pokemon, but it’s really unlike girlfriend to lose, even with the disadvantage! This is also the first time in this Gym’s history that a Steel type has beaten any of Roxie’s Pokemon! To add to that, Lana didn’t lose a single Pokemon! Another first from a challenger! The series of losses lately are seriously not like our Roxie! Her concentration has been totally out of whack lately!”  
“Bisharp!” Bisharp stood up straight and looked back at its Trainer as she jumped for joy over her win.  
She was the only one making any noise in the now silent building.  
The crowd that had been rocking out to Roxie and her band’s music was staring in shock at the stage.  
Roxie and her band were motionless, their eyes on the beaten Scolipede.  
Roxie’s bottom lip quivered, and she turned to the back of the stage, where her Garbodor sat on the floor tiredly, looking miserable.  
Most of its face was wrapped up in bandages, a black eye patch over one eye.  
Roxie grabbed at her hair and tugged it hard, shrieking into the microphone in rage at the top of her lungs.

*

The unmerciful wind blew hard, Gary shivering miserably, tortured by his beloved low temperatures he was mostly fond of when he was dressed adequately. Despite wearing his black winter coat, black gloves, a black beanie, black boots and dark blue jeans, Gary was chilled almost as if he were naked. His serious eyes were focused on the same thing his companions were also eyeing silently, everyone frozen to the core, but everyone also willing to be there.  
Very little dirt blew loose through the air, and the grass was bending wildly, but securely fastened to the ground underneath the gray sky.  
Gary was the first to step up to the gray stone tablet sticking out from the ground.  
Robin, dressed in a tighter fitting gray coat, the hood pulled down over his solemn face, his hands in his pockets, was the next to step up, stopping next to Gary.  
June, in her red, puffy coat, her hands also in her pockets, stepped up after Robin in her red boots that stopped just short of the knees of her tight black jeans.  
They all continued to stare at the short piece of stone.  
Gary’s eyes watered from the cold, and he tried to blink it away, but the constant gusts of wind had other plans for him. He knew the wind was causing the least of his tears. The cold he was enduring, however brutal, meant nothing compared to the reason he was out here in the first place. He stood there patiently, sitting on words he wished he had, but didn’t.  
The trio stood there patiently, not waiting for anything in particular, but knowing something was coming, one way or another.  
After an untraceable period of time, Gary finally cleared his throat.  
His two friends didn’t budge. They didn’t even react.  
“In your name, it’ll never be over,” Gary spoke softly. He cleared his throat even louder, making June and Robin look up at him. This time, he spoke even louder. Stronger. “This all continues for you. For what you left us to allow us to continue to do. We do this for you. Our goal will never stop. You’re on this journey with us. We’re forever together. Everything is for you. The good…” Gary hesitated. “…the misguided…”  
June swallowed hard, her eyes on Gary.  
Robin stared firmly at Gary and sniffled as his nose ran with mucus.  
“It’s all for the love of you,” Gary proceeded. “We love you. Me, Robin, June, Kiwi.” Gary placed his hand on the gravestone. “One.”  
Robin’s eyes looked over at Gary’s hand, and he reached over and placed his hand on top of Gary’s. “Two.” He kept his eyes on his hand.  
June stared at Robin’s hand as she placed her hand on top of Robin’s. “Three.”  
The three turned to each other with stern faces.  
Robin’s was the first to lighten up into a slight smile.  
June saw this and turned hopefully to Gary, who followed Robin’s lead, smiling warmly at him, and then at June. June let out a light, joyful cry, tears flowing down her face.  
They all nodded once, and, throwing their hands up in the air, in unison, they cried, “Four!”  
The following yell that followed was: “KANTO!”

*

“That was genius!” Burgh shouted from his room.  
“No, no, no. What you were doing was truly genius!” Kiwi insisted from her own private room. “You’re truly a mad man!” She laughed loudly.  
“You, my lady, are truly the most creative mind this planet has locked away out of fear, not realizing how crucial you are to a truly better world,” Burgh complemented Kiwi, most of his face wrapped in gauze.  
“They certainly can’t keep us here forever! These straitjackets have no restraint on our all-powerful minds!” Kiwi laughed, scars and bandages on her own face.  
“I still have my formulas memorized in my head, and nobody will get them from me! NOBODY!! You and I, Kiwi! You and I! The world is ours!!” Burgh cackled evilly.  
Both Kiwi and Burgh laughed maniacally, four guards standing outside of each of their individual padded rooms, shaking their heads sadly over the patients staying at Abete Mental Health Facility.

*

Gary smiled at Mrs. Tot, Ms. Say, Prof. Oak, Mr. and Mrs. Butters, Robin, his grandmother, his aunt, and his mom amongst the crowd of other residents of Pallet Town.  
Gary’s mother was the only one not smiling.  
Robin stepped up to Gary and extended his hand, smiling.  
Gary took it with a daring smile and they both struggled to squeeze the life out of each other’s hand, keeping their eyes on each other’s.  
“Good luck, Gary. You’re totally gonna rock things over there,” Robin told Gary.  
“Good luck to you, too, Rob,” Gary said. “You’re going all the way this time. Train harder than ever.”  
“As always, man.”  
Both young men nodded before releasing hands.  
Gary looked up at his mother, whose face held disapproval, but she was smirking at the two friends. Her minor smile faded when her son looked at her.  
“I’ll be back in about a year, mom,” Gary said, his smile fading slightly. “I love you.”  
She looked away from him and crossed her arms, glaring into the hot sun, and she huffed.  
The crowd watched this conflict between parent and child uncomfortably.  
Gary’s smile broadened and he nodded. “Bye, everyone!” He waved at the crowd before giving one last glance at his mom, and he ran, leaving Pallet Town.  
Tears fell from his mother’s eyes as she turned her head in the direction her son took off and painfully watched him leave, the anger on her face vanishing instantly and being replaced with a mournful look. She didn’t say a word.

*

“You’re sure about this, right?” June asked Pikachu as she sat on her knees in her room.  
“Pika! Chuuuuu!” Pikachu nodded eagerly.  
“This is really a big deal, Pikachu. I don’t want you to have any regrets about this or anything.” June twirled the stone in her hand nervously, her eyes on her Pikachu as her heart slammed into her stomach nonstop. “Maybe you should have a talk with Electivire about this, first. I mean, it might be scary, or hurt, or feel weird, or change everything about you and make-”  
“Pikachu!” Pikachu leaped at June’s hand and wrapped himself around it, his body pressing against the Thunder Stone.  
June gasped. “Pikachu! No!”  
Pikachu’s body flashed white and he fell to the ground.  
June’s fist tightened around nothing, though just a second ago, the Thunder Stone had been there.  
Pikachu grew taller, his tail stretched longer, and his body grew wider. The light around his body flashed even brighter before vanishing. “Raichu!”   
June’s eyes watered as she stared at her new Pokemon. “Raichu!” she gushed. “You’re a Raichu, now! I can’t believe it! This is wonderful! I could just-!”  
“Chuuuuuuu!!” Raichu closed his eyes and hit June with a Thunderbolt.  
June shrieked and collapsed to the floor weakly, shivering uncontrollably. “R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-Raich-ch-ch-ch-chu-u-u-u?”   
“Raaaaiii…” Raichu glared at June, his cheeks sparking scarily, and he took a step towards his Trainer.  
June regained some control over her body and sat up, still twitching, surprised by just how much of a boost in power Raichu now had. She crawled backwards on the floor until she bumped into her bed. Her body let off sparks, her hair reaching out into the air at all angles. “R-Rai-Raichu! Wait a minute! Please! It’s me! June!! Don’t do this!”  
“Raaaaaaaiii…” Raichu’s cheeks sparked even stronger.  
“Can’t we talk about this?” June begged frightfully.  
“CHUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!” Raichu zapped June again.  
June’s scream turned quickly into laughter as she rolled on her back on the floor.  
“Chuuuuu!” Raichu leaped on top of June.  
She grunted under Raichu’s new weight but wrapped her arms around him. “Raichu! Don’t you scare me like that again!”  
She continued to laugh as Raichu sent another friendly jolt that surrounded their bodies as they laughed together. They were laughing so hard and loud, they didn’t even hear the door open.  
June’s parents’ concerns when they heard their daughter’s screams faded away instantly to smiles and sighs of relief as they saw her and Raichu laughing on the floor in the middle of a bright yellow bolt of electricity.

*

The Oak Pokemon Research Laboratory wasn’t what it used to be, but construction workers were hard at work alongside scientists as its rebuilding took place.  
A small building stood several feet from where the old lab building once was. It had a few computers and other machines hooked up inside so the professor could continue his research while the destroyed mansion was being rebuilt.  
Renovations on the land of the Oak Corral were also underway.  
There were several different kinds of Pokemon flying, swimming, running, and napping outside.  
Prof. Oak and Tracey looked over the landscape at all that was happening.  
Snover was making friends with a Growlithe who was wagging its tail cheerfully while eating a Snoverberry that Snover had given it.   
Whimsicott and Weepinbell were playing with a variety of other Grass and Bug types in the woods.  
Unfezant, Noctowl, Butterfree, a large group of Ledyba, a Braviery, and a Pidgeot were flying through the sky together.  
Sawk was training by himself, destroying boulders far off in an area Prof. Oak and Tracey had built a long time ago just for Pokemon like Sawk that require solitude and were creating loud explosive noises while training that echoed throughout the lab, even at late hours.  
Primeape, upset that he couldn’t train with the private Sawk, trained by himself, letting out his rage as he attacked trees, boulders, and sometimes other Pokemon or people.  
Kingdra was in the pond with the other Water types like Poliwrath, Seaking, Seismitoad, and even the Ekans and Arbok who came by on occasion to swim with the others.  
Elgyem kept to himself, always watching what was going on, and creeping out many of the Pokemon. He slept very rarely, too. He would have been a good security camera, except he was very uncooperative with anyone, but Prof. Oak believed he would come around in time.  
Dugtrio was a shy Pokemon, but he seemed to find a place amongst the other Diglett and Dugtrio that lived in the woods.  
Baltoy spun throughout the plains freely, choosing no place to call its own, but instead utilizing the entire lab to roam daily.  
Darmanitan loved to test his strength with the other muscle-bound Pokemon like Machoke , Throh, Nidoking, Conkeldurr, and weighty Pokemon like Snorlax.  
Excadrill was extremely helpful in assisting the workers rebuild the lab and the land with his digging and great strength.   
Drifblim was like the other Ghost Pokemon at the lab, appearing when she wanted and vanishing into thin air at will, scaring the daylights out of both people and Pokemon and enjoying it delightfully. She fit right in with her Ghost type friends.  
“Hm?” Prof. Oak looked down as something bumped into his cane. “Ah! Persian!”  
The sassy cat meowed and rubbed her body against Prof. Oak’s legs carefully before sitting down.  
“Oh! Hey, there!” Tracey greeted the Persian cheerfully.  
Persian turned to Tracey and stood up startlingly fast. Her back arched and her fur stood on end as she hissed, raising her right paw in the air and clawing towards Tracey warningly.  
Tracey cried out and backed away. With a sigh, he asked, “Why do you hate me so much…?”  
The three cried out in surprise at a loud barking.  
They all turned to see Stoutland yapping, chasing after a smiling, laughing Rotom.

*

Gary, surrounded by other passengers, beamed thrillingly at the sight ahead.  
A city was in view, the ship still a good distance away from it.  
“There it is, mommy!” a little girl cried from her father’s shoulders, pointing ahead. “We’re almost on land again!”  
There it is, indeed, Gary agreed, nodding his head. The location for my new life.  
My new adventure.   
My new quest.   
All alone, this time.   
Just me.   
Gary.  
His fists tightened at his sides and his arms shook with excitement.  
Fear.  
Nervousness.  
Happiness.  
Gary thought of his mom.  
Prof. Oak.  
Robin.  
Trixa.  
Kiwi...  
Ella…  
June…  
Aly…  
Melissa…  
His dad…  
This one’s for all of you, Gary thought.  
He grabbed the only Poke Ball attached to his belt. I’m not alone, he smiled, looking down at the Poke Ball. I still have you with me, buddy. He looked up at the approaching city.  
You and me, Charizard. You and me. Traveling together like we did back in Kanto when we first began our journey.  
On our way to compete in another Pokemon League competition.  
Gary smiled even broader, his eyes glued to the city.  
No.  
On our way to win.  
The Hoenn League.

 

 

*Author’s Thank Yous and Notes*

I thought I posted this when I had originally finished this fanfic August 31st, 2014. But clearly it’s not here, and besides, I have new information regarding upcoming fanfics. I’ll try to keep this short and sweet. First and foremost:

I am grateful always, to God, and my given ability to write, my blessed comprehension and interpretation of things around me, and the mishaps, chances and opportunities I’ve had in my life that led to being able to do something I’ve done since I was a child; write.

My mother, aunt, and grandma, whose personalities and my upbringing by them helped form their roles in my fanfic. Thank you all for our lives together, period.

The Smellons Gang: Robin, Aly, Kiwi, June, and Barry. Our group is everlasting, and who you all are shaped this fanfic to be what is. Thank you for that. This wouldn’t have been possible without Robin setting off on his fanfic and inspiring mine. It was always something I wanted to do, but after reading the first chapter, I knew I needed to do something different, darker. The spark was lit and so it began. (You can find his unfinished fanfic works under the author name Pan Hatta https://www.fanfiction.net/u/4418517/Pan-Hatta so go encourage him to return to writing!)

R.L. Stine, for being the biggest inspiration to me to write as a child. Goosebumps was the best! And a lot of the style and descriptions from way back then guided me for my work.

Onegai Teacher, Onegai Twins, and Anu Natsu De Matteru, as well as anime and its music in general, for being what it is. Highly inspiring, emotionally moving, and idea triggering. It’s thanks to these three anime in particular that I was able to understand a lot about timing, how to end chapters, begin them, and much more.

Music, period.

The X-Files, Samantha.

Pokebay, the site me and the other Smellons met on, and the owner, GM2K, for a platform to begin my fanfic writing before I moved things to fanfiction.net. And thank you to the members of the site who made it to my story as guest characters as I saw fit, such as: Drock, Tammie, Rog, Leigh, Aura, Damian, Ruko, Nova, and Trixa. Forgive me whoever I may have forgotten.

And speaking of Pokebay members who made it to this fanfic, I MUST give a few very special shoutouts to:

Courtney, for playing the perfect lying, manipulative, backstabbing, fake role in my fanfic that you held on Pokebay. Thank you.

Kai, you were absolutely my favorite person to guest star. Every time.

Cloud (Ozne), it was a disappointment you abandoned us all like that, but it was fun before that.

My friends in real life, Will, Dave, and again, forgive me anyone else I have forgotten.

Gayle, it’s a funny coincidence I made up the character Gale in my story and then decided you fit her, only later to find out your real name is actually Gayle. It’s unfortunate you felt the need to stop talking to me but clashing personalities will do that. Good luck to you.

The Pokemon franchise.

Ella, I wish you still wrote. You were the best writer I ever had the chance to know, and so intimately. I apologize for... But life is funny, isn’t it? I hope all is well, and if it’s in your heart, do continue writing. Seriously.

And finally, to the fans, I appreciated every last review, good or bad, and it was great to see the view count after every chapter release. I hope you all will stay tuned for the sequel. It’s release should be late this year, maybe early next year, 2020. It depends. But, it is without a doubt, coming. And it’s gonna get pretty damn deep, so bear with me in the meantime. 

Thank you again and see you soon.


End file.
